St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-06
CHRIST AS A TEACHER.
The Manner in Which the Divine
Ruler Taught.


In st. Pauls church Rev. W. Wilkin-
son, of St. Andrews, preached on the
text, "Rabbi, we know thou art
teacher come from god" He said:
"a teacher come from God may be ex-
pected to give Godllke lessons to the
world. And it will help us to under
stand the teaching of Jesus in this re-
spect if we look at the Instructions
given to the world by instructors In
great power when Christ came to reveal
God. The minds of men were very
actively engaged in the study of the
forms of belief then prevalent. Mental,
moral and physical delights, each had
power and place had representatives IN
soldier and ruler, but at their hands the
rights of the people Jared very ill. The
naughty and infdel Sadducee, who
did not believe in angel or.
spirit, or in the supernatural.
looked with proud scorn upon
those who believed in both. He was the
advanced thinker, in his own Judgment,
of his time. The self-righteous Phari-,,
see, who was in fact better than most OF
the persons amongst whom he lived,
made even his goodness obnoxious
by his superciliousness in treatment OF
with whom he refused to have any deal
ingS. In fact, he appears to have
thought that a first place in heaven
must of right be given to him, and any
person not of his caste or faith ought
not to look at that holy place. The
Epicure looked at both these repre-
sentative classes and said: Gentle
men, your teachings and your strife are
nothing to me-" Your hairSplitting of
doctrines away with; give me a good
dinner and animal pleasure; as for the
rest do as you will. The man who held
this faith had-such men ever will have
many followers. Here the Stole APP
pears, and he despises emotion, pleasure
and pain: will not be merry at a
marriage, or sad at funeral; such
weakness he will not show. But what OF
the masses of men. and women as these
teachers argue, contend, fight? They
are in conditions most deSplOrable, vice
the most sordid, for pictures of which
read Farrer's early Days of Christian
ity." At this junture, Jesus enters the
scene. He is born in place which for
its total depravity is by-word-a very
out of NAZARETH" it is asked. With no
social advantage of any kind, and at
thirty years old begins His great work.
And by His life shows how superior He
is to all the teachers who have gone be-
fore Him. He makes the doing of good
the one great aim of His life. 1t was
not tract and prayer. 1t was not
wise and holy talk about resignation.
1t was such help as men required at the
time they needed it. The hungry food.
The lame made whole. The blind to
see. The deaf to hear. The poor heard
the gospel OF manhood as never
IN n1nnnnnt in
deeds as this life of Jesus Christ. A
life in each and every particular worthy
a teacher come from God. Now let us
look at the words of this teacher. They
are not less divine than His deeds.
He did not begin to reform nations,
SenateS, states as such; but knowing
well that as is each man and woman, SO
is the people as whole, and keep
Ing in mind the great fact of mans per-
SOnal individual responsibility. He adj
dressed men on these lines, and His
law, neighbOrly kindness. have never
been excelled. Think, if you can, what
God great military genius would
have pictured to the world; what an
abstraction would God have appeared if
a SchOolman had to portray Him; but in
the hands of Jesus. who came to reveal
Him, how real, true and tender God be-
come in the eyes of men. Read the
18th of st. Luke. See the prodigal
in all his want woe, sin, suffering, sor-.
row, and see the father, how ready to.
receive him with royal welcome. So
God is not an abstraction, but real
person, with emotion, consideration,
sympathy, and an eyer-ready dispose
ton to forgive the shining children of
men. Apart from Christ's teaching all
the teaching of all the ages could not
show man how he might rise to God
and become God-like; but in the simple
words of Christ, the Prophet of Naza-
reth, the way is as clear as the Highland
so plain that he who runs may read,
Rabbi, we know that thou art teacher
come from Cod"