The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-13


stiIlmnn, r. 6. Cole, SIbIey +. King, OF
is nothing more certain than that the
basic principles of His teaching were
the Messianic dream. Conclusive proof of
this is the fact that the gospel survived
His death and apparent defeat and ac-
eomplished It's greatest works safter it
became evident that His kingdom was
not of this world.
Not the Thought of the Master
But there is another and doubtless
better reply that may be made to those
who quote the language of st. Mark in
order to justly their hostility to the Chris
tian religion. In this. namely, that of Ian
guages expresses the thought rather OF
the disciple than of the Master; that the
Master, himself, did not say just what we
have recorded That His deciples expected
Him to realize their Messiah dream. to
set up in Jerusalem a visible triumphant
kingdom, there can be no doubt whatever;
and 1t would be most remarkable If, in re-
porting His utterances, the zeal of their
own expectation did not lead them to at
tribute to Him sentiments and Ideas that
it was never His purpose to give expires
sion to. l suppose It is universally true
and commonly admitted that what men
see and hear depends often to some ex-
tent, and occasionally to a great extent
upon what they very much want to see
and what they very much want to hear.
Our eyes and ears, again and again, are
servants to our wishes The disciples of
Jesus were intensely expecting a visible
kingdom, and intensely wishing, from day
to day, that He would set 1t up. In the
very chapter of Mark from which the
text is taken. we find James and John
selecting their seats in that kingdom. If
they and their colleagues were possessed
of ordinary human nature, 1t Is highly
probable that they sometimes interpreted
the Masters words in obedience to their
own wish and expectation and thus mis-
reported Him.
Masters Preaching An Appeal.
To me It seems far more likely that from
the very beginning of His ministry Jesus
knew that His triumph was TO be mot of
this world" that He would never reign
as King in Jerusalem; that He would
be rejected and put to death-the seat
of His glory in the hearts and souls of
men, His rule over them, a rule within
them. spiritual, not spectacular-far more
likely, that, knowing Himself the founder
of an eternal kingdom of the spirit His
teaching was always in harmony with
such knowledge-what, always, man as
man in all circumstances, In all times.
under all conditions, needed to be guided
by-than that any word ever fell from
His lips intended to teach the necessity
or wisdom of breaking away from the
sacred relationships of human life, of dis
regarding its plain imperative duties, In
order to win ones own salvation, or min
lister to the worlds good, What is easier
to believe than that the preaching and liv-
ing of the Great Master was ever an ap-
peal to men to become His disciples. to
build with Him the divine kingdom, to
reign with Him in his supernal glory, by
recognizing and realizing more divnely
than they had ever done before their hui
man relationships; by laying hold of and
running on Il higher pane IMAM tnts ildei
ever trod before their complex human
duties? What is easier to believe than
that all His ministry was one call to men
and women-"Folow me, learn of me,
suffer and serve with me, and fatherhood,
motherhood, home and its duties, social
intercourse and it's responsibilities all the
primal realities and relationships of your
human life, will become to you not less,
but infinitely more, sacred: you Will know
how divine they are--how dvinely they
may be loved they may be fulfilled
What is harder to believe than that He
was ever minded to teach; "Forsake your
homes and families, hate father and
mother, stop your ears to obligations cry
Ing close about you, in order to serve
me and my gospel-and your reward earth
Is and heavenly will be great
The Simple Principle.
The simple principle which, doubtless,
Jesus insisted on always, and which has
come to us reported in unfortunate lang
uage, we should have no difficulty recog-
nizing in the thrty-seventh verse of the
tenth chapter of Matthew. He that
loveth father and mother more than me
is not worthy of me-" the principle, that