Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth

BY PROF. J. C. HOGENSON

If we were in Bethlehem today, we would see about a mile away, standing in the little plain, a small, neglected chapel known as "The Angel to the Shepherds." It was here where, in the beautiful words of St. Luke, "There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. : And the angel said unto them, Fear not for, behold, I bring you good :

tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the

Lord." Then it was that the heavenly hosts sang the sweet words, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." So J?sus was born in Bethlehem. Passing over the inspiring record of his childhood and youth, his young manhood, his temptations, miracles, discourses, parables, and expositions of the gospel of salvation, his betrayal, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, his appearance after his resurrection, and his ascension to his Father in heaven, — need only be said it

more to reform that in his three short years of ministry he did the world than all other persons have done in a life time. For close on to two thousand years his teachings have shaped the destinies of millions of people. The law of Moses demanded "an eye for an eye." The law which Christ brought was, "Love your enemies do good to them ;

that hate you." His teachings tend toward the universal brotherhood of man, the redemption from sin and evil of the whole human family, and the leading of the thoughts of man from the mere material things of this world to the more lofty things beyond. The almost universal conflicts and contentions of the warring nations on this Christmas day only emphasizes the need of a better knowledge and understanding of the teachings of Christ and a closer adherence to his doctrine. And it need not be a specially prophetic mind to grasp the thought that, through the fire and blood and darkness of it all, the light of Jesus will shine to the liberation and elevation of mankind, to the onward march of freedom, to the life of love, and to the death of hate. The question is often asked "What is the highest type of man ?" When Mark Anthony gazed upon the dead body of Gesar

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he remarked, "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man.' " — Three qualities are necessary to make a man courage, gentleness and obedience, not mere brute courage, such as animals and warriors show, but the kind that combines fearlessness and gentleness. These two elements composed the majesty of Jesus of Nazareth. He walked fearlessly to his death, yet his kindness and sympathy flowed out to all who were in sorrow, and his forgiveness extended to all the world. Obedience is the crowning greatness of human nature. Man is dependent, not independent. He is never great until he has found the right Master. There was once, so the legend goes, a certain giant called Opher, whose motto was, "I serve the strongest." He first served the mayor of the town, because he was the strongest official he knew then, in turn, he served the duke, the king, the emperor. ;

Finally he learned that the emperor was afraid of the devil, so he forsook the emperor and began serving the devil. One day as the two were going along the way, they came to an intersection of roads where a cross was set up. The devil flinched at the sight of the cross, and when asked by Opher why he flinched, he said that he had no power nor authority to come near the cross which was a symbol of Christ. Opher immediately left the devil, and sought means by which he might serve Christ. One night he met an old man who told him that if he would serve Christ, he must serve man, for it is written, "Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye do it also unto me." Opher now set up a ferry, in a dangerous place on a river, where many lives had been lost. Here, year after year, he ferried people safely across. One night, during a terrible storm, there came a knock at his door. He opened his door and found a small child standing there. The child asked to be ferried across immediately. Opher tried to reason with the child to wait until the storm abated, but the child insisted on being taken across immediately. They started to cross, and after battling with the storm for a long time, the child was landed safely on the oposite shore. Opher's strength was so far gone that he fell in a faint on the shore. Soon the storm was over and, on the morrow, the sun came out, and angels ;

came and administered to the exhausted man. The child whom he had ferried across the stream was an angel of God, and Opher had done his best to serve even a little child. If we are brave, and strong, and gentle, find our right Master, and keep his commandments, and serve our fellow men, then Christ will be pleased with our lives, and we will gain an exaltation in his presence. We have, in the life of Christ, every deed worthy of imitation, and every act and example worthy of being adopted into our own

154 IMPROVEMENT ERA lives. When we begin in earnest to follow in his footsteps, we shall livemore worthily, help to elevate the human family to a higher standard, and so bring about "peace on earth, and goodwill toward men." I.OGAN, UTAH

Christmas Bells

In aftertimes, again the echo swells; And lo, on earth, from every land and clime, The clanging of the merry Christmas bells Wafts far and wide on happy Christmas time Judean mem'ries. How the heart o'erfills For joy they bring and love to all on earth; And, floating o'er the everlasting hills They chime, "All hail, all hail, the Christ Child's birth. This is the Glory song, the song of love, A song the angels ever sing above, Before God's throne, for e'er, they chant this strain, With "Conqueror, mighty Conqueror," its refrain. God looks on Earth while yet it moves in space, With smiles of approval wreathed upon his face, For morn brought One whose peace shall end all strife, This day of days the Christ Child brings us life. Lydia D. Alpkr.

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NATURAL SCENERY AT HONEFOS, NORWAY.