The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-26
BY VIM. E. GILROY d. ID.
Editor Of The COngregationalist

TT is the characteristic of every
i sublime truth and great cause
that it permits no compromise In
the allegiance to itself. Not tc
serve it whole heartedly is not tt
serve it at all.
The soldier who pledges allegi-
ance to his country can know nc
other allegiance. The scientist OF
philosopher who devotes his life tc
the quest of truth becomes imne-
diately unworthy Of his quest when
he ceases to recognize the truth
which he discovers. His allegiance
must be complete or the profession
of it is worthless.
When Jesus therefore, set forth
the law of the Kingdom of Heaven
as involving whole-hearted service
and complete surrender, he was ex-
pressing in relation to this king
dom what has been we'll recognized
in relation to the kingdoms OF
earth. Moreover if such law OF
allegiance applies to the kingdoms
of earth, should it not all the more
strongly and effectually apply to
the highest kingdom of all?
This uncompromising nature OF
the demands Of the kingdom was
expressed by Jesus in various effec-
tive WAYS. One expression of 1t
was in the definition of irreconc1l-
able ends. "You can not serve God
and Mammon." The exposition OF
it in our lesson is in the form OF
a striking illustration from life.
Here we have emphasized that most
extreme aspect of the truth that
the highest in religion demands all
that we are and all that we have.
In the story of the lesson we
have before us not sordid and
grasping disciple of Mammon, over
whelming with greed and selfish
vice. On the contrary we have q
man whose interest is in goodness
and whose protested quest is eter-
nal life. OutwardIy his life is ir-
reproachable. He has sought to full
fill the commandments in relation
to God and his fellowmen, and yet
with all his observations he Is evil
IDENTIFY conscious of something lack
ing. and Jesus confirms this con-
seriousness.
The young man has been born to
wealth. These great possessions are
tied about his life in such a way
that he can not separate himself
from them, and they not only re-
tard his progress, but they consti-
tute a divided allegiance in his life.
So it was that Jesus pointed the
way of release and triumph in. for
saking his riches and iii giving his
life wholly to the quest of the king
dom as an immediate follower OF
Jesus. The young man must have
had profound qualities of character
and devotion to have received such
an invitation from the Master. Yet
the record is that he turned away
sorrowful, thinking of these great
possessions.
It is a strong and challenging
story, and the comment upon II
is even more challenging. So drastic
did the demands of the kingdom
seem to be that when Jesus said
1T is easier for a camel to &c
through needles eye than for a
rich man to enter the Kingdom OF
God" the disciples said, Who then
can be saved?"
The truth of the lesson ought not
to be exaggerated or applied be-
yond its intended meaningsf but
neither should that meaning be
whitfield down into something that
is futile and lifeleSs and to some
thing that makes no real demands
en- surrender upon the soul. That
Jesus recognized the use of conse-
Grated wealth was evident in the