Evening star., 1928-02-12

t(uJtbAiuCO kICIu Atllfu EakC,y
adcpt--of pretend to adopt-their limi-
taticns: one must aim not to convince
the reason, but to captivate the imagi-
nation. For reason hesitates while i'm
agination leaps.
What distinguished Him was the per-
fection of His moral creed and the
nobility of life that never fell from
the level of His teaching. The Golden
Rule had come down from the learned
Hiiiel in rab5inical tradition; Jesus
MADE il His own by living II down to
thc final forgiveness that He uttered on
the cross. All things Whatsoever ye
would that man should do unto YOU.
e;en SO do we also unto them; for this
is the law and the prophets" Wits
hsve carped at the positiviiy of the
rule, arguing that others may have
different tastes from our own; but
there is an inspiration and a spur to
deeds in this categorical imperative
which docs not spring from the cautious
negative Of Confucius.
&&
For to Christ yirtIe did not lie in
Justice only, nor il abStsntlon from
eyll, as IL tended to do in the code of
the Purttans: il lay in active kindness
snd mutual adm giving the hungry
to eat and the thirsty, to drink, in
clothing tie naked and sheltering the
stranger. in visiting the sick and COM
forting the prisoner. No wonder the
common people loved Him Who had so
understood their suffering beforeq No
wonder the women fell at His feet in
melting devotion: He was so sympathet-
ic with their burdens. SO kind TO their
children. and 50 tender to their sins.
The story of the woman taken in
adultery is Of questionable authen-
ticity; but though John alone reports
IL, II is too congenial TO the nature OF
the Master to be rejected hastily. Be-
hind every fallen woman" Jesus saw
the man who had lured her; it was
In defense of women that He spoke
with such immoder:te severity of the
erotlc imagination of the male: and
with all His aversion TO the physical
element in love He could not bring Him
self to send Magdalen away. 1t is this
intelligent lenience with women that
Ideal OF the religion that taught the
feminine virtues TO mankind.
AS for Himself He seemed immuned to
sex; He avoided marriage and all family
ties as hostile. In their confining mar
Epwness, TO His task of preaching a
limitless love to- the world, His mis-
ssfh was all In all TO Him. He would
brand the cruelty and luxury of the
rich, and redeem the poverty and
desolation OF the poor. He despised the
scQuisitive commercialism that had
displaced the pastoral life OF patri-
archal days: He carried on the protest
Of the prophets against the town. If
He could have had His way. all debts
would have been forgiven. and profit
would have disappeared as motive
IN industry and trade. He would have
had men return to the fields and the
Sky. living as trustful parts of bene-
fcent nature. as careless and free as
birds and flowers.
Those who followed His as His dis
e:ples lived in communistic simplicity.
No man might join the little band un-
III he hac given ali his gooos 10 the
poor, The treasury OF the group vas
held in common but one man was
chosen TO carry it, and was corrupted
b. il into treachery. Their meals were
eaten In common. as a pleasant act of
brotherhood and q symbol OF their
spiritual unity.
just as this communism had its back
ground in patriarchai conditions. when
the family was the unit and source Of
social order and economic life. 50 the
hostility Of Jesus TO the state grew out
Q. jewish thaocracy, which admitted no
h-r k-le than God II Is true that
C.1:isi courlGe!ed obedience TO the Law.
b. X? En.6 mans conScicnco sup9!.Or
10 al legislation. and thereby estab-
Lsh9d principle intoierabIe TO any
S.ao.
Reform has always faced this dis
cca-ag g:ag dilemma: That TO alter In
Hi;utio1s and laws is useless so long
~ human character remains unchanged.
and that human character can be
changed only by transforming the in
sltutions which mold It, Jesus never
doubted which horn Of the dilemma
r. would take: all reform. He felt.
must come from within: the kingdom
o. Heaven is not a type of government.
but a condition OF the soul. The
Kingdom OF God In within YOU" II
men could outgrow envy and greed
puRnacity and mastery, cruelty and
pride: II they could lift themselves out
os the Jungle and rise TO the practicable
itself would be the supreme revolution.
BIZ the side OF which any change OF
government or state would seem r!d!cu-
fous and trivial Let us ignore the
state: LET us obey IL. and pay tribute
70 IT, as far as We must: but meanwhile
let us build the kingdom OF Heaven In
the cleanSed desires OF our hearts. and
aii things else viii be added unto us.
Like every truth. this moderate ideal
offended all extremes. The peoDie who
followed Jesus and listened t0 His every
Rord as II entTsnced had looked To Him
for a political Liberation and an earthly
paradise: even after His death they
would transmit their misunderstanding
OF Him as a revolutionist destined 10
overthrow all earthly kings and estab-
lssh the poor In the palaces Of The great.
The Roman Authorities. despite His
~Eender unto Caesar the things that
ere Caehar'E." resented His Dacifst and
Eornnunist example, and looked with
suspicion upon the dIsinnerIted multi
tgde that ioved Him The priests Of the
Temps and the wealthy Pharisees gho
supported every orthodoxy In church
and state sag In Him "a thorolghgoing
snti~cler!csi. the least Eacefdotal and
most neretical Of men"
A. the OUTSET II His mission He had
taught in tynsgogiiss and had referred
10 ms gentiiee with soorn Matt. s.47.
Nh: lie hac eorlt not ~ destroy the
isw, b1s 70 fulfill IT. He baGe mar
whom He had cured To eo tp the priest
and offer tne gift that Moses com
Ynsndec"
But ike the prophets H cenGunced
tie replacement of active virtue by .sif
arc formal ceremony. These pro.
pie" he said. quoting Isaiah, and an
t.c,paiing tlaif tiae history of Christian
~. "houofeth me with thei~ llDs. bii'
Their heart IL far from me lie slg
g~epd tilai men nigh. worship better u