By J.R. Miller
Christ expects a great deal of His followers. He is not satisfied to have them just as good as other people--He wants them to be better. "What do you do--more than others?" is the question with which He tests them.
There are many reasons why Christians should surpass others in their life, and in their character and service. One is, because they have such a leader as Jesus Christ. Leadership is important in all work. Poor leadership is responsible for many a failure. It is so in business. It is so in civic affairs. It is so in war. It is so in church life. We have One going before us--who is wise, safe, strong, courageous, and unconquerable. With such a leader, Christians should surpass all others in their own personal lives, in their attainments and achievements, in their spiritual growth, in their splendid service, in their heroic struggles, in their victories.
Then Christians should be better and do more than others, because Christ gives ability and strength as well as leadership. His message is not merely, "Follow me" it is also, "Because I live--you shall live also." He puts His own divine life into those who follow Him. He is reincarnated in them. In themselves they have no more strength than other men, no more wisdom, and no more ability. But with the grace of Christ in them, they can accomplish what without Christ's help, would be impossibilities. "I can do all things in Him who strengthens me," said Paul. With divine life in them--they should do more than others.
The Sermon on the Mount, is a summary of duty in the kingdom of heaven. It is Christ's own interpretation of the commandments. That is the way our Master would have His followers live. We do not read far into this sermon, without finding that He expects from us a very lofty life. At the very beginning we have the Beatitudes. One says to a young friend: "I want to help you to be as beautiful as God meant you to be--when He first thought of you." That is what Jesus says to His followers in the Beatitudes. He makes it very plain that He is not content with ordinary religious standards in His disciples. "I say unto you, that except you righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven." The common religious life of the day, was not the ideal for them.
In His interpretation of the sixth commandment Jesus taught that every bitter thought or feeling is a violation of the law. Anger is murder, hatred is murder. The religious teachers of that day said that men should love their neighbors--but they defined neighbors to mean only a few congenial people. They said expressly, that no enemy was their neighbor, and they read the law thus: "You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. The new interpretation, however, reads: "I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." The meaning of the words was illustrated further: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Gentiles the same?" There is a higher standard for Christians, than for other people.
The teaching may be applied to home life. The Christian's home should be in every way--happier, sweeter, and holier, than the home which is not Christian. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He bade them say at every door which opened to them, "Peace be to this house." We are at much pains to please the honored and beloved friend who stays with us for a day or a week. We give him the best room. We shape all our household life, our engagements, our occupations, our hours, our meals, our pleasures, our conversation, to make him happy. We try to be at our best in our behavior. We seek to make the home atmosphere congenial to him. What kind of home should we make ours when Christ, the Son of God, is our guest? Love should abound. Jesus was glad to be guest in the home of Martha and Mary. If there is any nagging, wrangling, contention, strife, unrest in that home, would He have continued to come and to stay there?
Love should find expression, too, in the Christian home. One writes from a home which is described as beautiful, luxurious, with everything in it which taste can desire, which money can buy, with plenty, with all adornments. But in the center of all this, the letter reveals a hungry heart, crying out for love. All was cold and stately, and without tenderness. A Christian home should be sweetened by affectionate expression.
Home should also be a place of prayer. They say family worship is dying out in many Christian homes. Where family worship dies out--the loss to the home is incalculable. It is in prayer, that we get the grace we need to make our own life sweet, pure, gentle, kindly. In prayer we call down heaven's peace and love. The gate of prayer opens into heaven--and then heaven's pure blessing pours in. At the time of the great darkness in the land of Egypt, there was light in the homes of Israel. There should be light in every Christian home--while the near by worldly home is dark. The Christian's home should be happier, brighter, and heavenlier, than the one next door where Christ is not a guest.
The same test should be applied to business life. Is the Christian's store a different kind of store from that of his neighbor who is not a Christian? Is the business done in a different way, a way that distinctly characterizes it as ruled by a heavenly spirit? Are different methods employed? Are people who buy goods any surer of being honestly dealt with in Mr. Christian-man's store--than they are in the store of Mr. Worldly-man, on the other side of the street? Do they receive more courteous treatment? Is there a higher standard of business honesty in it?
Is the Christian carpenter a better carpenter, and does he do more skillful and more conscientious work, than the carpenter over the way who does not follow Christ? Is the Christian builder a better builder, than the one who is not a Christian? Does he put more honest work into his houses, better materials, better masonry, better carpentering, better plumbing, better roofing--than the other man does? "What do you Christians--more than others?
A successful business man was asked for the primary rule of Christian business life. He answered, "To think of the other man." He said, in explanation: "I can afford to lose in a transaction--but I cannot afford to have my customer lose. I may be the victim of misrepresentation--but I must never allow him to suffer from false statements or from any concealed defects in the goods I sell to him. He must learn to trust me implicitly and to know that I would a hundred times rather suffer loss myself--than to cause or allow him to suffer loss." This is the only wise business policy, as well as the only right thing to do. A business man cannot afford to take advantage of his customer. It is suicidal for him to do so. He may pocket a little more money once or twice--but he has lost his reputation, which is his best asset. While this is good business, it is also good religion. We must think of the other man's interest--as well as our own--before our own. How is it in fact, among Christian people? What do Christian business men do--more than those who are not Christians? Does the world see any difference?
The same rule should apply in our personal relations with others. Is there anything in our life and character and conduct, which distinguish us from those with whom we associate who are not Christians? Are we better than they are? Are we more patient? Are we more thoughtful and unselfish? Are we kinder and more helpful as neighbors? A Christian woman said: "That rule of conduct that has done most for me in my life--I found the other day in a newspaper. It is this: 'Make yourself good--and make other people happy.'" We are first to make ourselves good, to hold ourselves to a most rigid devotion to high ideals. Some people are a great deal more anxious to make other people good, rather than themselves. They would reverse this rule, and make others good--and themselves happy. But that is not Christ's way.
It is a bad sign when a Christian is heard complaining about others not being good. It suggests the parable of the mote and the beam, which cannot be too often called to mind by Christian people. It suggests also the Master's word, "Judge not--that you be not judged." We should look after our own life--that is the only life for which we shall have to give account. We should watch our own temper--this will give us quite enough to do. We should be sure to be honest ourselves, not watching to see if others are honest. We should be holy, loving, and true--ourselves. Then, as to others, we should do all we can for them, to help them, to cheer and strengthen them. We should be their friends, to serve them, giving up our own ease to assist them. We should seek to make others happy.
Do people see Christ in us--in so marked a way, that they know we must be His friends? Are Christian young people so different from young people who are not Christians, that no one needs to ask if they are Christians? Do they show by their lives that, though in the world--they are not of the world? Are they less selfish than those who are not Christians? Do they do more deeds of kindness? Are they more reverent? Their names are on the church roll, and they are seen at the communion: are there any other things in them that unmistakably distinguish them from young people whose names are not on any church roll, who are seen at no communion? What should the difference be?
Jesus said: "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples--if you have loved one to another." "Love one to another" means a great deal. It means gentleness, kindness, charity, thoughtfulness, helpfulness, patience, and forbearance. Does the Master see this mark in the young people who call themselves His followers? Is their love so unselfish that its influence pervades the neighborhood where they live, like a sweet fragrance? Are they better than the world's young people? "What do you do--more than others?"
The word "do" in the Master's question should be emphasized. Jesus does not ask, "What do you believe--more than others?" It is well to believe right. Wrong beliefs lead to wrong living. But that is not the test our Master sets. "What do you do--more than others?" is His question. There are some who believe splendidly, but do almost nothing. It is doing that is the distinguishing mark of those who love Christ. Others hear; these do. Those who please Christ are those who do His will. His followers are sent out into the world, not merely to know, to believe, to make profession of His name, to dream--but to do. "If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." Knowing is well--but doing must follow. He who only hears Christ's words and does them not--is like a man who built his house upon the sand. But he who hears the words of Christ and does them--builds on the rock, and his life shall be secure forever.
