The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-07-02
WHY Christ Was Not Understood.

On last SaDDaLH, DIV LLc ToS-
byterian church, in Clinton. DR..
j. +. Marable preached from
John vii chap. 46 verse-"Never
man spake like this man"
Subject: The World vs.. An Hon
est Man. He said: When a great
man dies the newspapers all
write him up, dilating on his
good qualities and worthy deeds.
Possibly some one will write a
biography OF him. The world
chances at it all and the dead
man passes to the retired list
with thousands Of Others to be
forgotten and still to be follow
ed by thousands. Not 80 with
one mana man who has been
dead nearly two thousand
years, and who has not yet
passed to the retired list, and
never will. He has had his BIZ
ographies, and will continue to
have them to tho end Of tune.
He has biographies in America,
England, France, Scotland, Ger
many and so on, and they are
read over the civilizad world.
Interest in the biographies, IN
the history of the life and char
acter Of this great man is by no
means diminishing with time.
Never before has 80 many books
about him been written and SO
much interest taken in them as
during the last thirty years. Yet
how was he regarded when he
lived on earth ? | wish to call
your attention this morning to
one point only. 1t is a signifi
cant fact that this great teacher
Of men was not understood by
the men to whom he talked, not
only not understood but con
stantly misunderstood. They
wondered and marveled alike al
what he said and at what he did
They not only did not under
stand what he said about spirit.
ual things, but could not com.
prekend the plainest and SIM
plest language which he used
about the affairs of men in their
every day life. Why was this
The answer is simple yet start
ling. 1t is this: He was an
HONEST man! He was q plain
| mana candid man. He talked
candidly, he lived and acted
candidly. Those around him
did not therefore understand
him-they could net understand
him. We have the same thinf
illustrated among us often non
to a certain extent. Take q mar
who is thoroughly honest, a:
near like Christ as weak human
ity can be, and we will see hin
deal conscientiously and square
| ly with tie most ignorant ani
a. helpless. By changing date o
figure he coud cheat some fel
low of S. and neither the igno
rant man or any one else in thu
world be any the wiser. H,
does not do it-probably neve
thinks of it. But here is thu
dishonest fellow. He consider
himself smart if he could Save
the S. for his own pocket AM
not be caught up with. HI
thinks everybody would do thi
and could not understand tn,
/ man who would not. Again
| take a broad, eral-minded
generous hearted, higb-strun
man, whose heart opens to ever,
, worthy and deserving object an,
i whose willing hand is Away
, lent and whose purse opens a
far as its ability-a man VIII
: would find a genuine pleasure il
helping to clothe or school
/ needy and helpless child. The
: take the fellow with a little sci
: fish, greedy, gingerly and misel
}, ly soul in him and he looks o
> at the first man in wonder H
! can't understand him. He ha
}. no mind or soul with which
comprehend such breadth, dept
/ and heighth OF sonl aud mine
> The two men may be OF til
same race, have the same con
!: plexion, same form, sam
heighth, in fact look very inuc
alike, get they are different q
the Chinalnan and the Americal
they are as far q part as tn
poles, almost as far as heave
l. and earth. Is it strange ths
man No. 2 does not understau
), man No, /?
n The able divine then proceed
6u W uCSOLlDC WIG SoiitAlb1O1
10 men, morals sud religion und,
70 the corrupting influences of I'll
" Roman Empire at the tin
. Christ was on earth, and to sho
how wonderfully strange it mu
r. have seemed to them, reekir
in cOrruption, to see rise I
|, among them a man fro n I'll
humble and despised class wi
was not DEPRIVED like ther
. selves. How they wondered
y what he said and still more wo
>" dered that he acted and liv,
/, like He talked. Now Christ W
>. a teacher aud must establish
In school of followers and mu
=, leave teachers to carry on Il
work. Then hes should try