SUNDAY READING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11949, 20 May 1933, Page 12

SUNDAY READING

(By the Rev. James Afitken, M.A.)

ON THINKING. Not once, but several times, as recorded in the Gospels, Jesus asked men the question: “What do yo think?” Jesus did not. dictate to men cither what' their thoughts or ! what their actions should be. He treated us, not as subjects to be governed, or as slaves to be directed, but ag persons on whom lay the responsibility of seeking the solution c-f the problems, both, of thought and conduct, with which life confronted them. In other words, Je-sus always encouraged men to think things out for themselves, and not tq be in bondage either to common opinion or to tradition.

He encouraged thought by His habit of asking questions. .It • i 3 something of a revelation, when ones one’s attention is drawn to it, how constantly Jesus put questions to men. Men came to Him with their inquiries, but instead or an answer they were met with another inquiry: as though lie would say to them, “Think the matter out and arrive at the truth of it for Ho was top good a teacher to give them easy solutions °f all their difficulties.

Many of His sayings, too, were abrupt and enigmatical. The meaning of them did nor. lie on the surface. He did not intend that it should, lie often seemed to contradict- himself: as when He said one jet or eiio tittle should not pass from the law! and then went on immediately to criticise the law and to set aside not a few of its requirements. Or as when He said at one time, “Resist not- evil.” and at another. “I am

come not to send peace but s ■SAvord.” Or as when He spoke 01 th a Kingdom of God. sometimes as still in the future and sometimes as already come. His use or paradox and hyperbole avus designed for the same end to make men. think. So were His parables. Yfe think we understand these stories, and so, peril an s. atc should. Nineteen centuries* of study have hc-en devoted to them and the results thereof are common property among us. But- to those aclio first heard them their lessons were by no means clear. -\Yhat did Christ intend to teach by the parables of the Lost Sheep and tlio Lost Coin. A seeking God was a now idea to men then. That God vas merciful and would pardon aim receive a penitent sinner, men understood: hut that- God should take the initiative and go after the sinner before lie was penitent, was quite a new idea and not easily grasped. Or irk at did the great parable of. the Judgment mean to men who believed °t bat the way to God's favour was by keeping the law? It was. a vicAv of things hardly to be c-ompr©-bended, that what God really cared for was- not tho ritual of the law, hut love and kindness in the common relationships or life. His parables Avere a device on Jesus’ part- to provoke men to thinu. All old Greek sage used to say, (•The uucxamined life is not livable for a human being.” That is just to S - )V •< V. man who does not think is 110 V a man.” The first thing Jesus does for every man is to make him think Of course w c all think abou some tilings; about our business, or about our homes, about our games and our holidays. But Jesus makes us think about the things thpt matter- about the meaning of life and the’value of our various Pursuits, about our relations with our fellow - men and the significance of our -experience, about God and our ; relations with Him. Mere; internal religion, Jesus says, is of little worth It does not dp a man much good simply to accept what has.heyn handed down to him from his fathers. R is tho religion which a man has thought through for himself and is prepared to stand';by- because-hehas found it to bo truo—it is.' that religion that influences'his character, and his life.