The Social Principles of JesusRauschenbusch, Walter
Religion
The Social Principles of Jesus
Rauschenbusch, Walter
Christian ethics; Christian sociology; Jesus Christ -- Teachings
The ABC of social renewal and moral advance is for each of us to face our
sins sincerely and get on a basis of frankness with God and ourselves.
Therefore Christianity set out with a call for personal repentance. If we
only acted up to what we know to be right, this world would be a different
place. But we fool ourselves with protective coloring devices in order to
keep our own self-respect. Take our language, for instance; it reeks with
evasive euphemisms intended to make nasty sins look prettier. We call
stealing “swiping” and cheating “cribbing.” When we have been drunk we say
we were “squiffy.” As soon as we face the facts, we realize that what we
call peccadilloes in ourselves are the black sins that have slain the
innocents and have hag ridden humanity through all its history. That is
the beginning of social vision. Personal repentance is a social advance.
What equivalent have college men and women for the plea of the Pharisees
that they were Abraham’s children and had a pull with God?
Second Day: Expanding the Area of Obligation
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him,
saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he
said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And
he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with
all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him,
Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he,
desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my
neighbor? Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down
from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both
stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when
he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And in like manner a
Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on
the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came
where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and
wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn,
and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two shillings,
and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and
whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will
repay thee. Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor
unto him that fell among the robbers? And he said, He that showed
mercy on him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou
likewise.—Luke 10:25-37.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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