Arkansas State press., 1949-02-25

Kingdom of God, an ancient phrase
but with new meanings as Jesus
used it. We can say 'The Ideal
World" and mean just the same
thing.
Tho Right People
JESUS EMPHASIZES. above all,
y the kind Of people who belong to
Gods Ideal World. This would be
surprising to some modern plan
ners. Communists think that IL you
can once get world in which every
one has enough to eat and drink and
wear. a world where nobody is poor
Tor everybody is as poor as every
body else, which is all the same
thing. you will have the perfect
world. Jesus would know this is
nonsense.
But the fact Il that even after
you got your perfect social sys-
tenn, with perfect politics and
! perfect distribution Of wealth,
| even . perfect climate and soil,
you would still be nowhere near
the Ideal World unless you i'm
proved your people.
The wrong kind OF people will
spoil the best kind of system. So
We find Jesus talking not about sys-
tens but about people.
IL This You?
uyHAT We call the "beatitudes"
W Matt. 5:7-12) is Jesus eight
point program for the citizens
Of the Ideal World The right peo-
pie are happy people. to begin with.
(T'he word translated Blessed" is
q regular Greek word for ''happy.)
But the main difference between
different kinds of people is not that
some want to be happy while others
do not; rather II is that they are
made happy by different kinds Of
things.
Jesus ideal people are humble,
not proud; they see their sins and
are sorry for them; they are
"meek"-that Is, they are not in
hurry to demand their own rights;
they do not merely admire good
ress, they are positively hungry for
II they are merciful. not careless
or cruel; they are pure in heart and
rot only in speech and act, they
are not mere peace ishers or
peace-lovers twho isn't?) but peace
makers; they are people who are
brave enough to do what is right not
only when II Is comfortable and
popular but even when IL brings
them SANDER and suffering.
no YOU really want an ideal
- world? The best way 10 begin
Is TO learn how to be citizen OF
such a world. Jesus used two In.
teree ing simple words TO describe
the kind Of people he means. You
are salt. he said, - you are light.
Salt and light are old-fashioned
things but they have never gone out
Of date. No one has invented a good
substitute for either one.
So there IL no substitute for
. really good Christian. Liv.
Ing. here and now. like citizens
q re ideal world 70 come,
Christians are both salt and
light.
Salt because they give a taste 10
Otherwise fat or bitter life. Sal,
because they keep human society
from going rotten. This world Is In
. bad enough mess as IL is; but
what II would be II all the Chris.
Mans were removed from II at once.
enc hates 10 think.
light
IND LIGHT Like salt. urht
"a ough, not 10 be too cable.
a glaring light 10 bad on the eyes,
~ too much salt Is bad on the
tongue. So a Christian il not SUD.
posed to rub his goodness In on
other people so to speak. He Is as
indispensable as salt In bread-and
should be as inconspicuous. But
hight, like salt, II II is any good has
70 be- applied directly. A strong
light conceald In a steel tube does
no good. Swishing the glass end Of
the salt-cellar around In the SOUP
gives II no favor. The salt must
get into the soup, the light must,
touch what We see.
Copyright mathematician Coun.
ell Of Rellglcl Education on behalf Of
90 Protestani otnlnations. Released
,oy WNU FeaiH. 81