ificance e f Jesus ^ * j in *? aj srjsr* fyxmll Htwwmtg ptatg THE GIFT OF A.-W.. .|wjL. ..A-.^.v.-Hf-A-jri i.2r./fe.A>.7. 7673-1 DATE DUE 67 Mp ■ a** F ltM fmrnmi , Uiwh *TTO GAYLORD PRINTED IN U.S.A. Cornell University Library BS2417.S7 J53 Political and social significance of the olin 3 1924 032 340 584 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924032340584 THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS TKe Political and Social Significance of the Life and Teachings of Jesus BY JEREMIAH W. JENKS, Ph.D., LL.D. Professor of Political Economy and Politics Cornell University NEW YORK THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS 1906 D3 A-T- \«4\ 8-1 Copyright, 1906, by THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF ','>',} YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS [3-0-P 2736-11-06.] Contents PAGE Preface xi Suggestions xv Bibliography xvii Study I. — Society and Social Forces : the Materials with Which Jesus Worked i. The Point of View 2 2. The Nature of Society 4 3. Mental and Moral Inertia 6 4. The Motive of Self-interest S 5. Religious Aspiration. . . . 10 6. Group Characteristics 12 7. Review 14 Study II. — Jesus' Preparation for His Work 1. His Surroundings 16 2. His Training 18 3. His Character 20 4. Jesus and the Messiahship 22 S.John's Preaching and the Baptism 24 6. Plans for His Kingdom 26 7. Review 28 Study III. — Jesus' Conception of His Social Mission: Its Relation to the State 1. Jesus to Found a New Kingdom 30 2. The Nature of the Kingdom : Its Constitution 32 3. Admission to Citizenship in the Kingdom 34 4. The Method of Growth of the Kingdom 36 5. Jesus' Authority in His Kingdom 38 6. Relation of His Kingdom to the State 40 7. Review 42 Study IV. — The Principle of Individual Responsibility: Its Social Significance 1. Twofold Responsibility of the Individual.... 44 2. Individual Responsibility for the Use of Oppor- tunity 46 vii viii CONTENTS PAGE 3. Independence in Judgment Regarding our Du- ties 48 4. Religious Forms and Christian Duties 5° 5. Relation of the Church to Christian Living.... 52 6. Individual Responsibility in its Relation to our Habits and Beliefs 54 7. Review 56 Study V. — Jesus' Teaching as to Faith and Content- ment : Its Social Significance 1. Our Value in God's Sight 58 2. "Take no Thought for the Morrow" 60 3. Our Business to do our Work: Peace the Result 62 4. Our Work and Our Father's Business 64 5. God to be Trusted for Results 66 6. Faith and Contentment in Relation to Good Government 68 7. Review 70 Study VI. — Jesus' Attitude toward Pleasures 1. His Recognition of Society and Social Customs 72 2. His Attitude toward Asceticism 74 3. The Need of Thoughtfulness 76 4. Relation of the Development of the Individual to Social Progress 78 5. Jesus does not Condemn Pleasures or Social Customs in Themselves 80 6. The Tests of Our Social Customs. . _ 82 7. Review 84 Study VII. — Jesus' Teaching Regarding Wealth 1. Wealth of Slight Moment Compared with En- trance into the Kingdom 86 2. The Difficulty of Striving at the Same Time for Wealth and Spiritual Excellence 88 3. Wealth need not be Sought, but Thrift is Com- mended 90 4. The Duty of Generosity and Thoughtfulness in the Use of Wealth 92 5. Relation of the Spirit of the Giver to the Value of the Gift 94 6. Significance of the Common Purse kept by Jesus and His Disciples 96 7. Review 98 CONTENTS. a PAGE Study VIII. — Jesus' Attitude toward the Poor i. Jesus' Sympathy for the Poor 100 2. Generosity Commended chiefly for its Effect upon the Giver 102 3. Jesus' Poverty in no Way Encourages Begging 104 4. Assistance may well be Accepted under proper Conditions 106 5. Jesus' Attitude toward Hypocrites and Frauds 108 6. Selfishness not to be Excused by Fear of Fraud no 7. Review 112 Study IX. — Jesus' Views Regarding Crime and the Treat- ment of Criminals 1. Significance of Jesus' Dictum as to Lending and Giving 114 2. Significance of His Dictum of "Judge Not" ... 116 3. Crime from the Moral Viewpoint 118 4. The Punishment of Crime and Jesus' Forgive- ness of Sin 120 5. Aim in the Treatment of Criminals 122 6. Jesus' Method of Overcoming Evil 124 7. Review 126 Study X. — Jesus' Teaching Regarding Non-resistance to Evil 1. Non-resistance in Harmony with a Spiritual Kingdom 128 2. To Whom the Principle Applies 130 3. Attitude of State and Individual toward Evil- doers 132 4. Significance to the Individual of the Principle of Non-resistance 134 5. The Abolition of War 136 6. The Foundation of a World Parliament 138 7. Review 140 Study XL— Jesus' Principles of Social Reform 1. Necessity of Knowledge of Men and of Society 142 2. Relation of Individual Reform to Social Re- form 144 3. Christian Social Progress Necessarily Slow... 146 4. Obstacles and Opposition to Progress 148 x CONTENTS PAGE 5. Adverse Conditions Demand Patience and Faith ISO 6. Points of Emphasis in the Teachings of Jesus. 152 7. Review 154 Study XII.— Jesus the Exemplar of His Teaching 1. Jesus' Joy in Life 156 2. His Love of Nature 158 3. His Enjoyment of Social Life 160 4. His Mental Activity: Speaking, Discussion, In- sight 162 5. His Consciousness of Power and Right 164 6. His Certainty of Success 166 7. Review 168 Preface Every thoughtful person who has given even the slightest attention to the life and teachings of Jesus must have been impressed with the practical way in which he applied his principles of life to the every-day experiences of the people about him. As a student of social science and politics, it has been a source of satisfaction to me to see in how many cases the principles laid down by him have made their way, often without the will of political or social leaders, into the scheme of our modern life. The Christian religion has proved itself practical in politics, and statesmen are realizing as never before that God cannot be left out as a factor in public affairs. Like all of the great thinkers who have weighed the deeper problems of life, individual and social — Job, Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare — Jesus looked deeper than the mere surface experiences of the day; and where they discussed and explained, he touched and solved the problems that are universal. The student is often struck by the modernness of the views of Aristotle in matters of politics. To a far greater degree may one notice the modernness of the teachings of Jesus on almost all questions of personal and social life, simply because he deals with the universal and his answers are complete for all time. Some five or six years ago, at the request of the Cornell Univer- sity Christian Association, I gave a series of Sunday morning talks upon the application of the life and the teachings of Jesus to political and social problems. The views expressed by me, of course, are not those of a special student of biblical literature or of the principles of theology ; they are the views of a layman, a student of politics and economics, who has taken a very great interest in seeing how the teachings which Jesus applied in his own life fit themselves into the views and practices of the best thinkers of the present day, as they have molded the practices of those of the past, so that they are surely, altho too slowly, regenerating the world. Except incidentally, these talks were, naturally, not at all doctrinal; but when at times a student asked for the application to the problems xi xii PREFACE of to-day of the sayings of Jesus, or when some of the more common church doctrines seemed to come normally within the scope of the discussion, I did not hesitate to express an opinion, tho I tried to encourage tolerant discussion. While for many years I have been a member of one of the evangelical churches, it is not expected that all the opinions expressed will satisfy every one ; but they have been in many cases comforting to me, because they seemed to me to show the practical reasonableness of the teachings and practices of him whom, whatever some may think who regard religion as a mere /? sentiment, I believe to be the chief working influence in the world's history. I hope that these thoughts may be helpful to others; but I have no fault to find with those who hold different views. To me the chief intellectual characteristics of Jesus are his spirit of impartiality, his broadmindedness, his aloofness from selfish inter- ests. It will be seen that my belief in these characteristics has been the basis of my interpretation of some of his teachings. The material used in the preparation of this series of lessons has been mainly the Gospels, but I have also been very much interested in reading some other books that have treated these same questions. I have not confined myself to those of any one school of thought or criticism; I have not inquired whether the books would support any special doctrinal views or not. I am not aware that I have taken any one of the writers cited as a chief guide. Some have been helpful on certain topics, others on different ones. Students will have the same experience. It is a useful prac- tice for a student to read thoughtfully the views of different writers and to attempt to make a judgment. The power of judgment must grow by practice. Such practice under a wise teacher will be of the greatest service, and will help much in making the student more useful in his life work. When these talks were first given there were a number of re- quests that they be published; but I felt that I did not have the critical knowledge desirable for the writer of a book on so vital a theme. My purpose in the talks had been rather to stimulate thought and encourage investigation than to expound my own beliefs. When, however, in the repetition of the course during the last year, the request came to put these talks into the form of suggestive lessons which might be used by students, it seemed to me that in this form they might prove useful. I send them out, not as critical exposi- tions, but rather as a series of statements and questions that I hope may prove stimulating and helpful. Altho from the very nature of the study it is essential, if the course is to be most useful, that the viewpoint be primarily that of a study of Jesus the man, I trust that the spirit has been reverent thruout and that the effect of work PREFACE xiii in this course may be to encourage not only further study but also better living. It is a pleasure to me to acknowledge the very helpful assistance given me in the preparation of these lessons by Miss Emelyn F. Peck. In several instances she prepared the first draft of the outlines from notes and stenographic reports of my lectures ; in many cases she has made the references, and she has usually verified them. Thruout, her suggestions have been valuable. Without her aid it would not have been possible for me to have prepared the course within the time at my disposal. Cornell University, October i, 1906. Suggestions ' These lessons have been prepared for a course of twelve weeks, with the thought that it will probably be best to devote some time each day to the study. Provision is made for a review of the week's work on Sunday, and for thinking out some questions suggested by the lessons. In part, these questions are for review, but in the main they are intended to suggest some lines of collateral thought or some practical application of the principles laid down to the affairs of everyday life. Classes differ so much in the age of the students, in the time at their disposal, in their interest in the topics under discussion, in the tastes and inclinations of the teacher, that no definite rule should be laid down regarding the amount of time to be given to the course. For some classes it will doubtless be found best to give two weeks or more to a study, especially if the students become interested in the discussion of the questions. The daily readings may well be repeated, the student looking up each day authorities not consulted before. In some cases, if the class desires thoro work, it may be found best to give to the course the entire college year. Each day the student should read at least the outline and the references to the Bible. Only a few references have been given under each topic. It would be well to read, in connection with these, other passages on similar subjects, such as can readily be found in a harmony of the Gospels or in a good concordance. If time can be taken to read the views of some of the other writers referred to, so much the better. Each student will do well to own and read some good life of Jesus in connection with the work. Wherever questions are asked, an effort should be made to think out a clear answer. It will often be best to put the answer in writ- ing so as to be sure that a clear opinion has been reached. If the syllabus is made the basis of class work on Sundays, the teacher should select the two or three most important thoughts and make them the basis of free discussion. There is no intention what- ever to dogmatize in the lessons themselves. The students should read different authorities, so that several views will be represented. XV xvi SUGGESTIONS A candid, honest discussion, under the leadership of a wise teacher, will aid more than anything else in clarifying the judgment, and especially in giving the stimulus needed to put the lessons taught into practical effect. "The best that we can do for one another is to exchange our thoughts freely." Bibliography The Bible, Revised Version, especially the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Stevens and Burton: A Harmony of the Gospels; New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905. James, C. C. : A Harmony of the Gospels; London, C. J. Gay & Sons, 1892. Pittenger, William : The Interwoven Gospels and Gospel Har- mony; Boston, The Pilgrim Press. Robinson, Edward : A Harmony of the Four Gospels in English; Boston, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Edersheim, Alfred: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah; 2 vols. New York, Anson D. F. Randolph & Co. Sanday, W. : Outlines of the Life of Christ; New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905. Fairbairn, A. M. : Studies in the Life of Christ; London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1889. Andrews, Samuel J. : The Life of Our Lord upon the Earth; New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1892. Schmidt, Nathaniel : The Prophet of Nazareth; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1905. Farrar, Frederic W. : The Life of Christ; New York, E. P. Dut- ton & Co., 1895. Stalker, James : Life of Jesus Christ; Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1891. Gilbert, George H. : The Student's Life of Jesus; Chicago, Press of the Chicago Theological Seminary, 1896. Rhees, Rush : The Life of Jesus of Nazareth; New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1900. Geikie, Cunningham : The Life and Words of Christ; New York, D. Appleton & Co., 1883. Stevens, George Barker : The Teaching of Jesus; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1901. Mathews, Shailer: The Social Teaching of Jesus; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1897. xvii xviii BIBLIOGRAPHY Mathews, Shailer: The Messianic Hope in the New Testament; Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1905. Speer, Robert E. : The Principles of Jesus; New York, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1902. Peabody, Francis G. : Jesus Christ and the Social Question; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1900. Peabody, Francis G. : Jesus Christ and the Christian Character; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1905. Seeley, J. R. : Ecce Homo; London and Cambridge, Macmillan & Co., 1866. Harnack, Adolf: What is Christianity?; London, Williams & Nor- gate, 1901. Simpson, P. Carnegie: The Fact of Christ; New York, Fleming H. Revell Co., 1901. Hillis, Newell Dwight : The Influence of Christ in Modern Life; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1900. Hyde, William DeWitt: From Epicurus to Christ; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1904. Spencer, Herbert: Principles of Sociology; 3 vols.; New York, D. Appleton & Co., 1888. Ward, Lester F. : Outlines of Sociology; New York, The Mac- millan Co., 1899. Giddings, Franklin H. : The Elements of Sociology; New York, The Macmillan Co., 1898. Jenks, Jeremiah W. : Citizenship and the Schools; New York, Henry Holt & Co., 1906. To My Sister STUDY I Society and Social Forces: the Material with which Jesus Worked "But when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd." — Matthew ix, 36. "Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men." — Mat- thew iv, 19. SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS First Day : C!»e fljofat of Sieto "Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citi- zens." — Daniel Webster. Speer: Principles of Jesus, iv, xxxii. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES 3 First Day : C&e ijjJoiiU of ©teto Many great men have affected profoundly the history of the world ; Jesus has changed the fundamental nature of human society. Many people, young men especially, perhaps, are inclined to look upon the Christian religion as sentimental, and upon its Founder as ex- hibiting an admirable character, gentle and lovable, but as giving nothing of special service for the hard tasks of a working world. On the contrary, any thoro study of history shows the reason- ableness of Christianity as founded by Jesus, and its practical effi- ciency in the greater affairs of statesmanship as well as in the individual experiences of the citizen. If, to meet the prejudiced criticism of those who think they admire only the strong heroes of the past, we for the time consider Jesus merely as the man who walked and talked in Palestine, even then we find him a hero, with an intellect of almost startling strength and originality, and with a moral boldness and courage unequalled, but amply justified from the human standpoint by the revolutionary success of his teachings. In consequence of these practical results, we may well claim in our work with ambitious young men that thru a study of his life and teaching we have an opportunity of getting ideas and sugges- tions of prime value for our own practical work in society. Our Christianity will be not merely a matter of feeling; it will be of practical worth in our life-work. The work of Jesus was primarily social. We can understand it only by understanding the material with which he worked and the methods which he employed. For this special study to be of the highest value to us in our own personal lives, it is desirable that we view the problem of Jesus' work in society from the point of view of society of the present day, with the understanding that in the time of Jesus, even as now, society was molded by forces that we ourselves to a greater or less degree may control; and that in his dealings with men he knew human nature, and employed the means that we are to use. Our purpose is "the application to conduct today, under its changed conditions, of the principles which found expression in the life and teaching of Jesus nineteen hundred years ago, but which, because they are principles, are not local, transient and personal, but universal and abiding." — Speer. SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF IESUS Second Day : ®&e JHatttre of Sottetp "It is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either above humanity or below it; he is the 'Tribeless, lawless, hearthless one,' whom Homer denounces — the outcast who is a lover of war; he may be compared to a bird which flies alone." — Aristotle. "Men were born for the service and benefit of each other." — Marcus Aurelius. Matthew vii, 16-20; xi, 16-19; xiii, 54-58. Mark vi, 1-6. Luke xi, 11- 13. Giddings : Elements of Sociology, Chapters V and VI. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Social Question, Chapter VII. Mathews: Social Teaching of Jesus, VIII. Speer: Principles of Jesus, Introduction. Jenks : Citizenship and the Schools, Chapters I and II. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES 5 Second Day : C&e JBature of Society Every society is built upon human nature, and is the product of heredity and environment. Each society will differ from every other society, but in most particulars, when the question is one of funda- mental moving forces, human beings are much the same in all times and countries. Men are of one species, altho there are many varie- ties. In consequence, altho the religion of Jesus as he gave it to the world had, of necessity, local coloring, altho many of the inci- dents are local, and many of his sayings were addressed to local prejudices and temporary conditions, still with his profound insight into human nature, he could and did touch springs universal, and his religion may well become eventually a universal religion. The prime social fact in his day, as since, is that of the inter- relations of men, and their interdependence upon one another. No person can live to himself alone; his every act is bound to have influence upon other persons, and his own acts are largely deter- mined by his relations to others. Most of us who are taking up these lessons will feel the influence of our parents, that of the social customs which led us to want a higher education, and the causes, numerous as they may have been, which led us to study, as well as the influence of the various motives that have dominated those whose work has made our educational institutions what they are. Greatest of all in its influence in this study is the fact that Jesus lived and worked, and that his life and work gave to religious and social thought an impulse whose force and active power have been accumulating thruout the ages since. The method by which the impulse of his personality has been extended thruout generations shows largely how any person who attempts to influence society must go to work. We sometimes forget that people never act except as they are influenced by their feelings. In consequence, if we are to discuss the causes of any great social movement, such as the introduction of Christianity, it is essential that we study somewhat carefully the primary human motives. The various motives from which men act are, of course, almost numberless, and most of our actions are influenced not by one simple motive, but by a complexity of different motives. There are, how- ever, a few motives so nearly universal that we should note their characteristics, so as to see in what way the teachings -of Jesus worked upon them, and by what means he brought about a social revolution. SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Third Day : ilental an& ;PtoraI $nntia. "Custom calls me to't" — Shakespeare. Proverbs i, 22; vi, 6-11; xviii, 9. Matthew xxv, is, 24-36. Giddings : Elements of Sociology, X, XIV, XV. Ward : Outlines of Sociology, VII. Jenks: Citizenship and the Schools, I, II. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES 7 Thied Day : Jftental ana ^floral inertia Economists have long taught that the natural desire to spare our energies is one of the most important factors in business life. A somewhat deeper study will show that this same inclination is also profoundly felt in the fields of politics, of social life, and of religion. In business, each man ordinarily follows the customs of the day, with little effort to make improvements. In politics, men are usually too lazy or too indifferent to do their own political thinking; they • drift into a party in childhood, and remain there regardless of shift- ing of principles or changes of leadership. Likewise in religion, altho each one of us probably feels that he has joined the church of his choice, a thoughtful examination will show that, as we have drifted into our ways of doing business, and into our political party, so we have drifted with comparatively little thought or original expenditure of energy into the church of our families. Probably, too, thru our unwillingness to think out the meaning of our forms of worship, i. e., thru our moral and spiritual inertia, we are failing to secure much of the richness of religious experience that is our due. Like the generations that have gone before us, we have adopted other people's phraseology and habits of thinking, and are satisfying ourselves on the husks of ceremo- nial religion instead of on the life-giving principles of Christianity. 1 Yet we must not fail to recognize the good side of this mental \ and moral inertia. It is the great force in society which enables the ) thinkers, statesmen, and reformers to count with certainty upon | the actions of the mass of men as uniform. Furthermore, it is from ^J this mental inertia that we acquire habits; and while a habit is in many cases a stumbling block to progress, it is likewise a great saver of energy. If we have the wisdom to select the acts that are bene- ficial, and the determination to create for ourselves the habit of wise action in any direction, much energy will be saved to increase our powers for good. As it is today, so it was in the times of Jesus. The usages of the Jewish laws were fixed so rigidly that the ordinary person could not think outside of those customs, and when the great creative power of Jesus attempted to put the Spirit of the Father into the ceremonial customs of the priests, he was met by the prejudices that finally cost him his life. And yet by his renewed efforts, by his appeal to higher motives, by the power within him, he has in a marked degree at length overcome this force of religious inertia, and has been able to bring about in the course of centuries a re- ligious revolution. SOCIAL TEACHINGS, OF JESUS, Fourth Day : ©&e ^Hottbe of Sel&intetest "Tous les hommes recherchent d'etre heureux ; cela est sans excep- tion. Quelques differents moyens qu'ils y emploient, ils tendent tous a ce bout." — Pascal. Mark vii, 21, 22. 2 Peter ii, 14. Ward : Outlines of Sociology, Chapter VII. Peabody : Jesus Christ and the Social Question, Chapter VI. Spencer : Principles of Sociology, Part I, VI and VII. Jenks: Citizenship and the Schools, I, II. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES 9 Fourth Day : SC&e f&otiot of §>elf -mUtest Next, perhaps, in influence to mental and moral inertia is the motive of self-interest. This motive, of course, has many manifesta- tions, and the writers of sociology have enumerated various lead- ing forms in which it appears: the desire for sustenance, for shelter and clothing, the desire for power over others, the desire for the gratification of our intellectual or of our artistic natures, and the numberless other ways in which each of us tries to satisfy his longings for something which he has not yet attained. In the earlier stages of society, the desire for sustenance overrules all oth- ers ; but as man acquires more and more control over the forces of nature, the need for mere sustenance is so easily met that the desire for wealth and for the possession of artistic treasures, and many other forms of selfish gratification, have taken its place. In Jesus' day, conditions of living were vastly different, but hu- man motives were largely the same as now. Jesus, doubtless, lived in a mud or plaster hut, probably slept on the roof or on the floor, ate porridge from a common dish with other members of the fam- ily, and knew the keenness of desire for many things which we should consider necessities of life; but he also saw clearly the overwhelming power which, thru the opportunity it offers for the gratification of selfish desires, wealth secures over the rich. From the lack of the necessity for denying themselves any of the ordinary things of life, they are often so warped in their natures that they find it difficult, even almost impossible, to adopt the altruistic spirit of self-sacrifice which is demanded from every one who will render true service to his fellows. io SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Fifth Day : Eelifftotui aspiration "Oh that I knew where I might find him ! That I might come even to his seat !" — Job xxiii, 3. "I am athirst for God, the living God." — Jean Ingelow. Psalm xlii. Spencer: Principles of Sociology, Part I, Chapters XIV, XV, XVI, XXIV, XXV. Hillis: Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter IX. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES n Fifth Day : Eeligiottfi aspiration Passing by many other motives which exercise a profound influ- ence on society, we may consider briefly that of religious aspiration. This sentiment, coming from the sense that we are surrounded by forces of nature which seem beyond our control, from the conscious- ness of our physical weakness, and from the knowledge that even our mental and moral natures are subject to overthrow, is probably universal ; it may be counted upon by all those who wish to improve society. Among the most savage people we often find this sentiment in the form of a desire to ward off the influence of evil spirits ; the same motive, in differing forms of superstition, is found likewise in the highest stages of civilization ; but it is also a longing for fellow- ship with the Divine which has been the characteristic of the highest and noblest lives. In many instances, individuals who seem to care very little for the religions of the day still feel themselves, especially in times of danger, reaching out beyond any power that they can physically touch or know, to obtain help, if possible, from a Being whom they believe or feel to be supreme and divine. We should keep in mind the fact that the human conception of this Being, whose little under- stood nature and power have led people to worship even the "un- known God," but who is believed to control nature and society, differs with each shifting phase of civilization. Among Christian peoples since the days when Jesus revealed him as he is, God has been held to be an all-wise, loving father. Each man's God is, in fact, represented by his ideal of goodness and power. Counting upon this motive of religious aspiration, Jesus, thru his participation in the nature of the divine and of the human, was able to secure and to teach a higher, clearer conception of goodness and power, and hence of the nature of God, than had been given men before. The molding force of this God-ideal upon a humanity longing for a deeper knowledge of things divine was what Jesus counted upon to bring about on earth his kingdom of heaven. 12 SOCIAL TEACHINGS. OF. JESUS Sixth Day : ©roup C&arartertBttcB "To understand man, however, we must look beyond the indi- vidual man and his actions or interests, and view him in combina- tion with his fellows." — Carlyle. "A large part of all the social action in which many individuals take a concerted part is impulsive rather than deliberate ; and, there- fore, many of the dramatic events of history have been impulsive social actions." — Giddings. Spencer : Principles of Sociology, Part II, Chapters II, III and XL Ward: Outlines of Sociology, Chapter VIII. Giddings : Elements of Sociology, Chapters XII, XIII. SOCIETY AND SOCIAL FORCES 13 Sixth Day : ©roup C|aratterusti«i Heretofore, we have spoken of the motives and characteristics of individuals in society. In speaking of the material on which Jesus worked, we must recognize the further fact that very frequently men in association as groups or societies or nations act in ways quite different from those of individuals. In some, class interests dominate, and the individual sacrifices his personality and his own gain for the sake of others of his type; in other cases the motive of patriotism, which seems often to be the abnegation of selfish- ness and the embodiment of the purest self-sacrifice, is the dominant motive, the individual identifying himself with his state, so that he seems to wish no separate existence. Again at times it seems possible for a sentiment or a motive to go not slowly from man to man by the power of individual suggestion, but to sweep thru a whole society by a contagious power of sym- pathy, so that a revolution that might otherwise cover decades is accomplished in a day. Keeping in mind, then, these various influences and motives and forces by which societies live and work, we can study to advan- tage the way in which they were employed by Jesus when he took up his life-work, given him by the Father— the regeneration of the world. 14 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OR JESUS Seventh Day: Hebieto 1. With reference to the complexity of society, and the inter- dependence of human beings, think out the number of persons in this country and elsewhere who have been employed, directly and indirectly, in furnishing you with the clothes you are wearing and the food you consume in a single day. 2. In reformatories criminals are compelled to adopt regular meth- ods of living. Can a regular way of living repeated from day to day under compulsion become a habit, or must a habit come from voluntary acts? 3. May I give food or money to a beggar from selfish motives? Under what circumstances? 4. Is it possible for any of us to have a normal development out- side of society? 5. Does the social force of inertia strengthen or weaken the power of the political "boss"? 6. The Salvation Army is accustomed to keep its converts for a year or two after conversion under the direct influence of the army officers. Why is this necessary? Does such a custom imply doubt as to the sincerity of the conversion? 7. In Dahomey, it was customary on the death of a king for hun- dreds of his wives and servants voluntarily to sacrifice themselves on his funeral pyre. Was this act done thru the power of religious aspiration ? 8. If persons not Christians adopt the tenets of the Christian faith from fear of future punishment, is this selfish motive to be commended ? Will fear for self be as effective in elevating the moral and religious character of the convert as reverence and love? Does the former ever lead to the latter and the higher? STUDY II Jesus' Preparation for His Work "And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." — Luke ii, 52. "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." — John xiv, 10. 16 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF. JESUS. First Day : ^f« SttrrotmUtnffB "Nazareth est un delicieux sejour, le seul endroit peut-etre de la Palestine ou l'ame se sente un peu soulagee d'u fardeau qui l'op- presse au milieu de cette desolation sans egale. . . . Tel fut 1 'horizon de Jesus. Ce cercle enchante, berceau du royaume de Dieu, lui representa le monde durant des annees." — Renan. Matthew iii, 1-6. Mark ii, 1-5 ; vi, 2 ; xii, 1, 2. Mathews : History of New Testament Times in Palestine. Stalker : Life of Jesus Christ, Chapter II. Rhees : Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part I, Chapter I. Edersheim : The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Book I, and Book II, Chapter IX. Sanday : Outlines of the Life of Christ, Chapter II. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 17 First Day : ()i«f Smrrotmfiingg In briefly sketching the conditions surrounding Jesus in his youth and during his preparation for his work, it is as a man that we shall consider him. For the sake of our study we assume that his character developed in the normal human way into the divine purity and strength of his perfect manhood, while we bear in mind, of course, as we have already said, his own conviction concerning the contribution to this development which was received from his communion with the Divine Father, as manifested at various times in prayer (Luke xi, John xvii). It is only thus that the study of his preparation will be primarily helpful to us as students of social principles seeking for help ii. our life-work. Jesus lived at a time of political and religious unrest, and his home was among a people near the outskirts of Judaism. Subject to Roman rule, the Hebrew race in its various sects, Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots, represented different degrees of political disaffection and bitterly different interpretations of the old religion. The blind intolerance of Judaism, concentrated and virulent about Jerusalem, was, in Galilee, softened by a mingling of Gentile popu- lation ; and far from the center of dogmatism, the religious influences were less formal and more spiritual. The Galileans were no pedants, but were simply, fervently, imaginatively religious. Angels and devils and good and evil spirits were, for them, everywhere. Life had many a wonder and a mystery. In marked contrast to barren Judea was the hill country of Galilee. The village of Nazareth lay in the valley of the mountains of Zebulon, on the great highway leading outward into the Greek and Roman world, as well as to the civilizations of Babylon and Persia. Its small mud or plaster houses, windowless, roofed with thatch or husks, and built on narrow, crooked, hillside streets, were saved from ugliness by a profusion of vines and overshadowing fig trees and by a luxuriant surrounding growth of olives, pome- granates, orange groves and blossoming cactus hedges. Back from the village in all directions stretched plains and mountains old in Jewish story, whose very names — Carmel, Megiddo, Hermon, Es- draelon — were redolent of sacred tradition; while seen from the upper hillsides, twenty miles to the westward, but .in clear view, lay the blue Mediterranean. Life in the village was simple ; but nature was gracious, and serenely beautiful. 18 SOCIAL TEACHINGS. OF IESUS Second Day : l&ut STrafofoff "And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and was subject unto them." — Luke ii, 51. "And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son?" — Matthew xiii, 54, 55. "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world." — John xvi, 28. Luke ii, 40-52 ; iv, 16-30. Mark vi, 1-6. Rhees : Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part I, Chapter V. Gilbert : Student's Life of Jesus, Chapters III, IV, V. Stalker : Life of Jesus Christ, Chapter I. Fairbairn: Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter III. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 19 Second Day : |)tB dCraittinj Jesus' birth was humble, from the point of view of his day; his home life simple, frugal and wholesome. In the village circles, where there were probably slight differences in rank or wealth, his parentage and his trade were doubtless held in considerable respect. His parents were pious Jews, and in the home he must have re- ceived the rudiments of his knowledge of the Scriptures. Jesus was apparently the eldest in a large family.' After the death of his father, which is supposed to have been not long after Jesus' first visit to Jerusalem, since Joseph does not again appear in the Gospels, he was probably its main support. The social life of a large family and the early responsibility for its care must have exercised large influence in humanizing his attitude toward the world and in emphasizing the thoughtful seriousness of his char- acter. The life of the village, too, clustering about the wells, the shops, and the synagogue, was a rich source of social training. While its range was narrower than that of a city, it possibly brought the chance for deeper insight into character, for here intercourse was more intimate and personal. And thru the varied Oriental and Roman life passing along the great highway from the Far East to the Capital of the West, he was not without a glimpse into the external world. His religious training, begun in the home, was doubtless con- tinued under the tutelage of the "reader," and in the services and discussions of the synagogue. As a Pharisee he was trained to think of the spiritualization of form, and as a Galilean his religious impulses were imaginative and spiritual. He was apparently not trained in the schools of the great teachers. Unlearned in the subtleties of the law, the pride of the Jerusalem pedant, his training, religious and social, led him to seek the meaning of life: and for that search the Scriptures were an inspiration; his social life and duties kept his attitude sane and human; and the intervals of undisturbed thought in the open fields and on the quiet mountain- sides, and his habit of prayer, brought him a knowledge of his own heart and an insight into the heart of God. Thruout his life this intimate oneness with the Father is seen in his frequent communion with him, in his certainty of the Father's will, in his teaching the true spirit of prayer to his disciples, in the positiveness with which he spoke and taught. "He spoke as one having authority and not as the scribes." 20 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Third Day : f>te Cjjararter "I am the light of the world." — John viii, 12. "But far more potent than his word is his wonderful personality. It cannot be denned; names and titles utterly fail to do justice to it. The subtle influence cannot be explained; it can only be felt. The hearts of men burn within them, when he talks with them in the road. When he breaks to them the bread of life, their eyes are opened; and though he vanishes from their sight, they can never forget him. To have once come under his spell, is to be his forever. To know him is to love him." — Schmidt. Matthew ix, 36; xxii, 15-46. Mark ii, 23-28. Luke iv, 16-30; xi, 37-41. Rhees: Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part III. Stalker : Life of Jesus Christ, pages 128-139. Hillis : Influences of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter IV. Peabody : Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapter II. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 21 Third Day : pa C&atarter However we may consider his surroundings and his early train- ing to have influenced Jesus' mission, those influences were of little moment compared with the strength and individuality of his own character. Many a soul makes small response to the grandeur of lofty mountains or to the simple beauty of familiar life. Jesus looked upon nature and humanity with observant eyes and with deep spir- itual insight. His knowledge of the human heart was a source of power. He felt the joys and sorrows of others; he understood their weaknesses and their capacities for good. He was full of sympathy and the desire for service. Yet this tender consideration for others har- bored not the shadow of weakness. His personality, gracious, winning, and, to those able to understand him, irresistibly attractive, was capable of flaming into vehement denunciation of those who, as hypocrites, were misleading others, or who, from selfishness, turned their eyes away from the light that he felt to have been given him in a supreme degree. Jesus was sure of himself. He felt, he knew, that his spiritual insight had pierced to the heart of life, and that he was at one with God. To the assertiveness of an intellectually dominant race, such as the Hebrew has ever been, Jesus added the tremendous self-confidence of his own personality. Having studied the highest teaching of the prophets and knowing his own deeper and truer conceptions of the divine and of man's relations with God, feeling himself right, at one with the Father, and seeing with clear vision God's purposes for the development of man, he felt no hesitancy, no self-distrust. His self-confidence became so perfect that it was never a matter of obtrusive self-consciousness. His mission was his life. Men saw the meek and lowly Jesus, but they felt also his colossal strength, and therein the reason for his self-trust. They naturally felt him superhuman, and in his divine strength they found him trustworthy. Jesus was a light to men because in his character lies all that appeals to humanity in its noblest moods, as purest, strongest, best — as most divine. He fills men's highest conception of goodness, purity, power. He is thus in his character the full explanation, the revelation of God. 22 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF. JESUS Fourth Day : %am anil t&e ffitnaiabtihty "There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world." — John i, 9. Matthew iii, 15-17. Luke ii, 49. John ii, 16; viii, 16; x, 15, 38. Sanday: Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages 25-29. Rhees: Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part I, Chapter VII. Schmidt: The Prophet of Nazareth, Chapter IV. Mathews: The Messianic Hope in the New Testament, Part II, Chapters IV, V, VI. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 23 Fourth Day : %t&m aitfi t&e ffit&mfyafyif The Psalms and the Prophets, with their lyric depth of feeling, and their golden imaginings of a glorious future for the race, were familiar to Jesus. By the rumors of near salvation for his people thru certain enthusiasts who had claimed messiahship, his inter- est must have been deeply stirred. As he read and as he sought to understand the real character of a leader who should save his people and inaugurate a more exalted life for men, and as, with his keen insight into the deepest springs of human action, he pon- dered the lives and characters of those who had proved false prophets, he must have come to an understanding of the causes of their failure. They had not spiritual insight into truth; they did not recognize real greatness in human service; they were not themselves without weakness and sin. And in the steady work of the shop, or in quiet hours on the mountain-side, a grander, more spiritual meaning of ancient visions and prophesyings doubtless came to him. As a lad, probably, Jesus, with simple directness, had come to think of God as Father (an illuminating commentary upon the character of his earthly father) and of his relation to him; and the name on Jesus' lips was sig- nificant of all strength and wisdom and righteousness and loving kindness. To him this was the natural conception; but, loving the Father and feeling himself loved in return as he saw no one else felt, he recognized its height and depth beyond the conception of any other seer or prophet. He recognized within himself the spirit of purity and goodness and loving kindness that made him one in heart with God. And, the necessity for the first service ended, he laid aside his tools in the village shop and went to call all men to be his brothers, and children of his Father. Thus only could he save his people. 24 SOCIAL TEACHINGS. OZ JESUS. Fifth Day : 3Tolm'0 flteat&tttff atiH t&e ^SaptiBnt "He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear." — Matthew iii, II. Matthew iii, 1-17; xi, 2-13. Mark i, 1-11. Luke iii, 1-21. John i, 6-36. Harnack : What is Christianity t Lecture III. Sanday : Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages 34-42. Stalker : Life of Jesus Christ, Chapter III. Rhees : Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part I, Chapters VI, VII. Fairbairn : Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter IV. Mathews : Messianic Hope in the New Testament, Part II, Chap- ter II. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 25 Fifth Day : ^a$n'0 |Jreatftmff anU t&e baptism Shortly before the time of Christ, the appearance of several en- thusiasts, stirred by the political subjection of the nation and the low ebb of its religious life, had quickened the messianic hope thru- out Palestine. These men had dreamed of political restoration, and they had proved false prophets. The hope of the Messiah had stirred the heart of John, but his earnest eyes saw deeper needs than the political ones. Like Jesus, he recognized that it was a moral, a spiritual regeneration that must come; like Jesus, too, he saw that the forces most opposed to spir- itual regeneration were in the very citadel of formal religion. John felt that the Messiah must be a spiritual leader, and that admittance into his kingdom would be conditioned upon entrance into a genu- ine and better spiritual life. And there John's vision ended — ended in no small-souled satis- faction with a half sight of truth, but with sad and humble acknowl- edgment of its inadequacy and an eager desire for further light. John, in his lonely desert and his somber thought, had seen the beginnings. Jesus, with deeper vision, came from his life of service to confirm John's thought and carry it infinitely further. As the two talked together, each exalted by an eager desire to uplift hu- manity, John must have recognized the deeper truth that he had not been able to fathom, and must have seen in Jesus that majesty and guileless beauty of character, the appreciation of which reveals the greatness of John's soul. Jesus acknowledged John's measure of truth, and in token was baptized. John recognized Jesus' diviner truth, and reverently bowed before it. 26 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF IBSUS Sixth Day : pantf for fyi* ftfaff&om "And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan.' — Mark i, 13. Matthew iv, 1-11. Mark i, 12, 13. Luke iv, 1-13, Sanday : Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages 42-45. Stalker : Life of Jesus Christ, pages 61-66. Schmidt : The Prophet of Nazareth, Chapter XI, and page 262. Fairbairn : Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter V. PREPARATION FOR HIS WORK 27 Sixth Day : pans fttv hie JfcUngflom His power recognized, at least in part, by himself, and the first step in its public acknowledgment taken in his baptism by John, Jesus went alone into the desert to think out plans for his life and to struggle for complete self-mastery. Was his life, in truth, to be one of service in the establishment of a better order of living for man? If so, how was his power to be used in most effective service? Three temptations to abandon his plans, or to temporize in his methods, apparently suggested themselves to him. He might use his power in winning the comforts and gratifica- tions of life. With his gifts he could easily succeed. And, too, must he not, first of all, care for his own life and make comfortable provision for its preservation, that he and his insight into truth might not perish by untimely death? Even if he were not to live for self, could he not best serve others by making them comfort- able physically? But Jesus saw deeper. Man could not live by bread alone. If need be, not merely luxury, but even life must be sacrificed that he might be of service in the spiritual uplifting of humanity; and his disciples must not follow his teaching to secure physical comforts, loaves and fishes. Again, he might use his power to dazzle the world. He might do works of immediately compelling genius and win fame. To a man of ability this desire appeals more strongly; and again, once prominently before the eyes of his people, he would have large audi- ences for those great truths that were to regenerate mankind. But Jesus saw deeper. He saw the selfishness of the method and quickly recognized its superficiality. Real service was not so wrought. Last and greatest, came the temptation to seek temporal power over men, probably the most powerful desire of strong men and their utmost alluring temptation. It is pleasant to rule; and could not rulers of the kingdoms of the world compel their subjects to live better lives? Was it not his duty to seek power as a most effective means of service? But Jesus saw deeper. All real regen- eration must begin at the bottom and work upward, and each soul must make its own decision as to entrance into the better life. &' fective service must seek the field of the individual human heart an< spend itself in willing sacrifice to help men help themselves. 28 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Seventh Day: Eetoieto 1. Does natural scenery or a country's topography affect appre- ciably the character of a people or their political characteristics? If so, find illustrations. 2. What contrast was there between Galilee and Judea in external characteristics of the country? In the character of their peoples? 3. How may Jesus' home life and the life of the village have influ- enced his attitude toward men? Does city life or country life give to able young men the keener insight into human nature? 4. What were the elements of his religious training? 5. What were the striking elements of Jesus' character? What is the difference between egotism and supreme self-confidence such as that of Jesus? Is self-confidence a necessary element in great- ness of character? In what fields of activity may a man be great without self-confidence ? 6. What was the spiritual relationship between John and Jesus? 7. In what different ways was the nobility of John's soul shown? 8. Did Jesus come to think of himself as the Messiah ? Give your special reasons for your answer. 9. What, in your judgment, is the significance of each of the temp- tations? There are various interpretations. 10. Could a warrior ever succeed as the leader of a great social reform? If so, of what kind of reform? STUDY III Jesus' Conception of His Social Mission: Its Relation to the State "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."— John x, 10. 30 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS First Day : tissue to JFounJ a JReto fetnfUom "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me." — Luke xxii, 29. "And of his kingdom there shall be no end." — Luke i, 33. Jeremiah xxxiii, 15, 16. Daniel ix, 25. Matthew iii, 2, 11, 12; iv, 17, 23. Mark i, IS ; iii, 13-19- Luke iv, 43. Sanday: Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages 76 S. Harnack: What is Christianity? pages 52-62. Fairbairn : Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter VI. Mathews: Social Teachings of Jesus, Chapter III. Hyde : From Epicurus to Christ, Chapter V. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 31 First Day : Meatus to jFowrtl a JQeto EitiffUam The Jewish race had looked forward to political deliverance and aggrandizement under an anointed one, a prince; John the Baptist had preached repentance in preparation for the coming of the king- dom, conceived of as a stern judgment and a final separation of the good from the evil; Jesus likewise spoke of his kingdom, the king- dom of God, the kingdom of Heaven, but with a new, greater and deeper significance. The Messiah of the Hebrews was to renew the glories of David and Solomon ; Jesus' conception was of a king- dom whose glories were to be of another and far higher order. Jesus, with an insight into God's nature and purposes which became a new revelation of God to men, could not and would not use his powers in the founding of a kingdom which should be for his own earthly glorification. His work was to be the redemption of the world. His kingdom must go deeper than mere political form ; it must put a new soul into society. His was a conception of a power and glory that, coming from Jewish sources, thru a kingdom more subtly powerful and more exalted than those dreamed of by any of his predecessors or compatriots, should come in time to rule tjie whole world. We must enter into an understanding of the nature of this kingdom. 32 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Second Day : 8Cj)e Batttre of t&e EinjtKom: %t& Constitution "Recollect that you were born for the duties of society." — Marcus Aurelius. Matthew v ; vi ; vii ; xiii, 44-48. Mark xii, 28-31. Luke vi, 20-49. Fairbairn : Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter VI. Sanday: Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages so ff- Mathews : The Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapter III. Harnack: What is Christianity? pages 52-62. Hyde: From Epicurus to Christ, Chapter V. Schmidt: The Prophet of Nazareth, pages 296 flf. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 33 Second Day : SCjje JQature of t&e fcinaUom: %t& Constitution This kingdom that was to rule the world Jesus usually spoke of, not as a life to come, but as a way of living in this life; not as a new state founded by the violence of revolution and civil war, but as a spiritualizing and ennobling force within the souls of in- dividuals, a force that should gradually, thru the bettering, the perfecting of individuals, result in a regenerated social order. Jesus' spiritual kingdom, like every government, had its funda- mental principles ; and basic among these was the Fatherhood of God. God was the just and all-powerful judge; but he was also much more — he was the loving father whose sternness was but the result of his desire for the good of his children, and whose deepest joy was in their true welfare. As God was the father of all, all men thereby were brothers ; and the responsibility to God, the Father, entailed a responsibility toward all the Father's sons, toward society. Thus the significance of Jesus' great teaching of the Fatherhood of God and the Brother- hood of Man was a new emphasis upon the social relationships, a clearer and firmer note of social duty than had ever before been sounded. Such was the nature of the kingdom. 34 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Third Day : SHuiufBton to CitteeiusSip in t&e J&inffBont "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge." — Proverbs ''I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." — John xiv, 6. " 'To him who wears the cross,' he said, 'The first great law is— To Obey !' " — Schiller. Matthew v, 3-12, 20, 48 ; vi, 33 ; vii, 1, 2, 7-12, 21 ; xiii, 23. John iii, 1-13 ; xiv, 6. Sanday : Outlines of the Life of Christ, pages 85, 86. Harnack : What is Christianity? pages 70-78. Peabody : fesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapter III. Hyde : From Epicurus to Christ, Chapter V. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 35 Third Day : 8BuiisBion to Citijeiwhip in t&e Etinjttom To citizenship in Jesus' kingdom were to be admitted only those who recognized their responsibility toward God and toward man, for the betterment of life and thus for the regeneration of the world. Into a civil state one is born; but entrance into Jesus' kingdom must be voluntary, an open-eyed choice of the better way. And Jesus proclaimed himself to be the way. To be admitted a citizen of his kingdom one must recognize his teaching as a pro- found insight into and a revelation of the spirit of God, and must take Jesus' character as the ideal of beauty, truth and righteous- ness. Conversion (by derivation, a turning about, conversio) means the conscious change of purpose from that of seeking the gratifica- tion of one's own selfish desires to that of doing the will of the Father as shown by Jesus — or of devoting one's self deliberately to the service of others. Of course, this fundamental change of purpose implies repentance, i. e., the recognition of the evil of the former course and the "life-giving change of the inner man"; but the essence of conversion is the surrender to God's will, as shown by belief, purpose, act. The surrender brings, of course, the joy of citizenship in the kingdom when the happiness of the new life becomes manifest. "Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil ; learn to do well ; seek j udgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isaiah i, 16, 17). "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew vii, 21). "Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John i», 3). The whole-hearted recognition of this ideal of a pure and helpful life, vitalized by love of God and man, and the deliberate determina- tion to follow him, Jesus seems to have taught as the necessary condition of admittance into the kingdom. The intense earnestness of Jesus' appeal to a higher life leaves little doubt as to the indi- vidual's responsibility in securing his admittance into that life, or the life-giving happiness of the new relationship. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John x, 10). "My disciples may have my joy fulfilled in them- selves" (John xvii, 13). 36 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Fourth Day : C&e Jflet&oB of rototj) of t\)t feinffUnm "It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." — Luke xiii, 21. "The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils Himself in many, ways.'' — Tennyson. Matthew v, 14-16; vi, 1-4; vii, 5, 6; xiii, 3-43. Fairbairn : Studies in the Life of Christ, Chapter VI. Giddings : Elements of Sociology, Chapter XII. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapter IV. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter II. Schmidt: The Prophet of Nazareth, pages 296 ff. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 37 Fourth Day : ©be JJtet&oU of ©roistlj of t&e Eins&om The growth in power of the ideas of Jesus was to be, like other spiritual or social movements or growths, very gradual, and thru the influence of one soul upon another. Christianity was not to be promoted by warfare and conquest. No force was to be used save the compelling force of noble teaching and of a strong and beau- tiful example. Jesus, in his commandments to avoid even the thought and desire of evil, does not ignore the deadly results of sin. No appeal was made to motives of popularity or wealth or power; for the call was to a higher personal life and to a realization of social duty. Jesus' spirit, entering into the life of his follow- ers, would slowly, as their numbers increased, and as his spirit became a larger factor in their lives, come to raise the whole level of society toward the purity and goodness of God. Seneca said wisely: "Men trust their eyes rather than their ears. The effect of precept is slow and tedious, that of example is quick and effect- ual." Jesus laid down only the foundation principles of his kingdom. Indeed, his kingdom was, itself, the fundamental principles of liv- ing — the leaven and the mustard seed. A stark doctrine, elaborate, systematized, concrete, would have wrought failure by its very finiteness. Jesus brought life. Churches, creeds, social institutions, manners of living — all the various methods of applying his basic ideas to the varying conditions of life, Jesus left to the determination of times and places, to the conscience of his followers. His were the fertile principles of life and growth, whose immediate applica- tion was for individuals, sects, countries, and races. 38 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Fifth Day : 3fejstus' &ttt&otitp in J&te ftingtiom "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself." — John xii, 32. "No one cometh unto the Father, but by me." — John xiv, 6. Matthew iii, 13-17; v, 38, 39; xii, 1-8. Mark ii, 5 ; xi, 15-17. John vi, 35, 40; xiv, 6. Rhees : The Life of Jesus of Nazareth, Part III, Chapters II, III. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter IV. Schmidt : The Prophet of Nazareth, Chapter XIV. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 39 Fifth Day : %t&\n' atttljoritp fa fyia J&ingflom In his teaching, Jesus rested upon his own authority as absolute. He did not hesitate to place his own word above the Mosaic law; he proclaimed his message now as his own, now as his heavenly Father's, with no distinction ; he taught his disciples to look to him as their only means of entrance into the higher life ("I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." — John xiv, 6) — a colossal assumption surely, if he were but a man; a clear statement and a challenge to all the ages, sub- lime in its boldness, but justified by the divine greatness of his character, the matchless sublimity of his teaching, and proved to succeeding generations by the historic success of his work. It was Jesus' relation to his Father upon which he based his authority. Just as (tho in a much feebler way) we feel, in rare, exalted moments, at one with some friend deeply loved and per- fectly understood, Jesus had always a glorifying sense of his one- ness with God. He felt his own glowing ideals of truth and good- ness to be those of God, to be God's character. Jesus and his Father were one in thought and purpose. In his kingdom our knowledge of the divine law comes thru his teachings, and he does not hesitate to go into the depths of our hearts with his searching commands. And Jesus was the great teacher. His simple followers would have been unable to grasp coldly detached ideas, ethical or religious principles. To all natures, simple or complex, the per- sonal embodiment of the idea brings the strongest appeal. Real, lasting teaching comes thru the vital thrill of a strong personality illustrating its own teachings — or embodying them. To accept Jesus' character as the ideal, and to try to emulate it, this it is to ac- knowledge the authority of Jesus and to come under the sway of his kingdom, to know God. 40 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS. Sixth Day : Kelatton of tyis ElinffKom to tj»e State "All human affairs are connected with the divine." — Marcus Aurelius. Matthew xvii, 24-27; xxii, 15-21. Seeley: Ecce Homo, Chapters III- VII. Mathews : Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapters III, V, IX. Speer: The Principles of Jesus, Chapters XLIX, L. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapters I, II. CONCEPTION OF HIS SOCIAL MISSION 41 Sixth Day : Kelatton of ^is J&tnffSom to t&e State Profoundly as it was, in time, to affect all government and the whole social order, Jesus did not set up his kingdom in opposition to the state. He was scrupulous in conforming to the demands of the government under which he lived, for he would cause none to, stumble over non-essentials. His was the rare wisdom that led him to see the trivial or temporary for what it was, and to save his scorn or his enthusiasm for what was essential and lasting. Important as was the state, it stood as nothing compared with the kingdom of God and its righteousness. As it was with governments, so it was with creeds and churches and forms of society. They were left to be developed or modified by the growth of a Christian public sentiment. Civil government for the protection of life and property would have little essential conflict with Jesus' kingdom of spiritual development. They were different fields, with different aims and different methods ; but as the ideal of Jesus came to dominate the world, they would come more and more to be the motive principles of political forms and of social order. y 42 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Seventh Day: JBUbfeto i. How did Jesus' conception of his work differ from the popular idea of the Messiah's mission? 2. Do you think that Jesus looked ahead to the regeneration of the world by his teaching? Give your reasons. 3. What is the social significance of the idea of God as Father? 4. Was Jesus' death an atoning sacrifice or an inevitable result of his self-sacrificing life, or both? Is the thought of a debt of human sin paid by the death of Jesus consistent with the idea of God taught by Jesus? 5. How significant are creeds and churches in the development of the kingdom? Thru the Dark Ages could there have been a more effective way of conserving the ideas of Jesus? 6. Can the application of Jesus' perfect principles to every-day living or to work-a-day forms and institutions be in any case per- fect? Think out reasons for your answer. 7. Upon what was Jesus' authority based? 8. Is the greatest self-confidence the necessary characteristic of the greatest leader? 9. How did Jesus put into practice the first principle of successful teaching, the use of personal influence? 10. Are the state and Jesus' kingdom entirely separate? Should they be so? 11. Should the relations of church and state be the same in all countries? STUDY IV The Principle of Individual Responsibility: Its Social Significance "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." — Gal- atians vi, 7. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." — Matthew vi, 12. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least command- ments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the king- dom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." — Matthew v, 19, 44 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS First Day : Ctoofola Reajioiuiifitlttp of tlje JJirttotonal "To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." — Shakespeare. Matthew v, 3-16, 43, 44. Luke x, 27. Speee : Principles of Jesus, Chapter XXX. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters III, IV. Mathews : The Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapters VIII, IX. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 45 First Day : (Etoofoft Eetsponatbilitp of t&e STnUtotimal A central thought of the teaching of Jesus is that of individual 'responsibility. No man can put the responsibility for his sins upon another. It is himself alone who will be held accountable. This individual responsibility that Jesus taught has two aspects : the duty of self-development, that of cultivating a pure heart and a right attitude toward God; and the duty of helpfulness toward others. The fulfilment of the first is a prerequisite of all genuine helpfulness and true social service; for the seed of the kingdom was planted in the individual hearts of men. One soul cannot do true Christian work upon another until it is itself made strong and pure and helpful by coming, thru the ideals of Jesus, into harmony with God. It is the duty of each human being to decide for himself, to be meek and reverent toward all things truly great and good, to desire purity and peace, to love the Father and to seek comfort in trusting him. As the Fatherhood of God is the basic principle of the kingdom, so the establishment of a right relationship with the Father is the first duty of the individual life. • Then, according to the teaching and life of Jesus, comes the second duty, a necessary consequent of the fulfilment of the first, and the first stage in the open-air growth of the little seedling of the kingdom. This is a glad, helpful acknowledgment of fraternal relationships, the assumption of social responsibilities. The poor, Jesus said, were to be succored, enemies forgiven, children treated tenderly; mercy is to be shown to the weak and to the erring, peace-making is to quiet discord, and all harsh judgments are to be withheld. The very air and sunshine and dew of the kingdom are to be service; and the individual who enters the kingdom must of his own will take up the work. | "Heaven deals with us on no representative system. Souls are not saved in bundles. The Spirit saith to the man, 'How is it with thee? thee personally? Is it well? Is it ill ?' "— Emerson. 46 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS, Second Day : ^ntofotottal KeajiOTUitfriliti? for t&e SSse of ©pportnnitp "Vanity it is, to wish to live long, and to be careless to live well." — Thomas a Kempis m "The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul." — Emerson. Luke xix, 12-26. Matthew xxv, 1-13. Mark viii, 34-38; xiii, 33-37. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modem Life, Chapter II. Harnack: What is Christianity? pages 70-78. Peabody : Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters II, III. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 47 Second Day : SnUtotlmal ReBpontftbilttp for the Wist of ©pportunttp All talent, all social power and influence, are opportunities for service, and for the use of such opportunities every man is held accountable. Meager opportunity is no excuse for neglect. Whether great or small, that is at times only a matter of God's disposing; for it the individual often does not have the responsibility. The Father, with the infinite mercy and sympathy and insight revealed by Jesus, may be trusted to remember that. But at times we, as individuals, do have the responsibility; and, at any rate, the good and the power within us are there not to be neglected and killed, but to be used, however modestly, and in the using to grow. The aim is the devel- opment of the spirit of service, the true and Christian spirit, not merely the amount of service rendered. For this use of opportunities is necessary not only to the spread of Jesus' kingdom thruout the world, but also to the growth of the individual character. It is necessary to the spread of the king- dom, for thru service the kingdom is to grow; but just as surely is it necessary to the individual, for only by the application of those principles, set germinating in the heart, to the work of living and serving, can life come to ennoble character. Jesus brought life — the principles of the Higher Life. "I am come that they might have life." The individual is responsible for its nourishment and life- developing exercise. With such principles recognized, yet unapplied to daily opportunities, the hold upon the ideal of Jesus weakens, the vision of the face of God fades, and the soul loses its chance for the Higher Life. 48 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF IESUS Third Day : JnUepenHente in ^ttUffmcnt KeffarUuijj our £>ttflaf "I am the captain of my soul." — Henley. "That tower of strength Which stood four-square to all the winds that blew." — Tennyson. "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles." — Emerson. Luke v, 27-39; xii, 57. John xiv; xv; xvi. Speer: Principles of Jesus, Chapter XLI. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter XIV. Mathews : Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapter IX. Peabody : Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters II, III. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 49 Third Day : SfnUepenUente in Strtffmeitt Kejtadunjr out SDttttes ' Responsibility as to duties is based upon independence of judg- ment. By the example of Jesus and by his method of training the disciples, independence in judging right and wrong is itself held up as a duty. And it is to be no superficial judgment, but the result of thought and care, for Jesus looked deep into the heart of things and sought to teach his followers so to look. Consider his teaching regarding the Sabbath. He did not rely upon the customs of his day ; he looked for the true significance of the Sabbath. In thought- ful, careful study, then, illumined by an ever-present consciousness of the relationship of God to his children, is to be found the basis of right judgment. Jesus brought more abundant life; and as one of the principles of this life (life which is growth) is service, so another is inde- pendence in the recognition of duty and responsibility in the assump- tion of duty. No stereotyped customs or generally accepted code of morals or manners are to take the place of individual judgment. We need not object to customs because they are common; but we are to judge them, not accept them without thought. True, Jesus always taught his disciples to look to him as an example. But even that did not preclude, but rather entailed independence of judgment; for Jesus stood for and taught only great principles and lofty ideals. Their application to living, to the performance of daily duties, was left to develop the hearts of his followers. Imbued with the Christian spirit, and unblinded by customs, untrammeled by prejudices, even unaided by specific directions from the Master, they must learn to recognize duties. This was a principle of growth of individual character. But if we judge freely, we must grant to others the same privilege. Hence arises the principle of tolerance in social as well as in religious matters. So, too, from the principles of individual responsibility, independence and tolerance, come all free forms of government. Jesus is in reality the founder of free governments. So SOCIAL TEACHINGS, OF JESUS Fourth Day : Keltjiotm forms anU C&rusHan Duties "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith." — Matthew xxiii, 23. Matthew vi, 1-8. Mark ii, 18-22. Luke vi, 1-11. Speer: Principles of Jesus, Chapter IX. Harnack: What is Christianity? pages 63-70. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters VII, VIII. Mathews: Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapter IX. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 51 Fourth Day : Religious forms antt Christian SDuttes A dominating tendency in most human beings in their social rela- tions is that toward formalism. Social courtesies, originally the ex- pression of kindliness of heart, have too often come to be mere cold formalities; social life is crystallized into a certain amount of give and take, and all one's strength and an extravagant amount of money are expended to keep the social "debts" paid; public duties stultify into blind allegiance to party or to the political boss — all because intellectual apathy or inertia is not overcome and underlying principles have been forgotten. Even in the highest things of life this tendency is marked. Church-going, Bible-reading, family wor- ship, even private prayer, too often become mere ceremonies, the spirit gone. Yet perhaps they are still regarded as duties. It is true that good things should become habitual. A moral economy is as necessary to growth as is intellectual or physical economy. But when social, political or religious habits seem to conflict with duties toward one's self or one's neighbor, the teaching is clear — we must look back to the principles upon which the habits are based, we must consider what course will count most in the development of the highest life and in service to society; we must be independent in our judgments; and we, and we alone, are respon- sible for the decision. We cannot place that responsibility upon the shoulders of ruler, pastor, or friend. Tho we may welcome advice (and it is generally wise to seek advice), we must make our own decisions. This is hard work, but it is the necessary condition of moral and spiritual as well as of intellectual growth. 52 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Fifth Day : Relation of tie C&ttw!) to Christian Mains "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ." — Romans xii, 5. "To be of no church is dangerous." — Samuel Johnson. "Purity of heart and life, Christ's spirit of love towards God and man; this is all in all. This is the only essential thing. The church is important only as it ministers to this; and every church which so ministers is a good one. . . . The church which opens on heaven is that, and that only, in which the spirit of heaven dwells. The church whose worship rises to God's ear is that, and that only, where the soul ascends. No matter whether it be gathered in cathedral or barn ; whether it sit in silence, or send up a hymn ; whether the minister speak from carefully prepared notes, or from immediate, fervent, irrepressible suggestion." — Channing. Luke xiii, 10-16. Philiphans iv, 8. Hillis : The Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapters I and XV. Mathews: The Social Teaching of Jesus, Chapter IX. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters VII, VIII. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY S3 Fifth Day : Relation of the Church to Christian JLfotno; With the soul directly responsible to God, and with service to society as the highest duty, our relation to the church is sometimes a matter for most thoughtful consideration. With the church have been and are connected in our day most men of the highest character. Few of us see clearly. What the best people (those who have come nearest to living the Christian life) think on matters of moment is apt to be right, and the result of their experience is worthy of care- ful and reverent consideration. Surely the church has much to offer that is pure and lovely and of good report, and usually our opportunities for the most helpful service are increased by church relationships. But neither to man nor to institution may we surrender our own judgment and still live — live the growing life that Jesus brought. From the wisdom and experience of the church we should gladly seek advice, but Jesus holds us responsible for independent judg- ment. There is often danger that, when we have joined a church, we shall feel our responsibility lifted, and that, drifting with the customs of our church, we shall let its forms of worship satisfy us, not realizing that forms of worship in themselves are not service. Be not like the Pharisees, "for they say and do not." The wise preacher should be to us as the lawyer or the physician, one from whom we seek counsel, tho counsel on questions more essential than those of financial or physical ills. The church, the Sabbath, the glorious traditions of good men and Godward movements — all were made for man, not man for them. And to the service of hu- manity performed by them is it not the individual responsibility of each would-be member of the kingdom to add his thoughtful service in the measure of his strength? 54 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Sixth Day : STnSfofHttal KeBponstitltta? in its Eelation to our |)aiitt£S anU -JScItefe "Our first concern is at home, our chief work is in our own breasts. It is idle to talk of our anxiety for other men's souls if we neglect our own. Without personal virtue and religion we can- not, even if we would, do much for the cause of Christ. It is only by purifying our own conceptions of God and duty that we can give clear and useful views to others. We must first feel the power of religion, or we cannot recommend it with an unaffected and prev- alent zeal. Would we, then, promote pure Christianity? Let us see that it be planted and take root in our own minds, and that no busy concern for others take us from the labor of self-inspection and the retired and silent offices of piety." — Channing. Matthew x, 24, 25 ; xi, 15, 18, 19. Ephesians vi, 10, 11. Philippians ii, 12-16. Hillis : Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter IV. Harnack: What is Christianity ? pages 1 17-124. Peabody : Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapter IV. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 55 Sixth Day : ^nStoiJual Eespanetbtlttp in ttcs Relation to out habits ano beliefs The casting of responsibility for spiritual growth upon the indi- vidual sometimes, superficially, appears to result in impractical or careless or wicked habits of living, harmful to society. The ortho- dox Jews, perhaps very honestly, thought Jesus a wine-bibber and John possessed of a devil; but the true Christian attitude, with its emphasis upon spiritual principles and their developing power, must needs be widely tolerant of forms that are, of necessity, as varied as circumstances and personality. A man may conscientiously, tho wrongly, become a dull, thoughtless follower of his special creed or of the formal rites of his special institution; but if so, there can be little religious growth, no admittance of the innermost spirit of Jesus into the heart, henceforth to be the seat of judgment for all duties and responsibilities. Yet such independent Christianity cannot result in lawlessness, selfish individualism, anarchy in either church or state; for its growth is thru service, and the highest service can only be in an orderly and regulated association with others. Nor can such a principle be said to inculcate socialism, or in any way to limit the freedom of individual growth. Jesus' social principle was the basic one of mutual helpfulness thru independent individuals. He taught no political or social system. His purpose was to develop men. As insight deepens, as humanity grows into the Higher Life, the ideals of Jesus will increase in authority as men become more capable of realizing them. His authority, the power of his prin- ciples of loving trust and active service, can only grow stronger and more vital as they enter into and become, unconsciously, a part of ourselves — the highest and the best. 56 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS Seventh Day: Eebieto i. Can any one render good service to society unless he has high social ideals? 2. When service to society seems to conflict with generally estab- lished and recognized duties, what must one do? Does such service sometimes conflict with one's highest individual development ? 3. Has every one opportunity for growth? 4. Are we always capable of judging independently of our duties? If we feel that we are not, how should we act? To whom should we go? 5. Does a wrong judgment, made in all sincerity, sometimes do more harm to society than it does good to the individual? 6. Does a wrong judgment harm the individual? 7. Is an arrogantly independent attitude sometimes as narrowing as one too trustful? 8. Is there any relation between Christian principle and anarchy? Socialism? If so, what? 9. Have Jesus' ideas fostered monarchy or democracy? 10. How great is Jesus' authority today in the church? In govern- ment? In society? Is it increasing or decreasing? STUDY V Jesus' Teaching as to Faith and Contentment: Its Social Significance "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." — John xiv, 27. 58 SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS First Day : ©ttt Balite in <8oVe §>itfbt "Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more worth than they?" — Matthew vi, 26. A mesure qu'on a plus d'esprit, on trouve qu'il y a plus d'hommes originaux. Les gens du common ne trouvent pas de difference entre les hommes." — Pascal. Matthew v, 13-16. Luke xii, 6-8. John iii, 16. Hillis : The Influence of Christ in Modern Life, Chapter VII. Harnack: What is Christianity? pages 63-70. Peabody: Jesus Christ and the Christian Character, Chapters IV and V. Stevens : The Teachings of Jesus, Chapter IX. FAITH AND CONTENTMENT 59 First Day: (But Satoe in