We denied in the presence of a Christian, who wished to have a religious
talk with us, that Jesus was divine. This denial was somewhat anticipated,
we imagine, as the gentleman who challenged our views was knowing to the
fact that we did not pay pew rent anywhere. But he thought to secure
assent from us by saying, “You will have to admit that Jesus was a good
man.” What constitutes a good man? A good man is a man who is kind,
loving, merciful, reasonable, and just. Would a just man pay the laborer
who had worked but one hour as much as he paid him who had toiled all day?
Would a reasonable man curse a fig tree because it did not have fruit on
it out of season? Would a loving man say: He that hateth not father and
mother is not worthy of me? Would a merciful man send those who did not
agree with him into everlasting fire? Would a kind-hearted man bring a
sword rather than peace on earth?
The truth is, we do not know _what_ kind of a man Jesus was. Good men have
been killed by bad ones, and bad men killed by good ones. If Jesus was
killed because he was a blasphemer the chances are that he was better than
those who put him to death, but if he was killed because he sought to
overturn the government and secure the throne for himself, he may have
been a very bad man. But by the gospel-record we hold that Jesus was not a
man for this age to honor or imitate.