SUNDAY READING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11955, 27 May 1933, Page 3

SUNDAY READING

By tli e Rev. James Ait ken. AI.A

THINKING EVIL. “therefore think ye evil in your hearts!*''' Jesus asked them. They bad accused Ilim of bla.s[>hemy. It was in Capernaum, His own city, where He was known. He was not a stranger to any of them. His hie and character, His stainless integrity. His devoutness. Hi* kindness everybody knew. The suspicion thai cd their minds. But they knew. Ho could have been guilty of so grave a sin should never have erosstliose scribes, that Hsus cil'eicd from them in His attitude to tho law. His opinion of the law and His estimate of its value, were hot theirs. He exercised a freedom which they disapproved. And that difference blinded then u> the Ueauty of Hi’s character. There was the situa. lion. They disliked Jesus because He differed from Him. Their dislike led them to misjudge Him. They thought evil of Him in their hearts Jesus' question emphasised the unreasonableness ul thou* juogmen.. even tho sinfulness of it. Jesus’ question was a warning to them, and is a warning to u$ against allowing our feeling toward our folio" men to mould our judgment of. them. H we are keenly interested in politics and i'eel strongly about thorn, wo arc apt to dislike those who are °f another party, and disliking them to suspect them of evil designs auu self-seeking policies. If we are keenly interested in religion, .we . are tempted to think all manner, of evil of those who think differently about religious questions. Bigotry is one of-tho commonest sins in all religious circles. What bitterness and cruelty it ha s led to ! In social life our dislikes are often based on tho lliins-* iest ground. Something in a man’s look or voice or manner, some on e act-or wprcl or attitude of his, will cause us to outortaii' a disiiko 1° him which it is hard to get over. But dislike;. loads to mis judgment, to thinking evil of men in;our hearts and thinking evil leads to unkind-, liesg in the 11 way wo speak pf them and act towards them. , As Christians it is ou-rs -to over-' come the critical fault finding, spirit and to think the best we can ; of people. Alost people are in icality better than ihey woo.m.