Phoenix tribune., 1923-07-14
Week Day Sermonette
By H. T. S. JOHNSON,
Mterracidl Secretary for Oklahoma
OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD

His sun to rise on the wicked we'll as the good and
sends rain upon those who do right and those who do
wrong.'
Anyone who reads with care the text quoted above
bound to conclude that it is in place both to spirit
and time 1t is timely because:
Q). 1t was given by Jesus Christ, our Saviour By
oral confession unsefsh living and vicarous suffering
Jesus proved that His mission earth to help and
mankind That being true it is only necessary to
know that Jesus said do something for act accord
ingly He who gave up the glory that His, took
upon Himself the form of sinful flesh, and suffered the
hardships of the poorest of the poor for purpose
other than save lost world, is incapable Of giving
advice that would not prove blessing. Therefore,
is safe to conclude that the advice of the text timely
because Jesus gave it.
(2) 1t has universal application Every race group
can point to enemies and at time in its history has
felt the heel of oppression The command to love
enemies and pray for ones prosecutors therefore
be applied to every individual and to all peoples Es
pecialy the Negro in America say that Jesus put
that in His great Sermon the Mount for him. Who
is conscious of enemies and has felt dire perse
cutiOns keeny than the Negro who lives under the
Stars and Stripes? Surely Jesus meant him when he
said, Glove your enemies and pray for your perse-
cutOrS.
(3). 1t is challenge to all that is highest and best
in There time in my life when / regarded
the command to love enemies and pray for prosecutors
as base cOwardice. [ almost hated Jesus for having
commanded it. But now | see in that command a cha-
lenge to all that best in Since the devil is
stanty appealing to that which is low and mean Jesus
would have been recreant to His trust had He not ap
peaed to the high and good in The devils busi
ness is to make men like himself wholly bad Jesus
mission is to make like Himself wholly good, or
complete in goodness This end be obtained ex
cept through exercise of highest virtues Hence Jesus
eXhors: Love your enemies and pray for your perse
cutors. That is call upward from the usual to the
UNUSUAL from the ordinary to the extraordinary from
following after the devil to walking in the footsteps of
the Man of Galec Following the devil leads to eternal
Walking after Jesus leads everlasting peace and
never ending joys Which will you do, men and women
cf my race!
There is disputing the fact chat. the Neg1o has
for feelings of enmty against the American white
But lie afford to let thai cl.lse produce the
usual effects Jesus says "No Common sense says the
The person who hates nctes the hated to
of vengeance which may affect the welfare of thousands
through generations yet unborn But it has reaction
upon the who hates which is many times worse It
his conscience and makes impossible growth of
soul. 1t dwarfs and petrifies the soul.
Individual conflicts group uprsings and wars have
their ground IN hate thoughts If would quit hat
ing one another, murders would and would
be That is why Jesus said Glove your enc
mics and pray for your perseuctors The Negros safe
ty IN this country depends upon his practcing the
sci of this text If he encourages thoughts that make
for hatred OF the white man, conflict of arms individ
ually or IN group, will be the inevitable result That
will enable individual group to kill few white
people and win pauds from the less serious for having
played the hero but the suffers The Negro is too
much handicapped to help the race by fighting. The
better way is to love and pray you cannot love the
white man, it is because you have not prayed for him. It
is impossible to pray for people and hate them
Pray for your prosecutors and feeling of hatred will
Danish in proportion you pray Yea emotions of love
will manifest themselves proportion as you mean your
prayers.
Since cannot whip the white man into better
treatment of us let love him into it. Especially this
advisable since grow stronger and better by the ex
ercise.
Cd 1t exhorts to that which proves Divine SON
ship. $50 you may become true sons of your Father in
Heaven, for He His sun to rise on the wicked
well as the good and sends rain upon those who do
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