THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 105, 6 May 1933, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

THE MARKS OF CITIZENSHIP

We have been examining the marks of the citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven as detailed by our Master in the Bcattitudes. Thus far we have noted how directly contrary they run to the most common views of life. Yet Jesus delivers them as simple axioms of experience, as matters of fact, selfevident propositions of the reason. With calm affirmation He proclaims these law’s of life in the Kingdom. Each succeeding statement is complementary to those preceding. Thus last week we dealt with the strong passion for righteousness—“ hunger and thirst ” after it. Now we go ’on to “ Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” Many righteous people are extremely hard and unlovely. We often admire the uprightness of some and wish we had more of their intense sincerity and persistent goodiicss, but we don’t want to live either with or near them. “ I do not much Wonder,” wrote- Lord Macaulcy, “ at the violence of tho hatred which Socrates had provoked. He had, evidently. a thorough love for making men look small. There was a meek maliciousness about him which gave wounds such as must have smarted long, and his command of temper was more provoking than noisy triumph and insolrencc would have been.”

According to an old story, a comiiuttee went to the station to meet the new minister, whom they did not know by sight. They walked up to a man who alighted and asked him if he was the new incumbent. “ No,” he replied, “ I am not. It is dyspepsia that makes mo look this way.” Righteousness without mercy, comments Stanley Jones, produces an indigestion countenance. But nothing is more beautiful than the countenance of righteousness when there glistens upon it the tear of mercy. The voice of Sinai saying “ Thou shalt not ” must be tempered by tho voice of Calvary saying “ lather forgive them.” He goes on to tell how some students in a certain college were in suspense. The students of the other colleges who had done the same thing that they had done had been dismissed. No word came from the Scots Principal for two w’ceks. Then he arose in the chapel and said, “ I wanted to dismiss you, but the voice of my Lord told me I must forgive you. I did not want to do it, but since He bids me I will.” Every student was in tears. Sinai and Calvary spoke in the voice of the Principal—and won! Righteousness that stood upright and towered, learned to stoop in mercy, and conquered in the stooping. ’

Thus the working out of this Beattitude is a law of life in personal character. To forgive an injury is, according to this law, a blessing to the forgiver himself. The quality of mercy blesses him that gives and him that takes. That does not mean that the merciful man will necessarily get mercy when he needs it. Life does not work out that way. Tho best men arc often treated most mercilessly. «Jcsus Himself gives His life to acts of mercy, and is pitilessly slain. Yet He had a peace the world could neither give nor take away, and a joy no man could touch. Among the happiest of people are those whose grudges and enmities have been overcome by their own broader view of life. They are happier, not because others are kinder to them, but because that softer soil permits their own better life to germinate and grow. The merciful has obtained mercy; the blcsser has received the blessing. “ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” This purity is infinitely more than absence of sensual defilement and pollution. A characteristic of the citizen of the Kingdom is singleness of purpose. There must be not only the renouncing of self, but also the consecration of self. Consecration brings with it insight. The perfect knowledge of God is to be attained only by the perfectly consecrated life. In the Old Testament “to consecrate” is “to fill the hand.” The seeing of God is not through selfemptying alone, but the self-emptying is in order to a filling with the positive qualities of vicarious suffering, of meekness, of hunger and thirst after righteousness, of a tender mercy and a purity in heart. All those qualities fit one for finer relationships with man, so that God is seen, not apart from life, but in the midst of human relationships. Seeing God thus means fullness. net emptiness.

Again, a will set straight towards God, or simplicity of purpose, leads to knowledge of God. Your character clarifies your creed. Clarify tho medium of your vision, and truth undis-ccrn-.d before breaks on the observer’s sight. Professor Peabody employs an illuminating analogy. The most skilful artisans are employed to make the grea'; object glasses with which the mysteries of the stars are disclosed. The slightest speck or flaw blurs the image, but with the perfect glass stars unseen by any eye throughout the history of tne world arc to be discovered In our day. It is a parable of the soul. Each film on the object-glass of character cbscurcs tho heavenly vision, but to the prepared and translucent life truth indiscernible by others breaks upou the reverent gaze, and tho beatific vision is revealed to the pure in heart.

But no purity is pure that is not purifying, and no virtue is virtuous that docs nut have the victorious in it. Therefore, “ Blessed arc the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.” Chrirtl is tho princo of Peace. He Io lags about peace among men, breaking down all middle walls of partition between classes and races mid individuals, by making them first of all at pc fee with God—atonement aiming men by way ut atonement with God. 'this is the oiny sure basis of peace. Citizens of the Kingdom are to be makers of Christ’s peace. It is the

ministry of reconciliation committed unto us. Christ’s “ Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven ” was no political propaganda. It was a “ Gospel of peace,” revealing the universal Fatherhood of God and by necessary consequence the universal brotherhood of man. Brotherhood is a corollary of common sonship, and only as we “ follow after peace with all men ” do wo

realise our filial relationship with “the God of peace. ” But as Stanley Jones reminds us, Jesus is the Prince of Peace because Ho was a prince when in tho midst of persecution. As Jesus speaks peace through the blood of His Cross, so we cannot speak peace save through the blood of our own cross. “ Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Our Master goes on to use the qualifying '.'.aids “ for Aly sake.” To suffer “ for Christ’s 6a ke ” is to know the

fellowship of His sufferings; and this is blessedness indeed.

How can we attain such high character? There must, be a putting-off of Iho old man of the flesh, and a. puttingon of the new in Christ. Marvel not that I say unto you, “ Ye must be. born from above.” Then there must be a daily giving of oneself to tho will of God. “But ve on th' Lord Jesus Christ

end make no prevision for the. flesh to obey the Justs thereof.” The mind, nr disposition, that, was in Christ must be in us.