Show 0 0 A Lesson on Faithful I. I Love and Service By WILLIAM E. E GILROY GILBOY D. D D D. D Editor Chief of The Th Congregationalist Congregationalist i I Jesus is the worlds Ids greatest teacher but bit He lie is something more than a a teacher He Is the wor worlds world's ds d's I greatest minister buy but He is something something something some some- thing more th than n a a. minister II II t ame with a gr great at world pur pose pose tO to save men t to reveal revel Gods God's gr grace ce for mans man's redemption and to est establish a kingdom kingdomS that should be deep deeper r in its power more more universal than any other kingdom and as lasting as eternity The world-significance world of ot o. o t the Dl- Dl vine Redeemer Is no more mare revealed in His character than in the nature and magnitude of His purpose the purpose the greatness of the things that He lie planned To kno know Jesus simply as asa asa a 0 good man mart manas as the worlds world's su supremely supremely supremely su- su good man Is Ig not nat enough 0 ugh He came to be the worlds world's Lord and Master He is a world conqueror though j the tile conquest that He seeks is a spiritual conquest and ond His kingdom Is Is' a spiritual spiritual- kingdom I As a a. world world- world conqueror He far transcends the worlds world's Alexan Alexanders dels del's and Caes Caesars rs and Napoleons They sought only military and political sway over ovel the whole world but Jesus aspires to 10 the conquest of all the thoughts and words and actions the entire life Ufe of the entire human race It It Is a a. marvelous dream of conquest conquest conquest con con- quest but from it the world has nothing to fear for the conquest that Jesus seeks is the conquest ly di of goodness divine of divine of-divine love and human brotherhood His kingdom has its Us foundation in the gra grace e of God by which men are saved through faith and the sole law of ot His kingdom is the law of ot love expressed In fellowship and service Like every world world conqueror conqueror Jesus chose a select company compan of ot men men to be bethe bethe bethe the chief Instruments Instruments' of His his- pur pur- pose But ut He did not nol choose the sort of men that other conquerors chose o lie chose the sort of men who would best fulfill the purpose He lie had in mind Nor ar did He chOo choose e emen men fo for foi wh what t the they were vere He lie chose choe them hem rather for fOl what they were capable of becoming He kne kne that a man who is a aVery avery a avery very great sinner today may be the greatest kind of a saint tomorrow l lyou ie you Ou can get all his strength and passion on the side of good rather ther than than than-of of ot evil So He chose men like James and anti John so full of fire tire and ambition that Jesus called them playfully Boanerges oh th the Sons of Thun Thun- der deE At fir first t they didn't und understand under under- r stand Jesus The They were so intense In their loyalty loyalty loy loy- alty to Him that they wanted to forbid anybody not nat In their c com company cOm cOm- m- m in Jesus Jesus' pany to do good goad works mime name They want wanted d Him to call can down dawn t fire re from heaven and burn burnup burnup burnup up the people in a village where Jesus had been inhospitably re received received received re- re But when James and John understood Jesus they were were equally on on tire fire w with th love for far Him and for their fellow tellow men And It was this fiery tiery John who said We know that we have passed from tram death unto life bite because we love lovo the brethren So also Jesus chose Impulsive Peter Pe Peter Pe- Pe ter who was something of a a. snob Jn in thinking himself a little better than the tile rest M Mark Mark- rk 1429 and also asa something of a coward but who vhO could be brave as a lion lIan when the Master had really conquered his lIfe Ife I Of soine of the twelve we do donot not nat know much One of ot them Judas failed tailed But t of the rest we may be sure that they were stalwart and I strong And Jesus chose them be because because because be- be cause of af their capacity to serve not notI to become I I because of their power great and famous We e cannot all be Johns Jahns and Peters Peters Pe Pe- in the but we can all be Joined if like company compan of the Apostles them we Join ourselves a to the purposeS purposes pur pur- poses poeS' of ot J Jesus sus and seek to do His will wilb In faithful love and service To be a good gool Christian is he chief I thing |