And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.--_Matt. 25, 40._
We Christians are sometimes at a loss whether to regard it as a
matter of congratulation or as a matter of disdain when we hear
people who otherwise repudiate our blessed Lord, who have no use
for His teaching and His Church, quoting Him as an authority and a
model. Thus there be those who say with great emphasis that Jesus
Christ was a Socialist, yes, the first and real Socialist; He loved
the common people and severely arraigned the rulers of His nation.
Others, when they find it convenient, contend that Christ was no
temperance man. Did He not perform a miracle, turning water into
wine? While others contend that Christ was a great philanthropist;
His purpose and mission was to make this world a better place to
live in; wherefore He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and devoted
Himself to the betterment of social conditions generally.
Whether our Lord was a Socialist, or not, that depends upon the
definition, "What is a Socialist?" Unfortunately, there are as
many different definitions of Socialism as there are individual
Socialists; scarcely two are perfectly agreed. Suffice it to say
that, in the popular acceptance of the word, Jesus of Nazareth
was not a Socialist; and we do not feel greatly flattered to
have Him so rated. The same is true when He is quoted as a
non-temperance man, in the mouth of those whose use of wine and
other intoxicants consists mostly in the abuse. And as to our Lord
being a philanthropist, whose mission was the betterment of social
conditions, this, while a favorite idea, is far from the whole
truth. What does our Lord Himself say was His mission in this world?
He declares that He came "to seek and to save that which was lost."
He says: "I am come that ye might have life, and that ye might
have it more abundantly." What did He mean by "life"? Surely not
the hand-breadth of time which we are living here and now. To Him
man was more than a creature whose wants were only those of a
stomach and its appurtenances. It is true, He did not minimize the
present life. He relieved men of their distresses and healed their
sicknesses; but that was quite subordinate to His greater work. The
emphasis was always placed on their eternal interests. "The life,"
He said, "is more than meat and the body than raiment." His great
question was, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world
and lose his soul?" What are health and comfort and wealth, and all
earth's emoluments in comparison with the life hereafter? Christ's
mission was to make it possible for men to attain to that high
destiny; and this He did by sacrificing Himself and dying on the
cross for them, in expiation of their sins, so that, whosoever would
believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. This,
be it ever kept before us, was the purpose and mission of Christ.
It is not true that the ministry of Christ had to do principally
with the temporal welfare of men. To say so is to contradict His
words and belittle His work. He did champion the poor; He did
vindicate the rights of the working classes; He did insist on happy
homes and just government and the betterment of society every way.
But He came to be a Savior, He came to save the soul from the
ravages and penalty of sin; and when people quote Him in favor of
one thing only, and that the inferior part, and reject the other
and the superior, it is only a half truth, and not to our Lord's
credit. And as people judge in these matters concerning Christ, so
concerning His Church. The Scripture-lesson of this Sunday, treating
of this subject, tells us of the good Samaritan and his work of love.
Let us, for once, take for our topic of instruction: _I. The
wrong view and attitude of the Church over against the works of
benevolence. II. Which is the correct Bible teaching and practice?_
The Lord grant us understanding and wisdom!
There is no question that the expectation of the multitude regarding
the churches has largely changed. Formerly the one and only thing
which it was expected for the churches to do was to preach the
Gospel, to minister to people's souls. Public opinion now is to
the effect that the business of the Church is along the lines of
social science and social service. There are churches to-day which
have, accordingly, been practically transformed into hospitals, for
the healing of nervous diseases, and there are Social Settlements,
supported by Christian people, where baths and gymnasiums,
play-rooms, lunch counters, musicales, moving pictures, and
scientific lectures have free sway. "Not only with the unseen and
eternal has the Church to do, but with the seen and temporal. Give a
man a square meal, a good suit of clothes, better social conditions
for him and his children, and you will have better success as to his
soul. Let the churches preach that and practice that, and they will
come up to their proper ideal and purpose." Beloved, as to what is
the proper ideal and purpose of the Church, that is for Him to say
who founded the Church; and what does He say? Of Himself He said,
as we heard: "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which
is lost," and to His disciples He said: "As the Father hath sent
me," into the world, "so send I you," that is, to seek and to save
those who were lost in sin. And this salvation is to be accomplished
in what way? By social science and service? His direction is: "Go
ye and preach the Gospel." That, be it noted, is _the_ purpose and
mission of the Church. "Teach the Gospel," the tidings how man's
soul may be saved from the guilt and power of sin through Jesus
Christ, their Savior. That is the heaven-appointed sphere and
commission, at home and abroad. The object of our missionaries in
foreign lands is not to heal the sick and teach the heathen how to
wear clothes, and cultivate the fields. To civilize is not yet to
Christianize. Their duty is to preach the Gospel, and invite souls
to Christ. They may have to do other things, such as translating
the Scriptures, helping the poor, and treating their sick bodies,
but always with one thing in mind, namely, the winning of souls to
Christ as their Savior from sin. And so among us. Let us beware of
putting that which is only subordinate, the improvement of material
conditions, in the place of the higher purpose of the Church, the
winning of souls. God's method, however men may be in love with
their own, is always the best. Men's method is this: Give men better
social conditions, improve their circumstances, and you will improve
their souls. God's method is the reverse: First improve their souls,
and you will improve their social condition. The Gospel does not aim
directly at improving men's circumstances, it aims at improving men
themselves. But no sooner does it bring about a moral improvement
in men than they bring about a noticeable improvement in their
surroundings.
Search the history of all Christian countries and communities, and
see whether it is not so. Which are the richest and most prosperous
and flourishing nations in our day? Countries like Germany, England,
America, countries that have received most abundantly of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. Let us beware, then, of having our attention and
efforts directed from the main thing. Some of those social service
features may serve a good purpose as far as they go, but only when
they are in line with the great mission of the Church as the Lord
gave it: the preaching of the Gospel. A few years ago, when Japan
began to emerge from barbarism, the thoughtful people of that
country were accustomed to say quite candidly that they wanted our
Western civilization, but were not prepared to accept Christ with
it, and this is the attitude of China just now. One of her great
statesmen has said: "We purpose to keep the philosophy of Confucius,
but we are ready to believe the religion of Christ for its fruits."
This will not do. Neither Japan, China, nor any individual can
borrow the clothes of religion and leave the vital thing out of it.
This is precisely the tendency in these days. People would reject
the Gospel, yet would take advantage of the blessed results which
flow from it.
We learn, then, that the preaching of the Gospel is the first
purpose of the Church of Christ; to that it must direct its
main effort; therein lies its life and success, and all other
undertakings must be subordinate and in harmony with that. In other
words, the greatest charity, the noblest act of Good Samaritanism
is that which aims at a person's soul, and that help can only be
effected by the Gospel of Christ; that is the oil and the wine which
the heavenly Samaritan has designed to be poured into the soul's
wounds of sinful and dying man.--But this does not exclude that the
Church should practice Good Samaritanism towards men's bodies. On
the contrary, this is her Lord's direction. And the Church has ever
done so, and is doing so, as a whole and in her individual members.
This is our second consideration.
No duty is more constantly enjoined by the Scripture than that of
contributing to the necessity of others. We think, for instance, of
the Savior's words to the rich young ruler: "Sell what thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." The
Christian congregation at Jerusalem had a treasury out of which
distribution was made continually as any man had need. St. Paul
tells of collections that were taken for brethren who were in
distress because of the famine which prevailed throughout Judea.
In the days of early Christianity we read of much almsgiving;
beautiful instances are on record of believers who, constrained by
the love of Christ, gave away large estates and gladly spent the
rest of their days in poverty for their brethren's sake. Hospitals,
institutions never before known, were erected by wealthy Christians,
and the story of Laurentius is well known, who, when ordered by the
Roman officials to produce the treasures which it was thought the
Christians had in hiding, brought out the aged, the sick, and the
crippled, and remarked, "These are our treasures." And the Church
is not slack concerning works of benevolence now. Look at the chain
of institutions of every kind that are maintained within the bounds
of our Synod, by our congregations in this city. Whence comes the
revenue for the support of our Orphanage, Altenheim, Hospital,
City Mission? From the pockets of the hearts of those who attend
the public worship of God. This past week there was laid to rest a
man who, whatever may be our verdict concerning his work and the
organization of which he was the founder and head, the Salvation
Army,--Rev. Wm. Booth,--it cannot be denied that such a religious
movement could only have sprung up on Christian soil, fostered by
Christian principles of charity and beneficence.
And what pertains to the Church at large pertains to each of us
individually. In the text the Lord Jesus, sitting in judgment upon
each child of Adam, says: "What ye have done unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." What words could be
more pointed! How those few words tell us why and to whom we are to
show beneficence. "Ye have done it unto Me,"--that infirm and aged
one for whom you have provided a permanent and comfortable home,
"ye have done it unto Me." Those "least of all my brethren,"--those
orphaned children whom ye have sheltered in a Christian home or
a suitable institution, "ye have done it unto Me." That coin and
dollar which you have given unto worthy charity--to the man or
woman, battling against life's odds and reverses,--"ye have done it
unto Me."
Beloved, never let the springs of your Christian charity dry up
because of ingratitude, sorry experiences; it was, after all, not
that destitute one that you were dealing with, but Him.
We have regarded in our reflection to-day, first, what is the chief
mission of Christ and of His Church, namely, the saving of the soul,
and that this is effected by the preaching of the Gospel; secondly,
that where there is concern for men's souls, there will be charity
shown toward their bodies also. In other words, where the love of
Christ has taken possession of the heart, there it will also show
itself in deeds of love to Christ's destitute brethren.
My beloved hearer, what is the measure of your love? What are you
doing unto the Lord's brethren and thus unto Him? Remember that
on that day an inspection is going to be made, a report openly
rendered. What kind of report will yours be? Lord, give us ever a
kind heart, a charitable hand, and through Thy grace the reward
which Thou hast promised in heaven for those who served Thee on
earth. Amen.