SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1208, 26 April 1895, Page 10

SUNDAY READING.

WHY WAS HI GRUGIFIED AND BESURREGTEQ? By &ev. William Birch, D.D. He is risen; He is not here. —Mark, xvi., 6. Organic inspirations have always been hunger and love, with self-sacrificial daring in. the care of Offspring. Except in man* however, and not always in his case, the love of mate is temporary and care for offspring only while needing parental help; but though it may be short-lived, it is a divine faculty, and the purpose of religion is to make it a human second nature or permanent inspiration to influence nlen in all circumstances to righteously love one another. This great truth was dimly seen by Moses, Zoroaster, Confucius and other anOient thought-pioneers, and was perfectly embodied by the crucified Jesus as an everlasting picture for mankind. Let us ask two important questions, Why did the Jews crucify Jesus ? and Why did God resurrect Him ?

I. Why was Jesvb crucified ? (1) Because as the Christ Me was not what the Jews desiredx They looked for and would have no other than a royal son of David, who as King of the Jews would throw off the Roman yoke and make them the chief nation; and as Jesus was an ethical-reli-gious teacher only, yet claimed to be the Christ, they supposed' Him an impostor and crucified Him. '"'.'..

(2) Because He insisted that worship was a daily life spirit rather than a religious ceremony. The Jerusalem temple was held to be the chief and permanent building for divine worship* but Jesus showed that to a penitent and willing-to-be obedient man any secret room or hidden place in the mountain or on the sea-shore was equally pleasing to our heavenly Father, who looked at the heart of the worshipper, not the place where he worshipped. He also showed that doctrinal ceremonies, such as washing cups, clothes and hands before eating or worshipping were absurd while the heart was defiled. He insisted that man's first duty was to deny himself for the sake of his fellow-creatures rather than to support the temple and its priests under the idea that they were giving to God. It was hateful to tithe the mint for God and let the widow starve ; disgusting to make an offering to God, yet refuse to help a father or mother in need; ridiculous to suppose any gift could reconcile God to the person who refused to be reconciled to his brother-man; and in a sentence, He nominally abrogated the Mosaic ceremonies, saying that love to God and also to one's neighbour was the fulfilling of the law. In effect, the priests replied, "If this man's teaching be followed, we shall lose oiu/ bread; there will be no need of us." The wealthy exclaimed, "This man would have us love the suffering and helpless poor as if we were their brethren." Together they cried, " Let Him b'e crucified!" In our oldest and most original gospelbiography, the Lord does not explain Himselfas the world's sacrificial offering, but in the subsequent gospels and epistles it is laid down that He died as the Redeemer of us all, His death before the usual time of crucifixion being the act of God, the physical cause a ruptured heart. That on account of this voluntary offering on the part of our perfect Brother, the heavenly Father righteously cancels our blame before Him, and treats sinfulness as a wilful disease to be pardoned and cleansed; inspired by everlasting love, seeks to adopt every man as His spiritual child; and purposes, not to damn any, but to save the entire race. Therefore, this glad tidings was to be preached to every creature. Hereby we were to know all that is godlike and also the highest conception of humanity in beholding Him who laid down His life for us (I. John, hi., 16).

11. Why was He raised from the dead ? The keenest historical criticism of the present day refuses to admit that the earthly body of our Lord was resurrected, but proves that after the crucificion He was manifested in some way to those who had loved Him. If He were m the physical body, it is improbable that He passed through a closed door or suddenly appeared and as suddenly vanished ; but to argue this point is not my intention, nor. is it imperative. It is sufficient to know that the same Jesus who was crucified "appeared" and showed Himself to the disciples. He was resurrected, — (1) To confirm His teaching. If the true character of God is revealed, mankind sooner or later will ascend to it; and nothing so lovely and sublime as, or more elevating and beneficent than, the nature

of the heavenly Father taught and embodied by Jesus has been conceived. To make it a world religion, He again appeared to the disciples through whom it was planted as a spiritual-evolving germ in mankind. The main inspirational truth is that God is the heavenly Father of mankind in both worlds, and never ceases to love us. Let me illustrate this truth. Roberts father was a drunkard who had caused his Wife's death* and, after bringing the family to poverty, deserted theni; The grandmother;, with whdm Robert lived] on Sabbath evenirigs , had family pra-yei 4 , she and he at the table in their humble room. She would utter a iong prayer, and then Robert had to say his prayers iii a lolid voice because, 'slie was a liHie deaf. On one occasion after her prayer she turned to the boy, who knelt at her side with his elbows on her chair, saying, "No»v, Robert !" But instead of going on in the old track, he burst into tears, crying, " O Lord, save my father!" The grandmother suggested, "If it be Thy will." But he continued silent, his face buried in his hands and his head touching hers. She repeated, " Say, Robert, if it be Thy will." " I'm trying, grandmother," said Robert, " but I cannot say it; I dare not say an ' if ' about it; it would be like giving in to his damnation ; we must have him saved, grannie." " Laddie ! laddie ! hold your tongue ! O Lord, forgive him; he's young and doesn't know better yet $ he cannot understand Thy ways, nor, for that matter, can I pretend to understand them myself; but, O Lord, if it would please Thee to our prayer, oh, how we would praise Thee !' Then Robert; sobbing with earnest desire, again cried* "O Lord* saVe my father!" Does not God say " Amen" to such prayers ? Can any child love a parent more than the heavenly Father loves him or her ? Can any parents love their children more than He does ? Then there is sure hope for every man, woman and child. Pray on ; believe $ expect! (2) To inspird nidnkind to Make it the universal standard. WOj Who try to live up to the teaching of our Lord, are not orphans; the Holy Spirit Who dwelt in Him is with and in us according to our willingness •to receive Him. Observe yonder farmer on the crest of the hill, resting a moment, looking at the cottage lights in the valley. He sees the lights in the houses of his neighbours and is glad to remember their mutual friendship • but bis eyes seek a particular light farther away> and dwells Upon it for a while with exqtusite is the cottage where he is loved, and where in the distance he thinks he sees the door opened and a woman's face looking out and listening for his step ; and in his, eagerness he forgets his weariness and hastens home.

So the Spirit of our Father rests in His loving people, and ever seeks such to worship Him. And he waits to breathe pardon and spiritual resurrection to every man and woman. As a river rushes through the tiniest chink in a weir-gate and the tide uplifts every boat within its reach, so the Lord enters and inspires every soul who humbly looks to Him. The oldest European artesian well was bored eight hundred years ago, in the French Artois. A tale of the town says that the maker, instead of having it in his garden, bored it in public ground at his private cost, in order that his neghboars might equally with himself obtain living water. He loved his neighbour as himself. Do you reply that this sublime Christteaching is too high? But, brothers, cannot you venture to make it your standard ? The ancient Thales exclaimed, " I thank the gods that I am not a beast, but a man; not a barbarian, but a Greek !" Cannot you thank God that, though, perhaps, afar off, you are following Christ, because you are not an orphan, but our Father's child ? Look to Him in prayer and faith for pure thoughts, xighteous motives and unselfish usefulness. Do not despise the poor or turn away from the helpless or loathe the fallen, for the God of Jesus is also their God, and your heavenly Father is their Father too. Neither harm your neighbour by any unrighteous word or conduct, nor harm yourself by wilful sin. Ba pure in thought, righteous in deeds and unselfish in religion. Remember that our Lord is not confined in a physical body, but, as the free, eternal Spirit, seeks to bless you as a sunbeam blesses your room. Do not look for Him in any building ; He is not there —He is in your heart! Amen.