The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-12
rHE EVENING times GRAND FORKS, n. B.

would be. there could be, no such
thing as an oath OF animation. There,
fore, whatever is beyond the yes and
no, Of simple statement is the result
of evil. It Is not Of Christ, 1t Is Of
the enemy Of Christ.
~. SO. The natural man revenged
himself to the uttermost. For evil
INFLICTED on himself, for, an eye or q
tooth. he exacted, II he could, life It.
self. Moses commanded that only
equal vengeance should be meted out.
But Christ says, III any man shall
smite thee on the right cheek, turn
to him the other also" How can this
be made to correspond with that other?
simply by remembering that this is
the law OF love added to the law OF
justice. The one who demanded an
eye for an eye thought only of Justice
70 himself The law OF Christ views
justice as it affects that other. You
are here not to vindicate yourself, or
TO relieve your own feelings, you are
here to help your brother, and to make
him more Gods son. II you can lead
him to understand his sin and repent
OF his violence by patient endurance
OF wrong at his hands, you are to do
80. But II you cannot, then remember
that you are seeking Justice for him
because of your love for him; and so
the love which cannot win him by en-
durance must strive to do SO by stern
ness. You must help those you love,
even though, in doing SO. love must
do violence to itself. This is the JUS
tice Of loves law. Be all things to all
men, 30 that you may. lead them in
the way Of salvation.
40-1. The same thing as above is
true Of covetousness. Lead your
brother to see the uselessness of the
worldly things at which he snatches,
by letting him find how little you re-
gard them, and how useless they are
when 80 acquired as here, or in what
ever way the lesson can best be
brought home to him.
AZ. Words which have been much
misunderstood. Notice what is said.
Give to him that asketh thee" Give
what? what he asks? Not necessarily.
Christ did not give what they asked
to the sons of Zebadee. Peter and
John did not give what he asked to
the impotent, man. God does not give
what they ask to those who pray to
Him. By their example then, we are
to give to those who ask, of us what
those were they need, not what they
think they need. And we are to learn
what their need is by this same law
of love. fndiscriminate charity is not
the product of love for your neighbor;
1T comes from love for yourself; a
selfishness which will not trouble to
find out what you think really does
need. Turn not away from him that
asketh; turn to him; give him first
your loving sympathy, and then what
ever else he really needs. So you full
fill the law of 1t.
1875. Here again the law is full
filled. The enemies of the Jew had
always been the enemies Of God. But
the Hebrews had come to hate the peo-
pie, because of their sin. Now they
are told that they are to separate be-
tween the people and their sins. All
were to be redeemed in Christ, and
henceforth there is room in the King
dom for all. So comes the command,
Love, do good to, pray for, those who
are opposed to you. They, too, are
the children of your Father in heaven.
See how He treats them; then go and
do likewise" Men, have called this
hard and impossible. 1t is not, unless
they make it SO by refusing to see the
truth on which 1t rests; namely, that
a child Of God must learn to act as
God does toward His other children.
Else he does not remain a child of
God.
46-7. Christ claimed to be teaching
higher life, and here He shows us
that If this life, this truth which He
is teaching and giving is to be a higher
one, it must rise above the human
standards which even sinners recog-
nize, and not produce simply duty to
God and justice to man, but rather
love to God, and love to man.
As crown for all this part of His
teaching our Lord then speaks those
glorious words, v. 4S. Perfect not
meaning that Gods projections may
be ours here; but that we. may have
the happiness Of seeing and feeling
and beginning them here. We can
begin to reflect His love of heart, be-
gin to reproduce His power of life;
begin to have His knowledge in our
souls. And If we do thus begin to do
here. as the ages Of eternity shall roll
along, we will continue to grow to-
ward His perfectness because we did
on earth, begin to do what we could.
ASSUMED NEW