have you ever felt the wonder of the poet as he sings,
"i stand all amazed at the love jesus offers me,
confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me;
i tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died."
a wonder-rousing sacrifice.
it is truly the most wonderfully unselfish sacrifice, and the sincerest demonstration of love, you will find anywhere recorded. as he approached the day of the awful sacrifice, jesus himself declared to his followers, "this is my commandment, that ye love one another, as i have loved you. greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." and as god the son manifested thus his great love, so also did god the father. "for god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
why should god be mindful of man?
now, it is only natural that one should ask, as did the great psalmist, "what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? why should there be devised in the heavens a gracious and liberal plan of salvation? why, because of man, should the hosts of heaven be plunged into the horrors of civil war? what is man, that the noblest of the spirits of heaven should lay down his life for man's redemption? it is an answer to these questions that we want now to find in the teachings of jesus.
the parable of the lost sheep.
{70} one day when the publicans and the sinners drew near to jesus to hear him, "the pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. and he spake this parable unto them, saying, "what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? and when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. and when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for i have found my sheep which was lost. i say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
man's soul without price.
jesus could hardly have told a better story to show what great value god places upon man. it is in perfect accord with many other sayings of his, some of which you should know, said he, at one time, "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul." at another time he said, "are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father. but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." in the teaching of jesus, then, the soul of man—his true life—is beyond any earthly price. indeed, its value is far beyond the worth of the whole material world.
{71} and jesus did not place this high value on the soul of any particular man. to him the souls of all men are priceless. he is no respecter of persons. the father "maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." there is none so humble that he is beyond the reach of the love of god, nor none so worldly great that he does not need it. said jesus, "whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."
man, the offspring of god.
it is because jesus knew and recognized the divine possibilities of every man, great or small, that he thus valued him so highly. jesus taught always that god is the father in heaven—and that not figuratively. we are indeed the offspring of god; and being the offspring of god, there resides in all of us the possibility to become gods. indeed, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which we live, it has been revealed that god is himself an exalted man; that he has himself passed through such a probationary state as that in which man now lives; and that it is possible for man to become like god. jesus, likewise, taught this truth to those who heard him. when the jews were about to stone him because he declared himself the son of god, jesus said, "is it not written in your law, i said, ye are gods?" when exhorting the people to live righteous lives, he urged, "be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect." and the disciples caught the meaning of {72} the doctrine; for, wrote john, "beloved, now are we the sons of god."
the questions answered.
since, then, the soul of man is of such divine origin, and therefore of such surpassing value, we need seek no further for the answer to our questions. the heavenly father feels the loss of a child even more keenly than does an earthly father. man is a son of god, and may himself become a god; therefore, god is mindful of him.
reverence for god.
now, since he is the offspring of the almighty father, man owes certain duties both to god and to himself. in the first place, as a faithful and devoted son, he should hold the father in reverence. "ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time," said jesus, "thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the lord thine oaths. but i say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is god's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by jerusalem; for it is the city of the great king." the father of us all is to be held in awe. "thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain; for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
reverence for personal honor.
in like manner, the value and dignity of man require that he should hold his own personal honor in reverence. his word should be as good as his bond. it should not be necessary to bind a bargain with an oath. such practice leads easily to profanity. jesus said also, "neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not {73} make one hair white or black. but let your communications be yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
reverence for personal purity.
again, the divine possibilities in him, demand that every man should be willing to make any worldly sacrifice rather than defile his soul with evil. as jesus put it, the light-of-the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" "if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of god with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."
thus we learn, that, in the teachings of jesus, man is the crown of creation. he is the noblest work of god. he has in him the possibilities of godhood. he is indeed the son of god. that is why there has been manifested such unstinted love for him. and that is why man should cultivate sincere reverence for god, and reverence for his own personal honor, and reverence for his own personal purity.
"know ye not that ye are the temple of god, and that the spirit of god dwelleth in you? if any man defile the temple of god, him shall god destroy; for the temple of god is holy, which temple ye are."
(see shakespeare's apostrophe to man in "hamlet.")
{74} the references
john 3:16. mark 9:42.
john 15:12-13. matt. 10:29, 31.
ps. 8:4. matt. 5:33-37, 45, 48.
luke 15:2-7. matt. 6:22, 23.
mark 8:36, 37. luke 9:47.
1 cor. 3:16, 17.
the questions
1. what does the parable of the lost sheep illustrate?
2. what value did jesus place on a man's soul?
3. what difference did a man's station in life make to the love of jesus?
4. why did jesus place so high a value on the soul of man?
5. what duty does man owe god?
6. what duties does man owe himself?
7. how is the body of man the temple of god?
