The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-04-29
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question was asked by his townsmen
in derision and scorn, as though it
would place a stigma upon Jesus that
would forever discredit Him as a pro-
phet and Saviour, but the designation
has we since been worn by Him as a
mark Of honor.
Unconsciously>they placed On His
brow one of His brightest crowns It
is a startling fact that ever after 1900
years it has not lost its wonder that
the Saviour Of the world was a carpen-
ter. This is not what the Jews ex-
pected, and it is not what We would
expect. They looked and longed for
a Saviour who would come as a royal
conqueror, wearing purple robes and
marshaling great armies to break the
iron rule Of Rome and raise them to
political power and splendor. We
would look for q great scholar and
statesman with wisdom and e~loquence
to move the world. But Jesus came
neither as the one nor as the other,
but as a carpenter. Gods ways are
not as u ways. This question is the
only CLEAN of light We have from the
life Of Jesus from tie twelfth to the
thirtieth year of his age. Of this
long period, comprising more than
half Of His life, not a word is recorded
to tell US what He was doing except
this word carpenter. But as an artist,
with a single sweep Of His pencil or
brush will sometimes draw the outline
of His picture, 80 this word paints in
outline the life Of Jesus during this
period. It sketches the life of one
who did not separate Himself from
his fellow-men, but knitted Himself
into the humblest human relations.
It shows US q common %toiler, working
at a humble trade and living content
eddy in honest poverty. There is color
enough in this word to paint a COM
plete picture of Christ's outer life.
It is worth more than all the apocry-
phal gospels that are full Of absurd
stories Of His youth. What are some
of the lessons from this pregnant
word?
l. First, we see that Jesus engaged
in useful work. He vas a producer,
as the word translated, carpenter,
literally means. He created wealth,
and added to the comforts of his fellow
| men. There were more and better
| houses in Nazareth, or more ploughs
and ox-yokes on the surrounding farms
| because he lived than there otherwise
would have been. This was q true
part of his ministry, by which he
helped to save the world from cold
and hunger. Everyone ought to be
doing something that will add to the
welfare Of the world. There are men
and women that are no%nproducers, and
mere consumers. They are not doing
anything that is useful to others, but
are simply living in idleness and:
pleasure. They consume food and
| clothing and Injuries; they require
many people to serve them, but they
never serve others. The world is
never the richer for their having lived
in it by q grain of wheat or a nobler
thought. No man or woman has a
right to live such a life, whether a
tramp or a millionaire. Others are
worse than nonproducers, who are de-
stroyers of wealth, or who rob others
| Of their wealth. Gambling and specu-
lation produce nothing, but only de-
prive others of what they have pro-
duced. a lottery, whether run in
Louisiana, in a store, or in a church,
is simply an arrangement by which a
number of people combine TO see who
can steal from the others They are
all thieves in principle. Everyone
ought to test his life by the standard
of productiveness for human welfare.
"Sure good" says Ruekin, lis first in
feeding people, then in dressing peo-
pie, then in lodging people, and lastly
in rightly pleasing people, with arts,
or sciences, or any other subject Of
thought"
2. Second, we see that Jesus was
content to stay in the ranks of com
mon t~oilers. His reputed father was
q carpenter, and he continued in the
same calling. he did not hunt around
for some more rapid way Of making
money, and aim at becoming a great
capitalist, but he contentedly toiled
on. There is agreat deal said in these
days about "getting on the world"
by which it is meant that young men
should get of the farms and out of the
trades into the professions and Offices,
and that everybody should get rich.
The impression is created and sworn
in the very air that no boy is worth
anything unless he means to be, and
gives promise Of becoming a great
capitalist, or a great lawyer, or profess
sionai man. It is undoubtedly true
that everyone should endeavor to de-
velop his powers to the fullest measure
in useful service, and this noble ambi-
ton should especially inspire the
young. But the cry::of "getting on in
the world generally sets up false
ideals and hopes and works great
harm.
It is physically impossible that all
of US could get on in the sense intend
ed. There can be only one President
Of the United States, while there are
TO- 900, 900 Of US that must remain in
humber stations. All young men
cannot become professional men, for
the great mass of them must work on
farms and in the trades. We cannot
all get rich, for there is not enough
wealth to 60 around. So the gospel
Of success begets false hopes, which,
in 80 cases out of 100, must be disap-
pointed.
But, worse still, it sets up a false
standard of manhood. 1t measures
worth by wealth, and attainment by
conspiciousness Of position. But the
truth is that men, in getting upin this
sense, often get down.
The true standard Of manhood is
something immeasurably. better than
wealth, and something that everyone
can attain. II believe" says Charles
Kingsley, "that a man might be as a
tailor, or as a carpenter, every inch of
him a saint, a scholar and a gentle
man." A saint, a scholar and a gen.
tleman; these are the qualities that
constitute a true man, and every man,