Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-06-15

Consider the friendship Of Jesus as
one OF the kingly characteristics OF
his royal nature. The imperfection OF
our love Is in its disquietude. With a
few rare exceptions we are never
quite satisfied that we have not
given our love too easily, too quick
ly or too freely. But 1t was not so
with Jesus.
Having loved, he loved unto the end.
And we believe that means not only
unto the end OF life and throughout
eternity, but also unto the full ca
pacity of his infinite heart to love.
some one has said. Jesus was sower
I'D not reaper" that He had very
lew followers as compared with other
great leaders or teachers"
The soundness OF that statement Is
not at all clear. II seems to us that
Jesus made friends quickly and that
he had far more of them than most
men who live only thirty-three years.
and whose work was revolutionary.
1t is certain no mans friends ever
chung or cling NOSE closely than the
friends Of Jesus. What man of thirty.
three can name twelve friends 10
whom ne has given a whole hearts
devotion and received the same In re-
turn? This Jesus did and had. Even
poor, misguided Judas was his friend.
And down to the moment when he
left the upper room the master looked
across the table and In loving warn
ing said: The hand of him that be-
trayed Me is with Me on the table. "
And after his great sin such remorse
came in Judas heart on account OF
the way he had abused the friendship
Of the Lord that he went out and hung
himself
Now men do not kill themselves for
abusing those they hate. And, Of
course, all that the New Testament
tells us about the kingly friend Is a
mere outline. Only few names are
given. What is the name Of the friend
who had the colt ready and waiting
for Jesus at Bethpage when Jesus
wanted to ride? Nobody knows. Who
was the friend, bearing the pitcher
Of water" through the streets Of Jeru-
salem, who opened his house for the
last supper? Nobody knows. But
they were among the friends Of Jesus.
In the New Testament we see the
beginning Of the great principle and
that is about all And the essential
principle of Christianity Is friendship,
based on perfect love. Let us not for
get the eleventh commandment. That
is Christianity. We know that the
Jewish religion made but slight i'm
preston even upon those who pro-
fessed 1t. The Greeks undertook to
meet the longing of the human heart
by culture, and marvellous were the
achievements of that gifted empire:
all the same, the world by wisdom
knew not God"
Then Rome incarnated q dream of
power and colonized as far as the
Gauges. But with power came self
ishness and 1t crushed liberty to
death. But Jesus came and said. "Ye
are my friends" He said II to Greek
and Roman. To judah and to Israel
To Samaritan and Publican, Scribe
and Pharisee, and ITO as many as
believed on Him to them gave He
power to become the sons of God"
And what did that mean? 1t meant
If even an usorious tax collector like
Zaccheus truly repents and restores
his ill-gotten gains where they belong
he shall be treated as friend of the
Lord. IL woman has been a sinner
and she Is sorry and she will promise
to sin no more, she Is to be forgiven.
She is not TO be stoned. Her sisters
shall not say Poor thing We are
awfully sorry for her, you know"
while all the time in their hearts they
are not feeling kind at all They are
to help her go in peace. And men are
to be kind and help her. That Is the
idea. She Is not to be tortured by
regrets, and alarmed by fears. and
torn by conscience, but the evil spirits
are to driven out of her, and into the
door of her heart is to enter the angel
of peace.
When Samaritans are full of preju-
dice, and bigotry, and hatred, Shall
we not call down fire from heaven
and destroy them?" ask the apostles
But Jesus answered No! No! The
son of man came not to kill but to
save. To make alive"
The good shepherd layeth down
his life for the sheep. Greater love
hath no man than this, that man
lay down his life for his friends. But
God commendeth His love to us In
that while we were yet sinners, enc
mics, His son died for US"
oh, what is love? Who can fathom
It? Who can define IL? There is only
one who can do It, and that one is
Jesus. For Jesus is the love of God
spelt friend. And today wherever we
see the rich helping the poor, and the
wise instructing the ignorant, and the
strong bearing the burdens OF the
weak and the saved seeking the lost
wherever doors of opportunity are be.
ing opened by helping hands with
smiles OF encouragement, wherever
hope carries It's lantern to guide our
steps along the unfamiliar and slip
merry Maths Of life wharever wa non