The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-24
THE MANLINESS OF CHRIST.
Picture of the Son of God Unlike
Those Of the Old Masters.

Rev. Lyman Abbott, in the Outlook.
The New Testament affords but one hint
or the personal appearance of Jesus Christ.
John IS in the spirit, it is said, on the Lords
day. He is awakened as from trance by
great voice like that of trumpet, turns
to see who it is that is speaking to him,
and, being turned. beholds one like unto the
Son of man. His eyes were as a flame of
fire. and his feet like unto fine brass, and
his voice as the sound Of many waters"
This is not like the pictures of Christ which
conventional art has furnished us-a femi-
nine face, hair parted in the middle. long
flowing locks, all gentleness, tenderness,
femininity. One can imagine, from this pic
ture John recalling the appearance of Christ
when He drove the traders from the temple.
His eyes flashing fire, His firm and martial
tread indicating the reSiStleSS will, and HIS
voice of wrath deep ana sonorous. AS one
looks at this picture he can, too. better un-
derstand some misunderstood or forgotten
Incidents in the life Of Christ He will re-
member how more than once this Christ
faced mob and the mob parted
before Him and He passed
through them as Israel through the Red
sea; he will remember how the Temple po-
lice came to arrest Christ as He was teach
ing in the Temple, but left Him untouched
spake as this man; he will remember and
get new light upon the declaration that
Jesus Christ spake with authority. and not
as the ScribeS; he will remember the sig
niflcant little incident recorded in Mark
that. as Christ and His disciples went up
to Jerusalem Jesus went before the rest,
ana lney, dfIldZeu lOlOWtu
after; he will remember and better under
stand the declaration of the evangelists
more than once repeated. that the dis
cipleS were afraid to ask Christ, and queS-
tened among themselves as to his mean
ing; he will remember the night Of the
arrest, and how Christ went out and put
himself between His half-awakened dis
cples and the band of police, confronting
the latter, and how they fell backward to
the ground before Him, and He waited,
holding the band at bay by His mere pres
ence until He gave opportunity to His dis
cples to escape; he will remember and
better understand the awe Of Plate be-
fore this majestic personality.
But was not Jesus gentle, and tender. and
patient? Was not his gentleness, his ten
derness, his patience, more than woman s.
the wonder of his disciples? Yes. But
what made this wonderful was that such
a man as He possessed all these traits. The
Lion of the tribe of Judah was the Lamb
who before his ShearerS opened not his
mouth. What amazed them was that a
man with such power of wrath that the
traders fled before Him unarmed and un-
attended, d man with such power Of indig-
nation that the Pharisees quailed before
His flashing eye and SonorouS utteranceS-
that such a man He, when personally in
suited, was silently patient standing calm
and unmoved when spit upon and buffeted.
For in Jesus Christ the strength of man
hood and the patience of womanhood We're
united. He knew how to be angry and sin
not; for His anger was inspired by love,
never by personal pride He bore with UNI
rufiled patience wrongs to Himself, but His
eyes flashed fire when He saw wrong per-
petrated uDOn others. The world vet awaits
shall answer TO the vision which John saw
in the isle OF Patmos. a Christ through the
windows of whose soul spirit flashes out
in CLEANS of fire, whose feet have the tread
of might and majesty. whose lips suggest
a voice in its deep musicalness like the
voice Of the ocean, full Of power.