by E. Stanly Jones
Parts from the chapter The Concrete Christ. I quote parts of it, the rest you can read in the book.
“Jesus the mystic appeals to India, the land of mysticism. But Jesus the mystic was amazingly concrete and practical. He taught but he did not speculate. He never used such words as “perhaps,” “maybe,” “I think so.” Even his words had concrete feeling about them. They fell upon the soul with authority of certainty.
He did not discourse on the sacredness of motherhood- he suckled as a babe at his mother’s breast, and that scene has forever consecrated motherhood.
He did not discourse on the dignity of labor- he worked at the carpenter’s bench and his hands were hard with the toil of making yokes and plows, and this forever makes the toil of the hands honorable.
As he came among men he did not try to prove the existence of God-he brought him. He lived in God and men looking upon his face could not find it within themselves to doubt God.
He did not argue, as Socrates, the immortality of the soul – he raised the dead.
He did not teach in a didactic way about the worth of children – he put his hands upon them and blessed them and setting one in their midst tersely said, “Of such is the kingdom of God,” and he raised them from the dead.
He did not argue that God answers prayer- he prayed, sometimes all night, and in the morning ‘the power of the Lord was present to heal.”
He did not paint in glowing colors the beauties of friendship and the need for human sympathy – he wept at the grave of his friend.
He did not teach in the schoolroom manner the necessity of humility –he“ girded himself with a towel and knelt down and washed his disciple’s feet.
He did not prove how pain and sorrow in the universe could be compatible with the love of God- he took on himself at the cross everything that spoke against the love of God, and through that pain and tragedy and sin showed the very love of God.
He did not discourse on the beauty of love- he loved.
He did not merely tell us that death need have no terror for us- he rose from the dead, and lo, now the tomb glows with light.
Many teachers of the world have tried to explain everything- they changed little or nothing. Jesus explained little and changed everything.
Many teachers have tried to diagnose the disease of humanity- Jesus cures it.
He did not go into long discussions about the Way to God and the possibility of finding him- he quietly said to men, “I am the Way.””
“Jesus the mystic appeals to India, the land of mysticism. But Jesus the mystic was amazingly concrete and practical. He taught but he did not speculate. He never used such words as “perhaps,” “maybe,” “I think so.” Even his words had concrete feeling about them. They fell upon the soul with authority of certainty.
He did not discourse on the sacredness of motherhood- he suckled as a babe at his mother’s breast, and that scene has forever consecrated motherhood.
He did not discourse on the dignity of labor- he worked at the carpenter’s bench and his hands were hard with the toil of making yokes and plows, and this forever makes the toil of the hands honorable.
As he came among men he did not try to prove the existence of God-he brought him. He lived in God and men looking upon his face could not find it within themselves to doubt God.
He did not argue, as Socrates, the immortality of the soul – he raised the dead.
He did not teach in a didactic way about the worth of children – he put his hands upon them and blessed them and setting one in their midst tersely said, “Of such is the kingdom of God,” and he raised them from the dead.
He did not argue that God answers prayer- he prayed, sometimes all night, and in the morning ‘the power of the Lord was present to heal.”
He did not paint in glowing colors the beauties of friendship and the need for human sympathy – he wept at the grave of his friend.
He did not teach in the schoolroom manner the necessity of humility –he“ girded himself with a towel and knelt down and washed his disciple’s feet.
He did not prove how pain and sorrow in the universe could be compatible with the love of God- he took on himself at the cross everything that spoke against the love of God, and through that pain and tragedy and sin showed the very love of God.
He did not discourse on the beauty of love- he loved.
He did not merely tell us that death need have no terror for us- he rose from the dead, and lo, now the tomb glows with light.
Many teachers of the world have tried to explain everything- they changed little or nothing. Jesus explained little and changed everything.
Many teachers have tried to diagnose the disease of humanity- Jesus cures it.
He did not go into long discussions about the Way to God and the possibility of finding him- he quietly said to men, “I am the Way.””
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