The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-09-24

social Injustice and she would tear So
Ciety to atoms, but the divine Christ.
perceiving social injustice. bids soci-
ETY. pattern Itself on his kingdom
which IS in heaven. Yes. Christ did
more than claim his divine kingship
His teachings were the message or
love. When Jesus appeared the OLD
Mosaic dispensation of an eye for an
eve and tooth for tooth as the
principle of social life disappeared for
ever. Am | going beyond my right
when | declare that in reference to
Jesus the teacher, Never man spake
like this man.
But there was another fact about
Christ which individualized him as the
most unique of all personalities. lie
claimed that his dominion should yet
cover this round world as the waters
cover the sea. And yet, when the He
brew people wanted to make him their
earthly king, Jesus refused all tenn
poral power He said: MY kingdom
is not Of this world If my kingdom
were of this world, then would my
servants fight that l should not be de-
livered to the Jews; but now is my
kingdom not from hence In other
words, the man who was offered Da-
vid's throne deliberately turns his
back upon it, and yet he claims di-
vine kingship. From a human stand
point, could you imagine anything
more inexpllcable?
While thinking along this line my
mind naturally ran back to the scene
of Christ's great temptation. lon
know the story After Jesus had
tasted forty days the devil came to
him and said. IF thou be the Son Of
God, command that these stones he
made bread" But Christ said, 1T Is
written. Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that pro
ceedeth out of the mouth of God y
Then the devil took Jesus upon one
of the temples pinnacles and said.
Throw myself down, and God will
send his angels to keep thee from be
ing destroyed" But Christ said, 1T
is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy Cod Then the
devil took Jesus up on a high noun
tain and showed him all the kingdoms
of the world and said, Fall down.
worship me- and all these will | give
thee But Jesus said, Get thee
hence, Satan; for it is written Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve In plain
English, Satan wanted Jesus to demand
a visible manifestation of Gods pow
err. He would have Christ do some
thing practical. He knew men. and
he knew that they would follow a mar
who could turn stones into bread; who
could fling himself from dizzy heigh
and alight unhurt; who could achieve
worldwide rule by compromising witt
evil. But not by such means woul'
Jesus win the worlds faith and love
Satan could not understand the spirit
ual, could not conceive of that ineffa
BILE power by which if Christ wa
lifted up he would draw all men unto
him.
Was It an AIlegory?
Now, l always used to look upol
this story as an allegory. l never be
lieved that in truth this happened. Blu
the older l grow the more 1 believe
is literally true. Satan always wa
and always will be of a carnal mind
He can never understand anythin
which does not appeal to the carna
mind He Is a great deal like tina
brutal man who one day asked Renja
min Dsraeli why he had married s
unattractive a wife. Disraeli was IL
who was some years older than hi
but she lavished her wealth upon hil
and gave him his first step In poiticf
life The prime minister answered
my friend, l cannot tell you becaus
: l do not think you could understan
, my motive You do not know whs
. gratitude means" So Satan was an
5 always will be of carnal mind.
D Christ could not sit upon an earthl
J. throne and manacle Satan with chain
he does not believe Christ has an
power. Thus with the Hebrews. The
l. could not understand why Christ IL
3 spiritual king would not becon
NullSt tllC tChll'OiHi hihS' ~ 49,
n not understand why Christ, who CLAIM
u ed to be a spiritual ruler, would NJ
q re-establis the Davidic throne in j
ruSalem.
And yet is 1t not always the me
who have willingly turned their bacl
y upon thrones of earthly power WI
l. have established Kingdoms of spiritu
/ power? Take the life Of John Wesle
- with his marvellous organizing abilit
u his wonderful literary gifts, his silv
tongue and his power Of polemics
u could he not have been the create
10 statesman or lawyer or ecclesiastic
his time had he wished: Was not Il
palace or the archbishop's chair wit
q, In his grasp had he sought it: Al
1T vet today do we not honor and To-
n the founder of Methodism more tn;
E. if he had been an archbishop? En-
IS land has produced many great me
Of but seldom q greater than David Ii
'e ingstone But do we not honor hi
II today because he gave up all f
lie ChriSfS