"They gave Me hate," He softly said,
"But Love in larger measure gave,
And therefore was I strong to save.
I had not reached the Cross that day
But for the Well beside the way."_
VIII
THE WISDOM OF THE SIMPLE
If these things be true, if the whole tradition of Jesus is an
exposition of love as the law of life, the deduction is entirely
simple, and as logical as it is simple. That deduction has been
already stated. It is that Christianity is a method of life by which
men and women are taught and inspired to love as Jesus loved, and to
live loving and lovable lives. It has little to do with creeds, and
still less with formal codes of conduct. For this reason such a
definition of Christianity will satisfy neither the theologian nor the
philosopher. Jesus never expected that it would. He knew that the one
would regard it as heretical, and the other as so deficient in subtlety
as to seem foolish. Therefore He made His appeal to simple and natural
people, saying that what was hidden from the wise and prudent, was
revealed to babes.
The simple and natural people understood Jesus; they always do. The
sophisticated and artificial people did not understand Him; they never
will. With scarcely an exception the people of intelligence and
culture regarded Him with disdain, withdrew from Him, or violently
opposed Him.
Pages:
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55