2/5/50

Scripture: Matthew 23: 13-33

One thing that makes a mild, clear day the joy that it is to the senses is the fact that many days are stormy and severe. Perhaps we appreciate a sunny disposition the more when seen against the background of less pleasant personality.

We who are charged with responsibility for teaching and preaching Christ’s gospel are prone to emphasize the joy and comfort in it; and these are very real. The redeeming, renewing, healing love of God is very real and the life and spirit of Jesus Christ underlines and lives it. Dr. John Watson, of Liverpool, England, as he neared the end of his life, remarked to a friend, “If I had my ministry to live through again I should strike the note of comfort far oftener than I have done.”

That is a sentiment that commands respect, considering its source. It demands respect in the light of so much human need as well. For life is not easy; most people fight hard battles; they worry about their work, their health, their families; they are concerned for the career of their children; many are lonely, over sensitive, suspicious that they are not counted as needed or wanted. When such folk come to church, they should find comfort and encouragement, for Christ does offer comfort and strength of spirit to any who need it.

But the full gospel has another aspect, and the teachings of Jesus have a stormy side. A layman remarked whimsically to his minister one day: “It seems to me that the business of a preacher in our pulpit is to comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable.” That is a facetious, but not inaccurate way of describing the responsibility of one who speaks to people of Jesus Christ. For there are at least two kinds of spiritual weather in the countenance of Christ.

This sentiment of John Henry Newman is a judgment quite as important as that of Dr. John Watson. Newman said, “Those who make comfort the great subject of their preaching seem to mistake the end of their ministry. Holiness is the great end, comfort is a cordial, but no one drinks cordials from morning to night.”

We make frequent mention of peace, hope, joy, and forgiveness in worship and in action. And that is right. But we had better retain in our vocabulary also such words as holiness, wrath, fear and sin. Some know only a gentle, soothing, comforting Jesus and a God who can be depended upon to make everything come out right in the end, with the end not too long deferred. A German Jew lying on his death bed, says emphatically, “Of course God will forgive me. That is His business.” In the same way some Christians know only the gentle, soothing comfort of our Christ’s nature and perhaps assume that Jesus was soft-spoken, agreeable and accommodation to everyone he met.

Renan provided this description of the Master, “A lovely character and doubtless one of those transporting countenances which sometimes appear in the Hebrew race, created around him a circle of fascination; tenderness of heart was in him transformed into infinite sweetness, vague poetry, universal charm.” That comes close to cartooning in caricature the essential nature of Christ. For it is only a part of His nature. Jesus had also what some of the Puritans called a “stormy north side” to his nature. It was this stormy side which is clearly seen as he gives forth with the words which were read as this morning’s Scripture lesson. He was often gentle; but gentle folk can often be the very people with whom one had best not trifle. When the occasion called for it, he could be stern, implacable, uncompromising. His words could be awesome and terrible; his eyes lit with anger; his hand grasping a whip.

Think of the vituperation he let loose on some of the Scribes and Pharisees; “You serpents,” “You generation of vipers,” “You white-washed sepulchers.” Think of his stern words concerning a day of judgment: “Many will say to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name and in thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’ And then I will profess unto them: ‘I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’” [Matthew 7: 22-23].

Or think of the drastic soul-surgery he urges: “If your hand offends you, off with it: if your eye offends you, out with it. It is better that one of your members perish, than that your whole body should be cast into hell.” [Mark 7: 43-47]. Jesus is a lover of men. But for love’s sake, and at their need, he will not hesitate at cutting off their gangrene.

(1) See what Jesus does with the sins of disposition. Remember the story of the Prodigal Son. The young man’s most obvious sins were those of the body - gluttony, sensuality. The sins of his offended and unforgiving Elder Brother were sins of the disposition -- jealousy, anger, touchiness, sullenness. When telling the story, Jesus says nothing to condone the sins of the young Prodigal, but he is especially sever on the Elder Brother. Jesus gives the older fellow credit for his virtues. He is loyal, hard working, morally sound, dutiful. Nevertheless Jesus shows him as an overgrown, sulky baby, making the family and the servants miserable by his sullenness. [Luke 15: 11-32]. This is quite in keeping with Jesus’ teachings elsewhere. The thing that kindles his wrath at the Pharisees is their sins of disposition - self-righteousness, arrogant pride, hypocrisy, un-neighborliness, uncharitableness.

Actually our society differs to a great degree from Jesus at this point, and hence comes under his condemnation. Society’s brand falls on the prostitute, rather than on the Pharisee; on the drunkard rather than on the gossip or the prude. Society frowns over, and lays penalty upon, the sins of the body; it does its best to ignore the sins of disposition. Take your neighbor’s car or maliciously injure his child, and society’s law will promptly punish you. But make your family miserable by your moroseness and bad temper, and society politely looks the other way.

Gluttony and sensuality are evil; but bad temper and selfishness probably do more to un-Christianize society. Who knows how many Prodigal Sons have been driven to prodigality by Elder Brothers of the disposition found in this story. It is malice, petulance, envy, spite, self-conceit which embitter life, blight childhood, break hearts, ruin homes and fill premature graves even more that the sins of the flesh. That is why Jesus’ indignation was so white-hot as he turned to certain scribes and Pharisees saying: “I say unto you that the publicans and harlots will go into the kingdom of heaven before you.” [Matthew 21: 31]. Christ was severe on the sins of disposition.

(2) And what shall we say of his severity toward those who wronged others?

The day he went into the temple; --- “Den of thieves”

Legalized graft

Noise of argument, bellowing and bleating of animals;

cheating and defrauding of others.

Do you wonder he made a whip?

Drove out the oxen and sheep

Turned over money tables

Told dealers in doves - “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.”

Cheat or defraud your fellows and you have to reckon with the wrath of Christ -- all the more so if it has been done under the guise of religion.

At the synagogue at Capernaum one Sabbath, Jesus was there - he was always there at the time for worship - a man with a paralyzed hand was there. Pharisees were there - watching, waiting -- what would Jesus do? They did not have to wait long.

“Come forth into the midst,” he commanded. Looking on them in anger, roused by their malice and hostility, he said, “stretch forth thy hand.” [Matthew 12: 9-14].

He must have been burning with moral indignation, that men should carp and quarrel about petty details of Sabbath observance while a soul stood in need of God’s healing mercy available for him.

Those who are scrupulous about the forms of religious observance -- and forms do have a proper and valuable place -- but show nothing of the character and spirit of religion, have to reckon with the wrath of Christ!

One of his sternest sentences, perhaps the sternest the world has ever heard, is this: “It is impossible but that offenses will come; but woe unto him through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he be cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” [Luke 17: 1-2]. Do you know of any words with a sharper cutting edge? They are such words as Christ reserves for those who take delight in telling smutty stories to a little lad, or to one who deliberately introduces a youth to some evil habit; or to one who involves another in sin as well as himself.

A man named Robertson was intensely interested in the welfare and splendid excellence of youth. He knew some of the pitfalls laid for young people -- the kind that corrupt another in order to satisfy one’s own lust, or arrogance, or perversion. Said a friend of Robertson: “I have seen him grind his teeth and clench his fists when passing a man he knew was bent on destroying an innocent girl.” If Robertson felt like that, how must Christ feel?

But this must be remembered, by way of examination of our angers, which are not necessarily such righteous wrath as that of Jesus. For our indignation often has a selfish root. Our eye may flash and our voice tremble with rage that someone has slighted or injured us. With Jesus, it was not so. When he himself was reviled, he reviled not again. When some spat on Him, mocked Him, scourged Him, crucified Him, he offered no word of complaint. He seems never to have become angry on account of wrong done to Him. But when injury was inflicted on others, his wrath was speedily kindled!

This brings us to a third consideration. (3) Not only was Jesus severe on the sins of disposition, and on those who wronged others; he was severe in his moral demands.

Consider Jesus’ teachings concerning marriage. For Him marriage is an indissoluble bond between one man and one woman, its essence being a covenant lasting as long as life, a relationship between two people in which they owe to each other all they are and have. This is too rigorous for many to accept. They openly disregard and flout it.

Consider what Jesus has to say of the procreative relation between the sexes. This, for instance: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” [Matthew 5: 27-28]. That is rigorous teaching, as every man and woman knows.

It does not mean that the bodily urge and desire is evil, and must be got rid of. That is the teaching of Buddha - but not of Jesus. He did not despise the body. He wanted it controlled and used for the noble and divine purposes to which the Creator intended it to be put. Anything that might interfere, or plan to interfere, with this Divine intent, perverting the body to lower uses was in His eyes an evil.

Or consider what Jesus had to say about forgiveness:

“Love your enemies.”

“Do good to those that curse you.”

“Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.”

It is idle to pretend that these are easy. Forgiveness is a lovely idea, until tyranny or war come along. Then some think it contemptible. “I wonder how you would feel toward the Gestapo if you were a Jew or a Pole.” But forgiveness is basic in Jesus’ way.

Samuel Johnson was a hardy, robust, masculine sort of man all his life. when he lay sick unto death, he was restless. A friend, Mrs. Adams, said to Johnson, “Have you forgotten the merits of the Redeemer?” Johnson replied: “I do not forget the merits of the Redeemer. But I remember that he said that in a day of Judgment he would separate the sheep from the goats.”

When Christ sets some on his right and some on his left, God save us from the eyes that flame with righteous wrath.

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids, February 5, 1950

CWMA (at Wisconsin Rapids) April 10, 1950

Union Lenten Service of April 3, 1968, Wisconsin Rapids