Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-20
Motives, Methods, Morals.

The manner of the rich young ruler
approach to Jesus is remarkable when We
remember that it would not be customary
for one in his position to push his way
through the crowd even while he was
eagerly running toward Jesus, whom he
reverenced by falling down in the dust
at His feet. kneeling to Him.
His earnestness, enthusiasm and energy
to speak with Christ shows how that
there can be no question of the genuine
ness Of his desire to know and to do the
right. His actions also showed humility
and that he was laboring under deep con-
viction of his conscience. The sincere and
straightforward question that he asked
If the Master was upon the most i'm
portant of all the questions OF life.
while he revealed the highest of mo-
tives by his deeply significant question,
..ood Master. what shall do that l may
;nhar;t eternal life?" he was mistaken as
IN the method by which he sought to
ob+ain the 'summum bonum," the popu-
lar conception Of the kingdom of God
..It was" says Bruce, natural ques-
ton for a thoughtful man in those days
when the teaching and the practice OF the
religious guides made 1t the hardest thing
nossble to know what the good really
was" -.
His query indicates an assurance that
he was well able and willing to DO what
ever was necessary. In ms sen-rlsnseous :
ness he thought that all he needed was
direction and that he could do the doing.
It. is not however, a question OF doing
so much as it is OF being tnat enaoies
us to possess eternal life. He had, with
his correct idea of his need. false con-
ception as to how it should be obtained
and of the character of Jesus.
The Master. reading the deeper needs
of the young man. took him. as was
upon his own ground of doing to re-
veal unto him his need OF being as
well as doing. Of character as Wen as
young ruler was like that of all men
who are satisfied with living a moral
life. They believe that II they 90 unto
others ia tney fbem shey have met ali
of life's requirements. Like all moral.
lists, the young religious ruler had shut
the thought of his duty to GOO out OF
need by a two-fold response that
first pointed out his wrong view of
the Masters character and also his OBJ
Christ did not object to being called
"goodI but he sought to hit the mind
Of the moral young man to the rele-
ness by asking him: Why callest
thou me good? None is good save
one, even Cod
Jesus WOULD anu ufu Tcpuuldle the
rulers conception that He was only a
man that had attained unto goodness
through human effort. The secret of
the Masters perfection was His abso-
lutte dependence upon God, with whom
He was one. He sought to turn the
thought of the inquiring ruler to the
one source of all goodness. In other
words. Jesus was saying to him: TT
is not enough to do things for God.
but to be in union with Him. so only
canst thou have the life thou seekest.
If thou seekest the God in Me. thou
shalt find the secret Of eternal life."
Having made clear to the youth.
whose courage and convictions had al
ready won him a large place in the
Masters estimation. his need Of a
higher standard than man, Jesus
pointed him to the law. God had not
been in mis- thought. and when he was
asked if he had performed all of the
requirements of the law relating to
men he did not hesitate to claim
that he had discharged all the duties
of the social relation Of life, as re-
quired In the second portion of the
law.
Jesus had passed over the require
ments of the first portion OF the COM
mandments. that speak of our duties
toward God. SO that he might make
the young man see his lack in the
field he had himself selected. Al