RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 241, 11 October 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

RELIGIOUS WORLD.

1 PRESENT-DAY OUTLOOK. ! ■ j'WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS?" QUESTION BEFORE THE WORLD. The following is from a sermon preached last Sunday night in St. Mary's Cathedral by Canon Fancourt on Pilate's question, "What Shall I Do With jJesus Who is called Christ?" — Pontius Pilate did not wish to condemn Jesus to death—but neither did lie wish to offend the chief priests, so he tried the art of evasion. Herod was Tetrareh of Galilee and at that time was in Jerusalem, so Pilate will shift the responsibility to Herod. But Jesus conies back ,to him. Then as he looked kiown on the open court below he observed the crowds coming to seek the prisoner, whom it was the custom of the Government to release at this feast. So Pilate will try another evasion. He knows that Jesus is popular with the masses. He will offer to release either Him or a notable brigand named Barabbas. The people, at the instigation of the priests, choose Barabbas!

"What shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?" exclaims the distracted Governor! "Crucify HimJ" is the reply. His second evasion haft failed, yet he will try a third. He will scourge the prisoner i>and see if that punishment will satisfy the priests. But it, too, fails! "What ghall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? I find no fault in Him," he exclaims.

! Not Caesar's Friend. "If thou let this man go thou art not jOaesar's friend," comes the reply. Pilate's iadministration could not stand an investigation from the higher authorities, nor was he prepared to run the risk of arousing the suspicions of Tiberius. He was in a dilemma! He had not the courage of his opinions! He was in fear 'of losing his position, so past sin settled ftie case! - The chief priests must have their way, Jesus must be crucified. But lie will try his last evasion. So he washes his. hands in a basin of water and declares that he is innocent of "the blood of this just man." But he could not escape; his past sins found •him out. He was recalled, examined for maladministration, convicted and exiled. I'll ere is a legend that on the waters of Lake Constance his ghost is (Continually arising and washing its Hands.

! "You Cannot Evade Him." Jesus! He stands before you for yftur judgment as meekly and patiently as he stood before Pilate, and ever and anon you ask the question, "What shall It<lo with Jesus, which is called Christ?" JYou cannot relegate Him to the realms ij'f mythology! Jesus lived in the great age of the Roman civilisation, pi •historical age and an age of literature. Tacitus, the Roman historian, states pat He was the founder of Christianity and that he was put to death under Pontius Pilate; and the gospels give you an unimpeachable record of His teaching and work. You cannot evade Him ( "by agnosticism —the lazy "I do not know?" God has given you reason and the evidence, is before you. Your duty Js to search for the truth and you cannot evade it by the same supercilious reply as Pilate's, "What is truth ?"You canDot evade Him by lending Him to OSaeckel, Renan, Huxley, Spencer or any other man. You, like Pontius Pilate, Jiave got to judge Jesus, yourself. You cannot evade your own responsibility. You cannot evade Him by the fear of past sins. "Be sure your sin will find you out," is a maxim which you may take for your. life. Sooner ov later, as in the case 1 of Pilate, if unrepented, the ponsequences will come back upon you.

World's Great Crisis. "What, shall I do with Jesus, which is (tailed Christ?" is the question before the world in the 'great crisis through which at is now passing. Jesus has gained a pre-eminence. to:day for the world is realising his achievements. Compare the jftge of Tiberius with that of King George and see His influence in humanity. Before Him civilisations perished and gunk into' oblivion. Since He came He jhas given the world the _ power of yecovei-y and, though civilisation has jebbed back at times, the waves have again and again- come r forward. What as the world going to do with Jesus jto-day? For on Him civilisation and Jfclie progress of humanity rest. Destroy , UTesus and you destroy civilisation. Look |i,t Russia!

Divinity Shines Out of Him. And you yourself may' know all about Jffesus, as Pontius Pilate -did, but that fe not sufficient.' Jesus prqfessed to be <jnorfi than man. He said-He was the Son of God and He was crucified for jnaldng the claim. By all the evidence of His .personal life, of documents, of Bristory, of "the experience of His power ftp the world and of the spiritual expen* fences of men, He was God. There is »o hope for the world in a human Jesus. us Jesus," cried a Hindu woman, •''Do not fear we will make a human Jesus Him, Hie divinity shines- out of Him!"; What will you do with Him? [Will yon wash your hands of Him ? Or jwill you enthrone Him in your heart?

I BROTHERHOOD OF CHRIST

(By S.)

One. would have thought that our l&ord's first appearance after His Resurjfection would have been to one of His jfLpostles, most likely John. It was &ot, however, to John or to any of the Epostles that He. first appeared; it was po a woman, a woman who out of love land devotion to Him had paid a visit to Kris grave that morning. Yet, when in iher transport of wonder and joy on Recognising His voice, she turned to Him with outstretched hands, He gently bade Iher not to touch Him, giving as the reason that He had not yet ascended to pis Father. What did He mean? He jjneant that ,the old familiar relations between Him and His followers were (Hided, that He now belonged to another [World, and that His appearance on earth was only temporary.- And Mary felt ithat it whs so. She saw that a change [bad come over Him, that death had made a, great difference,- that there was "the [breath of another world" about Him. He »lso meant'that a new. intimacy between Him and Hiß followers—an intimacy of ja, spiritual ■ nature—would henceforth take the place of the old outward fellow-1 iship, and would be even more blessed. {What, then, is the lesson for us? Is it that-we should think of Christ as a spiritual being who is with us in spirit? It ia the realisation of this truth, and spiritual fellowship with this Christ, that iii the'secret of. true blessedness and Kwer.. For there was a new bond, He de Mary tell His followers, bow. knitting Him to them, were now; His

brethren, not merely. His servants, His disciples, His friends, but His brethren. So death has made Christ the brother of Christian people. There is, of course, a sense in which, because He was born, and lived a human life, we can epeak of Him as our kinsman according to the flesh. And, yet, as the writer to the Hebrews is careful to tell us, He was born and lived a human life that He might experience the conditions under which His brethren live. It is His death, rather than His life, that has made it possible for Christ to so knit Himself to Christian people that He can speak of them as His brethren. / And that reminds us that, whilst more than trade and commerce, it is a common , love to Him that will bring the most diverse people together in trust and good will, and that if ever they come to speak a common language, it will be more than anything else by their realising that they have a common Saviour and Master; yet it is death rather than life that will ultimately bring about the true brotherhood of man; it is this one touch of Nature that will make the world kin.