Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-04-27
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: SUNDAY SERMON :
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q A Sch olarly Discourse By q:
y Dean F. X. Sanders. g
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occupied Sunday by Dean II. X. San
ders, ID. d.. the head of the Divinity
School of Yale University. He took
for his subject "rhe Most Beautiful
Book in the World" and said:
My theme rests on the authority of
one renowned for his literary knowl-
edge, Renan, who is dcservcdly famous
as a student of literature and of the
Bible. He declared that the gospel of
Luke was the most beautiful book in
the world. No one can, of course, test
this statement who is not familiar
with the gospel. TO the superficial
reader it is only one of the stories of
the life Of Jesus. The skill, the power,
the pathos and the sympathy of the
writer become clearer with every re-
reading of the book. An early tradi-
ton spoke of Luke the painter and
said he had painted portrait of the
Virgin. That tradition, whether true
or not, was not very far from right.
1t may be said that he gave us, in n
fashion. the most beautiful picture of
Mary of Nazareth; it stands out before
us with lively distinctness. Everything
goes to show that Luke was Greek,
familiar with the best literature of his
day, a keen observer and careful inves-
tigator. He seems to have had unu-
sual opportunity for observing and de-
scribing the life and personality Of the
Lord. Among other things he gives
evidence of possessing the true historic
spirit. You will notice how he Is inter-
ested in tracing the Lords active min
istry from place to place. The story is
told in prtIntlv fn Shinp thof haIns
us to arrange the facts far better than
the other gospels could. You will no
ticc also that Luke is fond of following
up the physical and moral growth of
our Lord. He is also careful to con-
meet his story with the history of the
time-with Roman and Syrian history
He is careful to place the life of Jesus
in its larger environment and to show
what Jesus was inrelation to the world
about him, and we shall see why it was
that that point of view laid such hold
upon him. This was natural to cul-
turcd Greek, and it was necessary if
his purpose was to influence his cul
tured countrymen.
What is it, we may ask, that consti
tutes a beautiful book, and does this
third gospel possess those attributes III
supreme degree? 1t would seem TO
me that a beautiful book ought to have
in the first place Il noble conception.
which in some way aWakrnS and dom
mates the soul, and it ought to have a
skillful, but simple plan of develop
ment rightly graspcd and enjoyed.
Thsrc must he good taste and right
Judgment in the choice of the material
which enables us to grasp details and
to see the gradual unfolding which the
writer would set forth. And there
should he felcitouS expression of
everything which the writer seeks to
set forth. These are the fundamentals
of a beautiful book.
First, in its beautiful conception.
The theme is the active life of Jesus,
and it is far more than that: it is the
broad life which He lived with others.
Luke loses no chance to show how out
sidcrs sought opportunities to come in
contact with Jesus and always evoked
response. We see His parents, diSci-
pies, friends and casual acQuaintances
with entire directresS, and yet it was
not Jesus the man that Luke tells
about. but the Lord Jesus. Luke never
forgctS that those to whom lie refers
are now the risen Lord and the apoS-
ties of the church. y famous critic
said: Luke ever spares the twelve. eS-
pecially Peter" He omits many little
details even regarding our Lord, such
as the agony III the garden, and many
about the apostles. especially Peter,
which are given in Matthew and Mark.
Why? Apparently because he did not
think If Vnpth WIila IIa
studying the work of the Lord in rev.
crcnt fashion. 1t was not his purpose
to simply put down facts, but to show
those facts which would bring out thc
explanation of the fact that Jesus was
the risen Lord of humanity, and that
the twelve were the glorious company
of the apostles" 1t was not even just
that, but to show Jesus in all His pow
cr. and greatness, and holiness, ana
grace, the friend of all who were in
any kind Of need, the Saviour of hui
man kind the one power to whom the
whole world ought to bow. That seems
something like the thought that was in
the mind of Luke.
But to go to the plan Of development.
1t IS extremely simple. Marks gospel
consists of a series Of scenes which
bring out the life of Jesus with start
ling realism Luke and Matthew are
not like thai. Luke seeks to give the
historical association, Plain and sim
pie view cf the development of the life
and it is unique in its simplicity. He
has two chapters devoted to the i'll
fancy and boyhood of Jesus, and in
TIE last two verses he shows the thirty
Of Than two
chapters serve to bring us to the point
when, in full maturity, and with abso-
lutte command over Himself and His
purposes, He was ready for the work
which opened before Him. SO three or
four chapters give us the preparation
for this public ministry, tell us of John
the Baptist, how Jesus came to him.
the details of the baptism and tempta-
ton; then follows the genealogy, and
we are prepared for the actual story
of the active work of Jesus. Then
comes the story of His ministry, from
Galilee to Jerusalem, and then the last
week in Jerusalem, the Passion, and
lastly the resurrection and ascension,
easy to follow and comprehensive.
Luke adds six out of twenty miracles
and eighteen out of twenty-three para
bes and great deal of choice mate
rial.
In the third place is the exquisite
taste and sympathy. Lukes gospel is
universal gospel He emphasizes the
fact that the ministry of Christ was
for all. Dante called Luke the writer
of the story of the gentleness of Christ.
He alone tells the stories of the good
Samaritan tho prolioaI S6,l tha great
supper, the Pharisee and the publican,
the dinner in the house of Simon, and,
lastly, the story of the repentant rob-
Der. All is part of his great theme.
Nor was it accidental that Luke shows
us so many types of women ard gives
them honor, a strange thing III his day.
His remarkable delineation Of Mary