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i i DURING HIS SHORT NIWISTRY ON EARTH, JESUS OF NAZARETH, ? ON FREQUENT CCCASIONS
DEALT WiTH THE BEHAVIOR OF HIS LISTENERS AND COMPANIONS. 1 AM SURE YOU ARE FAMILIAR
WITH THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND THAT YOU HAVE HHARD IT sion, DISCUSSED AND PREACHED
ENUMERABLE TIMES. CHRISTIAN MEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE Saari THIS COLLECTION

OF ETHICAL STATEMENTS FOR SOME CLUE, OR BASIS UPON WHICH rue COULD CONSTRUCT A CODE
OF BEHAVIOR*+-A WAY OF LIVING THAT IS TRUE TO THE THACHINGS OF CHRIST --A CHRISTIAN
LIFE. AS YOU WELL KNOW THE R&SSULTS OF THIS SHARCH HAVE BERN LARGE IN VOLUME BUT

QUITE SHORT IN QUALITY. ATTEMPTS TO INTREPRET THE ETHICAL Duos OF JESUS INTO A

WAY OF LIFE HAVE PRODUCED A BROAD RANGE OF RESULTS FROM Sue DENIAL TO SELF INDULGENCE.
LEO TOLSTOY TRANSLATED THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST INTO A PHILOSOPHY OF COMPLETE NON
RESISTANCE, AN ABHORANCE OF ANY TYPE OF PHYSICAL vanes TO THE POINT WHERE

HE WAS WILLING TO DO AWAY WETH ALL PENAL INSTITUTIONS. ON mi OTHeR HAND THE TEACH—
INGS OF JESUS MOTEVATED THE ROMAN EMPEROR CONSTATINE TO Sma FOR MILITARY CONQUEST
OF THE KNOWN WORLD FOR CHRISTIANITY AsTER HH HAD FORCED HE RELIGION OF JESUS ON

THE ENTIRE EMPIRE. THE DEYAND TO SELL ALL YOU HAVE AND ane TO THE PUOR WAS AT THE
BASIS OF THE RIGOROUS Ath CHYTURY ASCETICISM THAT cnADUALLY EVOLVED INTO THE

ELABORATE SYSTEM OF MEDIEVAL MONASTICISH. THE THACHINGS oF THE SAME MAN, OUR LORD,
HAVE PROMPTED MEN SUCH AS ALBE T SCHWEITZER, BILLY GRAHAM ax POPE JOHN THE 23 TO DO

THE THINGS THEY HAVE DONE. CHRIST'S TEACHINGS HAVE MEANT STRICT LEGALISM FOR SOME,

Ae
ABSTINENCE FROM TABACCO AND ALCHOLHOL. IT CAUSED A CHILDHUOD FRIEND TO BLANDLY

STATE I WAS GOING TO HELL FOR CALLING HER rOOLIST BECAUSE JESUS SATD YOU SHOULDN'T

CALL ANYONE A FOOL-~XEE meet. IN SHORT vie ETHICAL DMANDS OF JESUS
HAVE BEEN INTENPRETED DIFFERENTLY A MULTITUDE OF TIMES AND sNEVETABLE HAVE BEEN ABUSED
ON MOST OF THESE OCCASIONS. BECAUSE OF THIS I FIRMLY SmI BS THAT CHRISTIANS TF THEY
ARE TO BE CHRISTIANS, MUST REEXAMINE THESE TEACHINGS, MUST srrwsea T CONSIDER THEM
INTELLIGENTLY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID nam BEFORE CREATING

THELR GOWN CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE.

EVERY <LSTORICAL ATTEMPT, AND CONTHIPORARY ATTEMPT, 10 CHEATE A PATTARN FOR GOOD
LIVING FROM THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 1S GUILTY OF THE SAME ona AND FUNDAMENTAL ERROR.
JESUS WAS NOT A SOO LAL REFORMER, A FIRST CER TORY DO coo0mR, HE WAS NOT A POLITICAL
REVOLUTLONIST, OR A MORALISTICG PURITAN--HE WAS THI ncaa SON OF GOD. THUSLY HE SIMPLY
DIDN'T DEAL IN SOCIAL OR MORAL TSRMS BUT COMPLETELY iN THE OAL OF RELIG ON;—-THE
SPIRITUAL, JEQUS WAS CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH RELATIONS BEIWEEN GOD AND MAN, aND NOT
MAN WITH MAN. AS THE INCARNATE SCN OF G@ HIS PRESENCE IN HIS ORY IS THE BRIDGE
NOT PRIMARILY BETWEEN MAN AND MAN BUT GOD AND MAN, coca it HE SPOKiH IN PHER.S
ONLY OF 4 VERTICAL PLANE NOT A HORIZONTAL ONE.

A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF SOMB OF JESUS'S DEMANDS SHOWS sa DRASTICALLY INADEQUATE

IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY-~THEY ARE ANZ IMPOSSIBILITY--AND YET SOMEHOW, A POSSIBILITY.

3.
THEY ARE A LOGICAL ABSURDITY—AND YET THEY CONTAIN BSSENTEAL TRUTH.

BEFORE BEGINNING A DISCUSSION OF A FEW SPECIFIC DEMANDS OF JESUS WE MUST CONSIDER
THE EVER PRESENT UNDERLYING FACT OF MAN'S BASIC SINFULNESS, THIS IS THE SUBJECT THAT
VALIDATES ALL THAT JESUS SAID AND AT THE SAME TIME IF Data MAKES ALL HE SAID QUITE
RIDICULOUS.

MAN IS SINFUL! THIS STATEMENT HAS VASCILLA TD penis THEOLOGICAL PROMINENCE AND
ABSCURITY EVER SINCE THE SERMON THE MT. WAS FIRST UTTAREO. WITHOUT FALL MEN ATTEMPT
TO IGNORE THE TERRIFYING FACT OF THEIR OWN HOPELESS SINFULESS. THE PERTOD OF ‘THE
ENLIGHTMENT THAT FOLLOWED ON THE HEELS OF THE FRENCH RENOLUTEON PRODUCED A FALSE
OPTIMISM ABOUT HUMANITY FROM WHICH WE ARE JUST REVOVERING. , PHILOSOPHERS, POLITICAL
SCIENTISTS AND IN THEER TURN THEOLOGIANS OF THE LIBERAL SCHOOL WAITVELY ASSERTED
MAN'S BASIC GOODNESS. IF ENOUGH EMFCATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE, AND THE GENERAL
ENVIRONMENT COULD BE IMPROVED EVERTHING WOULD BE ROSY, 5 BY HIS OWN SOCIAL &FFORTS
COULD ULTIMATELY PERFACT HIMSELF. THE FIRST WORLD WAR seuursniss PROMPTED AN UNHEARD
OF WAVE OF O-TIMESM AND GOOD WL.L. SURELY THIS WAS THE wa TO END @“LL WARS, SURLY
MAN HAD FINALY LeARNED A LESSON, AND HAVING LEARNED THE Laisson WOULD TURN TO PRO-
DJCING A PEACEFUL, PERFECT HUMANITY. A QUICK GLANCE AT A NBS PAPER IS SUFFICIENT

TO SHGW THT MEN HAVEN'T LEARNED AND N&VER WILL LEARN~-BECAUSE THEY ARE MEN AND AS

he

men sinful. the question arises as to the specific definition of man's sinfulness,
OR ORIGINAL SIN AS IT IS VOICED IN THE REFORMED TRADITION, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T THE
TIME TO ELABORATE WE CAN DESCRIBE THIS SINFULNESS AS SELFISHNESS, SELF = ISH - NESS.

SELF CHONTERDNESS, PRIDE, EGOCENTRICITY ARE OTHER WAYS OF SAYING.

CHRISTIAN TEACHERS SINCE CHRIST HAVE POUNDED AWAY AT THs FACT. THE APOSTLE
PAUL, ST, AUGUSTINE, MARTIN LUTHER, JOHN CALVIN ALL SAW rg SHADOW OF SELFISH
PRIDE LURKING BEHIND THE BEHAVIOR OF EVERY MAN THAT EV2R Laven. THE ASSERTLON OF
CHRISTIANITY Yy¥~~/ THAT MAN IS SINFUL, THAT HE iNoosonOUSLY IS MOTIVATED BY
HIS EGOCHNTRICIIY IS STRONGLY SIPPORTED BY MODERN PoToHOloay. THE RESPECTIVE
SCHOOLS OF KARL JUNG AND SIGMUND FREUD STARTLEO THE acanexce WORLD WITH THEIR
THEORIED OF MAN'S TENDENCIES 10 DESTROY, HIS INABILITY TO BAGRCTSE RATIONAL CONTROL
OVZR CERTAIN BEHAVIOR ORGINATING IN THE UNCONCIOUS, THE ra EVIL THAT UNDER-
LIES ALL HUMAN NATURE. ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD FIND IT DISTASTEFUL TO BE A PART
OF ANY SUCH COMPARISON THEIR STATEMENTS ARE REMARKABLY Le PAUL WHEN Hi SalD—~
"THE GOOD THAT 1 WOULD I DO NOT—THE ZVIL THAT I WOULD NOT aan I DO," OR LATER
TO MARTIN LUTHER WHEN HE REALIZE) THEE EVERY SOUL~ Is INounIatus SE~-CURVED IN UPON

ITSELF--OR EVEN TO JOHN CALVIN WHERE HE SEES MAN AS A MASS oF PERDITION.

be
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS ARE ATMED DIRECTLY AT THE Fact THAT TO Bx HUMAN 1S To
BE A SINNER. MAN'S EVERY ACT IS MOTIVATED BY RWGARD FOR HERSEK HIS SELF. PHARLSEE

AND DISCIPLE, MURDERER AND PASTOR ARE GUILTY OF THE SAME INHERENT FELONY EGOCENTRICITY.

THERE ARE THRE PARTICULAR DEMANDS QUOTED IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW THAT
i WISH TO DISCUSS THIS MORNING--IN LIGHT OF WHAT I HAVE SAID ABOUT THE TRANS~
CEYDENCE OF THESE DEMANDS AND MAN'S SINFUL NATURE. THE DEMANDS ARE CONCERNED

WITH SELF PRESERVATLON, MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, AND PRIDE IN GOOD WORKS.

EARLY IN HIS SCHOOL YEAR A CHILD LEARNS THE pasta IHPULSES OR INSTINCTS
THAT ARE ACTIVE IN ALL ANIMAL LIFE, INCLUDING MAN, ~-AND at THE HEAD OF THIS LIST
IS SELF PRESERVATION, NOTHING IS MORE BASIC OR FUSDANENDAL TO MAN'S NATURE THAN
THE WILL TO LIVE, NOTHING AS DRAMATIC EHKN AS A MAN FuoHTEN FOR HIS LIFi~~—
BE IT AG.INST AN ENEMY On A CANCER. THIS IS A REALITY, AS RAALISTIO AS WE CAN
BE, A R#ALITY INSTILLED IN US ALL BY GUR CREATOR. AND YET 1 THE S:cRMON ON THE
MT. JESUS SAID —"DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR WIFE, WHAT YoU SHALL SAT AND WHAT
YOU SHALL DRENK, NOR ABOUT YOUR BODY, WHaT YOU SHALL PUT oan IF THiS IS To

BE CONSIVERED AN ETHICAL IMPERATIVE LIFE AS WE KNOW IT WOULD BE AN IMPOSSIBLITY.

é.

MORE PROBABLY, HAD MEN UNANIMOUSLY EMBRACED THIS, LIFE vom BE NONEXTSTANT.

WHAT THEN DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SALD TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR Youn LIFE? HE WAS
STRIKING HARD AT THE VERY BASIS OF OUR SELF LOVE, AT OUR SINFUL SELFISHNESS. TO

BE TO®ALLY UNCONCERNED ABOUT OUR LIVES IS AN IMPOSSTETLINI--CHR1StS UNCOMPROMISING
DEMAND SEEMS QUITE FOOLISH. AND YET ISN'T THERE SOMETHING DEEPLY BEAUTIFUL AND
ESSENTIALLY TRUE IN THIS DEMAND-—-WOULDN'T IT BE REALLY CHIL AN IF WE COULD REALIZE
OUR KEGRX HOPELESSNESS, AND THROUGH THIS REALIZATION Sump SOMEWHAT THE AUTO—

MATIC ASSERTIONS OF OUR SELVES.

A STOCK REPLY IS THAT THIS DEMAND WAS LEGITIMATE AND & POSSIBILITY IN
AGARTAN PALESTINE--BUT CAN BE DISCARDED BY @Oth CENTURY AMERICANS AS -—-ANTIQUATED
Vreadina
PREACHING :
AND UNREALISTIC, TO THE CONTRARY, JESUS WAS/TO ALL HUMANITY, IN ALL AGES TO
LOOK AT THEMSELVES OBJECTIVELY, TO RSALIZE HOw THEIR BEHAVIOR TS APORTED BY THIS

INNER SELFISHNESS, --AND TO DISCOVER HOW DESPERATELY THEY NEED THE FORGIVENESS

OF THEIR CREATOR.

IN THE SAME SiRMON JESUS TOLD HIS LISTNERS NOT TO LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES
TREASURES ON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST CONSUME AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK IN AND
STEAL, DOES THIS M=AN THAT IN LIGHT OF THE MOTHS, RUST AND THIZVES wii SHOULD

REFRAIN FROM SAVING MONEY, THAT JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER WAS THE MOST HENIOUS OF THE

&l.

WORLD'S SINNERS. OF COURSE NOT! HERE JESUS WAS DIRECTING HIS ADMONTSHINGS

AT ONE OF THE MOST NATURAL MEANS OF ASSERTING AND EXTENDING: THE SELF THROUGH
POSSESSIONS AND PROPERTY. WHEN MATERTAL POSSESSIONS BECOME AN OBSESSION—-A VERY
COMAON ATLMENT WITH SO VERY MANY OF US,--WE ARE ALLOWING OURSELF TO HAVE ITS WAY,
THROUGH SELF EXPANSION, WEALTH TS NoT EVIL IN LTSELF, BUT AS AN END, THE OBJECT
OF THE LOVE THAT BELONGS ONLY TO S86B--IT I8 QUITE EVIL. YOU SEE, JESUS WAS NOT

ATTEMPTING TO ORGANIZE A COMMJNITY OF POVERTY STRICKEN, HUNGRY BUT PiOUS

CHRSITIANS, Ha WAS CONCERNED SOLELY WITH THE IIDIVIDUAL AND HIS RELATLONSHIP TO GOD.

IN THE 23rd CHAPTIR OF THE ROOK OF MATTHEW, JESUS Is MOST CLEAR ON ‘THE
SUBJECT OF SELFISH PRIDE AND HOW ITT COLORS ALL OUR PREAVIOUR. IT IS HER# THAT AIS
WARNINGS AND SCORN STRIKE AT THR MOST SUBTLE WAY MEN GO x00 ADORNING AND
EXTENDING THEIR BGO--THROUGH GOOD DEEDS. TALKING ABOUT sontzss AND PHART SERS
HE HARSHLY POINTED OUT THAT THEY DO ALL THEIR DEEDS 17 BE SEN BY MEN, AND LOVE
THE PLACES OF HONOR AT BANQUETS AND FEASTS. THE COM:ON CONCEPTTON OF THR PHARISESS
AND SCRIBES IS USUALLY ONE DISTORTED BY THER IMAGINATION. THB WERE NOT BAD MEN

IN THE PUBLIC EYERA-THEY WERE THE SHLIGIOUS ARISTOC ACY, THOSE WHO KEPT THE JEWISH

8.
LAW TO THE HILT: THEY WERE THE GROUP THAT GAVE HOST TO RARITY, -—-SPONSORED THE
SUMMER CAMP FOR UNDERPRIVILSGED CHILDREN, THEY WERE PERHAPS THE NOST APPROVED OF
GROUP IN SCCIETY. TO THEM AND ALL OF US WHO OCCUPY Sig SPATUS IN CONTEMPORARY
SOCIETY JESUS ISSUED THE MOST HARD HITTING WARNING TAAGTMARLE. TT APPLIES To U8
AS A NATION, A COML.UNITY AND PEHSONALLY. FOREIGN ATD WHEN vortvarm BY A DESIRE
FOR NATIONAL ESTaEM IS WRONG, AND ON THE ENDIVUDAL SCALE: aca THE LARGEST
DONATION TO THE COM UNITY CHEST IN OrotR TO BE RECOGNIZED As A REAL PERSON BY
OUR NEIGHtORS IS WRONG! HOw CUNNING OUR SELF OPERATES sv TO THE POINT WHERE
THE SUPPOSED GCUOD WE DO IS TEMPERED BY THAT ORD DESIRE TO is SHEN AS A GOOD
PERSON. HERE ESPECLTALLY JESUS DEMANDS SIMPLY DON'T SiH 0 MET THE SITUATION.
IF THIS IS ALL SO--WHY BOTHER DOING GOOD AT ALL? BUT YET zt REMAINS A LINGERING

POSSIBLITY.

JESUS'S ETHICAL DEMANDS ARE TRANSCENDENT, AS GOD ‘TRANSCENDS MAN, AS THE
ETERNAL TRANCENDS TH TEMPORAL—-SO TH ETHIC OF JESUS PRANSCENDS PETTY HUMAN
RELATIONS. OUR FIRST CONCERN WHEN CONSIDERING HIS ADMONISHONS IS WITH THE

GREAT GAP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE R=SULT OF OUR SINFUL NATURE.

A FiW MORE BRIEF EXAMPLES SHOULD ER SUFFICIENT TO DEMONSTRATE MY POINT.

ONE ONE OOCASION JESUS SAID YOU MUST HATE MOTHER AND FATH-H IN ORDER TO FULLY

96

LOVE GOD—SURELY THIS IS NOT A POSSIBLITY. OR ANOTHER oceasto% HE SATD ANGER

IS AS EVIL AS MURDER AND LUST AS ADULTERING. THE SwTSs rsmorocrAt Kat BARTH
HAS SAID OF JESUS' ETHIC ON THE SURFACE THAT IT IS NOT APPLTOABLE TO THE PROBLEMS
OF CONT -HPORARY SOCIETY OR ANY CONCEIVABLE SOCIETY." SURELY WH ARE NOT TO

BECOME VAGRANTS BARMK CARING NOTHING ABOUT FOOD AND cLOTHING AND HATING OUR
PARENTS IN ORDER TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIF. THROUGH THIS Hess OF AN IMPOSSIBLE
ETHIC COMES JESUS? PLEA-~TO SIMPLY RZALIZE OUR PLIGHT nuts Is THE POSSIBILITY.
SHEK AND YH SHALL FIND: ASK AND IT SHALL BE OPENED EN'TO rou. THE ULTIMATE
CURISTIAN ETHICAL GBLIGATIUN IS TG FACE U.’ TO UUR HELPLESS aI TUATION AND INSTEAD
OF FURTHER GRATIIYING OUR BLEMSHED EGOS, TO TURN TO THE ou HAVEN WE HAVE

OUR ONLY POSSIBLITY GE A FORGIVING HEAVENLY FATHER. AMEN

DESCEND ON US O LORD, INSTILL IN US THY SAVING GRACE, HEL? us TO OVEXCOME OUR

SINFUL SELVES THAT WE MAY BETTER SERVE THRE. AMET

BENEDICTION |
NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO K&EP YOU FROM FALLING AND TO PRESIOVT YOU WITHOUT BLEMISH
BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HLS GLORY WH REOICING, T] THE ONLY GOD, OUR SAVIOR THRGJGH
JEVS CHRIST OUR LORD, BE GLORY, MAJESTY, DOMINION AND AUTHORITY, BEFORS ALL TIME

AND NOW AND FOREVER AMEN

Vup vod and sather, numbly we approach thy Dresenes, &5 & servant avoroacnes

his master and yet in thexnowledcze thet in biy cresenge we find our stz

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recuge, © thou well spring from which all human exist@nce Glos, guiet

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