THEY FAILED TO COMPREHEND CHRIST
By J. O. C.
He Taught Their Own Scriptures, but They Did Not Recognize Them — We May Make the Same Mistake That the Jews Made
WHEN one notes the difference between the teachings of Christ and the limited discernment of the Jewish nation, he is not greatly surprised at the treatment the world’s Saviour received at their hands. A study of this contrast helps one to perceive the meaning of the apostolic teaching about the “spirit of slumber,” even to blindness, which overtook Israel (Rom. 11: 7-10, 25), to mold their religion into a mere national policy. One looks through the Old Testament almost in vain for some record of confiding prayer among the Israelites, such as marked the life of our Lord. He does find, however, that their religious service was almost wholly confined to sacrificial offerings, definitely prescribed by law, and that these were made obsolete by the Saviour’s rules for holy living. Matt. 5: 27-44. Passing again to the older records, one finds little more than veiled reference to a future life; and these would not attract much attention from the ordinary reader, except for the inspiring truths drawn from them by the Saviour’s own comments. YET CHRIST FOUND IT IN THE WORD
Concerning the doctrine of the resurrection taught by Jesus, the Sadducees sought to confound Him by raising the question of the possession of a woman in the hereafter, who had lived with seven husbands in this life. The Saviour’s reply was that they did not understand their own Scriptures. To prove His statement, He quoted the saying, “I am the God of Abraham,” etc., and then added, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Matt. 22: 24-32. This was said to establish what He had before taught, that one who believed in Him, though he might die, would yet live again. John 11: 25. But this did not entirely satisfy the stubborn Jews; for long afterward, the apostle Paul was arrested, by that people, and accused before King Agrippa, for preaching the resurrection of the dead. Acts 26: 1-8. It was the same regarding nearly every doctrine which the New Testament sets forth. What then was the principal belief of the Jews? — They clung tenaciously to the one great promise of God to Abraham, that his seed should inherit the earth. Gen. 13: 14-17. But in holding to this, they saw nothing beyond prosperity in political things, so gave themselves up to ambition for earthly influence and treasure. NOT ACCORDING TO THEIR DOCTRINE, HENCE REJECTED
To this day, that people seem to be animated by the same faith and motive. Although they viewed the miracles performed by Christ, they would not accept Him as Abraham’s promised seed, because He did not harmonize with their doctrines and customs. He told them that by faith the patriarch saw in Him the fulfilment of God’s promise, and rejoiced at the sight. John 8: 56. So strongly, indeed, was the promise to Abraham riveted in the minds of that generation as a mere temporal engagement, that even the immediate disciples of our Lord seemed somewhat in a maze regarding the question up to a late date in their experience; for it will be remembered that after the Master’s resurrection, they asked Him, with much apparent concern, whether at that time He would restore the lost kingdom of Israel. Acts 1: 6. An added support was given the Jewish doctrines in their strongly organized society. So rigid were its rules, that no dissenter from their tenets could abide in their fellowship. Moreover, for some forms of dissent, death was the penalty. It was this rigid discipline that demanded the immolation of Christ, and brought Him to the ignominious cross of Calvary.11 DEVOTION THAT STIFLED RELIGION
In all this, their rites of devotion were very well calculated to stifle true religion, under the pretext of preserving it. Yet Christ did not acquiesce in Jewish regulations by acting the part of priest or rabbi, in the establishment of a limited fraternity. On the other hand, He taught all to love their enemies, do good to those who would despitefully use them, and thus become the real children of their Father in heaven. Matt. 5: 43-45. This was the placing of an eternal rock for the corner-stone of a true universal religion, which was then so greatly needed by humanity at large. To the people of that day, the founding of worship upon purity of heart, with an earnest love for the welfare of others, was an almost absolutely new idea, and was far above the common trend of thought. MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE TO-DAY
This should not appear strange when one considers that even the professed Christian church of to-day has, in some instances, so far betrayed the Saviour's intentions in this respect as to substitute form for faith, and theory for practise, until few seem to comprehend the true spirit of Christianity. The only apparent remedy for the present manifest defect, as in the case of the Jews in the days of Christ's earthly sojourn, is to renounce some familiar ideas, which have worn away small minds with their constant discussion, and thus be rid of that which has obtruded itself between the gospel and its design for humanity, so that the quality of piety demonstrated by the world's Redeemer might be properly understood. ONE WHO CAUGHT THE SPIRIT OF IT
While the rigidity of the Jewish forms of religion naturally deprived that people of tender emotions, and disposed them to hardness of heart in dealing with one another, there was one in those ancient days who seemed to have some perception of heavenly grace; for in one of his songs of praise he exclaimed, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." Ps. 18: 35. The secret of this expressed sentiment lay in the well-attested fact that truth becomes of value to no one except it pass to the condition of feeling, when its preciousness can be realized as an unmistakable reality. Good maxims may be written by those of indifferent morals, and men of ordinary virtue may live without impressing their integrity upon a succeeding generation. Triumph belongs only to those who have regarded truth as worth the price of self-sacrifice in behalf of others. This, indeed, was the example set by the Lord Jesus. Had He not entered into such a plan of self-surrender, His sojourn among men would not have made so much thrilling history as now remains. As the matter stood with Him then, and yet stands, that which He said of the latter end of His earthly service has proved literally and emphatically true. By His being "lifted up" (John 12: 32), the eyes of the entire world have turned toward Him, and the adverse arguments of unbelief have fallen harmless before His holy life, even though He was doomed to the death of a malefactor. Moreover, His name will not only continue to live here among humanity, but it will be the gathering word for paeans of praise throughout endless ages in the world to come.