♦The Law of Cause and Effect♦
At the World’s Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago some years ago,
a Buddhist delegate made the statement that no doctrine which ignores or
denies the Law of Cause and Effect would find acceptance with men of his
Faith. It is probable that he had not realized that the Christian Faith
is founded upon the Law also.
♦The supreme illustration♦
The supreme illustration of the working of the Causal or Harvest Law,
that which most exquisitely reveals its gracious beneficence, is that
of the life, death, and rising of Jesus Christ. His own words in this
connection are unmistakable, and should be carefully studied by any who
are tempted to think that the death upon the Cross was either a mere
martyrdom, or an arbitrary enactment of God designed to supersede His
own Law. The Christ came not to be destroyed, nor to destroy, but to
fulfil.
Why choose so ineffective a manner of life? Why court disaster by these
repeated visits to the capital, unless prepared to yield something to
the leaders of the religious and political parties there? Further, why
go away, leaving the little company of devoted followers leaderless and
comfortless?
Because He was carrying out the Father’s Purpose? Surely; but it was
the Father’s Purpose because it was in the very nature of the case. The
Causal Law demanded the Cross as the Effect of many Causes. The Causal
Law demanded the Cross as a Cause from which should appear in their
order such gracious world-embracing Effects as the wise and gentle
Buddha must have rejoiced to know.
♦Evil Causes♦
Jesus refers to the evil Causes which led to the Cross very little,
because in the “combination of Causes,” to use the Buddhist phrase,
these must fall in with those which in the natural working of the Law
must serve the purpose of the Law. The evil Causes were present, and
penitent humanity will never cease to mourn them.
♦The essential Cause♦
♦The Harvest♦
To make His meaning quite clear Jesus returned for illustration to the
Law as it works in nature. “Except the corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit.” The little seed, hidden in the ground and apparently
dead, reappears, not in its own individual life, but in a rich harvest.
Present apparent failure; future great result. Now to all appearance,
defeat, death, a Cross; some day, when realities are known, victory,
life, glory.
How can these things be? If the little grain of wheat could speak, would
it not say, “I die that the harvest may be”? and these are the very
words of the Lord Jesus.
His harvest is, as we must remember, the same harvest which has been so
passionately desired by all lovers of men--desired by the Buddha above
them all--the harvest of the at-one-ment of humanity with the Universe,
or, as He would state it, the harvest of the at-one-ment of men with the
Father.
In other words, this shameful death is the seed of the Kingdom of the
Father, sown in this world of ours, the harvest of which is silently,
gradually, surely growing, as all harvests do grow. Men and women are
being at-oned with the Father simply by falling into line with the
universal harvest law. This fact may be stated and illustrated in many
ways, but it must never be forgotten that this is our Lord’s own way of
stating it. “_I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men._”