The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
WALKING IN THE LIGHT.

The people stumbled at the declaration Of
JESUS that he should die on the Cross. They
could not conceive how he could be the Mes
/ slab and die-certainly not ANONYMOUSLY!
They had no conception whatever of Spir-
itual MESSIAH. In their Interpretation of
the Messianic prophecies they had not risen
above the view of an earthly kingdom or a
temporal prince. Since the Kingdom was to
be an everlasting kingdom and the Anointed
was to reign .forerer, they assumed that the
MESSIAH would not die but live and reign
forever on the earth, and by conquest of all
other kingdoms advance his kingdom to
universal dominion. Hence the question:
''How say you that the Son of man must be
lifted up?" "We have heard out of the law
that the CHRIST abideth forever" ''Who is
the Son of man" that must die? Certainly he
could not be the MESSIAH of their cardinal
hopesl Their teachers had misread and they
had misunderstood their own Scriptures.
The disciples themselves were blinded by
their prejudices and misconceived Messianic
expectations, and could not comprehend.
JESUS makes no attempt to answer the ques-
at his sayings. The difficulty was, that their
understanding were darkened," and so he
recurs to the oft repeated figure of the light.
On former occasion he had said, 81 am the
light of the world. He that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life" John xiii. 12). Now he says:
Walk in the light which will remain but
H. &L,otx 10
ness stumbleth. While ye have the light be-
lieve in the light that We may become the
Sons of light. To become the Sons of light
is to become enlightened. He exhorted them
to accept his teachings and to walk in the
light of them and his life, and though they
could not now understand precisely who he
was or what he should become, they would
become enlightened and no longer stumble.
They asked him what could be the meaning
of his saying that the "Son of Man should be
lifted up?" If it meant violently taken away
by death of shame, how could this be?
Was not the Son of Man a title of the MEssI-
All? JESUS did not answer them. He
only babe them walk in the light during the
very little while that it should still remain
with them, and SO become the children of
light. He was come as light unto the world,
ana the words which ne 6paKo should Judge
those who rejected him; for those words
every brief answer, every long discourse
were from the Father; Sunbeams from the
Father of Lights; life giving rays from the
Life Eternal.-Life of Christ, Farrar.
Then he said to them that they need not
trouble themselves to know whether he were
the CHRIST, or not, for he did not ask them
to believe in himself, but to believe in his
truth. 81 am come to you to bring you
light; and if We are in this light and walk in
it, and not in darkness, tnen have done my
work for you. While We walk in the light of
truth ye are safe aud cannot go astray. I do
me. if they will believe what say. If what
/ say is truth receive it, and walk in it: if you
refuse to do SO l do not judge you. The
truth will judge all men, in the day of judg-
ment."-Legend Of Thomas Didynlus.
This was probably the last of JESUS public
teachings in the Temple, and was given, ac-
cording to the chronology we have adopted,
on Wednesday afternoon. "These things
spake JESUS, and he went away and was con-
cealed from Them" "He went out unto
Bethany with the twelve" 1t was no longer
safe for him to remain in the presence of
his watchful enemies who had already deter
mined to take his life. He would now retire
and prepare for the crisis that was at hand,
by which he was to be gloriied, and his dis
ciples and the world enlightened.