The Indianapolis times., 1934-02-17
Sunday Sermon
OF
HEALING POWER
CAUSED HATRED
Work of Jesus for LoWly
Aroused Resentment of
Higher Classes.
Text-Matt. S:1-9:34.
Text-Matt. S;1-9:S4.
BY w. f. GILROY, ID. ID.
Editor of The Congregationalist

bf w. r.. OILhOIs II. ~
Editor of The Congregationalist
In this lesson Jesus appears in
two distinctive phases of His per-
sonality and influence. We see Him
in the presence of the sick and
needy, ministering comfort and.
along with His comfort, bringing
healing of body and soul; and we
see Him also in the alluring power
of his personality. drawing men to
Him and into the inner circle of
devotion and discipleShip.
No man, however, no matter how
fine his character or how beautiful
his deeds. is free from the criti-
cism of those whose religion moves
in the realm of form and prejudice.
In proportion as the religion of
men is loveless, they are bitter
against those who dare to speak of
religion in terms of reality and love.
Jesus, in healing the man sick of
palsy. assured the unfortunate man
of good cheer, because his sins were
forgiven.
BigOtry Demonstrated
The idea that any man could
forgive sins reused the convention
ally religious to wrath. If Jesus
had no power to forgive sins they
might at least have let the matter
pass without great ado, but that is
not the way of the narrow and the
bigoted
To them a matter of that sort
was much more important than
the healing of a fellow mortal
from dread disease, and when
Jesus manifested his power in the
healing of a man it made no differ
ence to them. Their hearts still
were full Of bigotry, and they hated
and prosecuted Jesus.
How different was the reaction
of the multitude, many of whom,
no doubt, made no great profess
sion of religion! When they saw
that the man was healed, they mar
veled, and they glorified God be-
cause he had given such power to
heal.
Great Power Shown
Following this incident, we have
recorded the call of Matthew, who,
we are told, was sitting at the re-
ceipt of customs.
A teacher of religion, who could
lure a man away from a govern
ment job to accept all the uncer-
tainties and perilS of allegiance to
a prophet proclaiming what seemed
to be new sort of religious teach
ing, indeed must have been great.
The incident was ali the more
remarkable inasmuch as the friends
of Matthew apparently were not
those who were recognized as par
TALLY religious.
We do not know just where
Jesus went when Matthew arose
and followed Him, but we have the
description of his being entertained
in a house where many who were
not among the conVentionally reli-
gious and who we're described as
publicans and sinners sat down.
The chances are that some Of
these had witnessed the miracle and
had heard the words Of Jesus and
were drawn either by curiosity or
by some inner response to a great
ness they perceived in jesus HIM
self.
Blow to Pride
Such a sight was too much for
the proud people who had faith in
their own righteousness and who
looked down upon those who were
not as good as themselves.
They could not withhold their in
dignation but asked the disciples
why Jesus should eat in that way
with publicans and sinners.
With what plain effective words
Jesus answered them They that
be whole need not physician, but
they that are sick"
The man whose goodness takes
him away from his fellow men ana
leads him to distrust or despise
others we'll may doubt the genuine
ness Of his own goodness.
The greatest souls in history have
been large and tolerant in their hu-
man contacts.
They have felt their kinship with
the sinful and with the poor and
the needy, and even at the height of
their religious experience, when
they have viewed the high standard
of Christ, they have cried with real
sincerity, God be merciful to me,
sinner"