CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
THE TEACHING OF JESUS ON SIN
THERE are many prayers in the religious literature of India asking for God's forgiveness.
In the seventh book of the Rig Veda there are some hymns by the Rishi Vasishtha which show a sense of penitence and a desire for forgiveness.
They are addressed to Varuna, the.most ethical of the Vedic gods.
'With mine own heart I commune on the question how Varuna and I may be united.
What gift of mine will he accept unangered ?
When may I calmly look and find him gracious?
Fain to know this my sin I question others:
I seek the wise, O Varuna, and ask them.
The one same answer even the sages gave me, surely this Varuna is angry with thee.
What, Varuna, hath been my chief transgression, that thou wouldst slay the friend who sings thy praises?
Tell me, Unconquerable Lord, and quickly sinless will I approach thee with mine homage.
Free us from sins committed by our fathers, from those wherein we have ourselves offended.
O King, loose, like a thief who feeds the cattle, as from the cord a calf, set free Vasishtha.
Not our own will betrayed us, but seduction, thoughtlessness, Varuna, wine, dice, or anger.
The old is near to lead astray the younger : even sleep removeth not all evil-doing.
Slavelike may I do service to the Bounteous, serve, free from sin, the God inclined to anger.
This gentle Lord gives wisdom to the simple: the wiser God leads on the wise to riches."
* Rig Veda, vii. 86.
Quoted in W. Dilger, Salvation in Hinduism: and Christianity, pp. 292-3.
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The poet was ill and on his death-bed.
Conscious of having called forth the wrath of the god Varuna by his evil-doing, he prayed for pardon for sins committed recently as well as in the past, for his own sins as well as the sins of his ancestors.
He tried to excuse himself by saying that these sins were committed as he was misled, while drinking and gambling with others or in moments of anger.
He promised to serve the God with a new faithfulness if he were pardoned.
; Another hymn by the same author seems to have been written under similar circumstances :
"" Let me not yet, King Varuna, enter into the house of clay, Have mercy, spare me, Mighty Lord.
When, Thunderer!
I move along tremulous like a wind-blown skin, Have mercy, spare me, Mighty Lord.
O Bright and Powerful God, through want of strength I erred and went astray :
Have mercy, spare me, Mighty Lord.
Thirst found thy worshipper, though he stood in the midst of water-floods :
Have mercy, spare me, Mighty Lord.
O Varuna, whatever the offence may be, which we as men commit against the heavenly host,
When through our want of thought we violate thy laws, punish us not, O God, for that iniquity." ?
Here too the poet is ill and he traces his suffering to his trespass against the laws of Varuna.
He prays that his sins may be pardoned so that he may not have to enter the house of clay, which means the grave.
The remission of the punishment due to his offence is the object of his petition.
He is anxious to escape punishment and does not seem burdened with the sense of guilt.
In another hymn by the same poet there seems to be a distinct spiritual advance.
Fellowship with the god Varuna is here regarded as the highest gift while sin is a barrier in the way of such fellowship.
" When Varuna and I embark together and urge our boat into the midst of ocean, We, when we ride o'er ridges of the waters, will swing within that swing and there be happy.
* Rig Veda, vii.89.
Quoted in W. Dilger, Salvation in Hinduism and Christianity, pp. 293-4.
THE GOSPEL AND INDIA'S HERITAGE
Varuna placed Vasishtha in the vessel, and deftly with his might made him a Rishi.
When days shone bright, the Sage made him a singer, While the heavens broadened and the dawns were lengthened.
What hath become of those our ancient friendships, when without enmity we walked together?
I, Varuna, thou glorious Lord, have entered thy lofty home, thine house with thousand portals.
If he, thy true ally, hath sinned against thee, still, Varuna, he is the friend thou lovedst.
Let us not, Living One, as sinners, know thee: give shelter, as a Sage, to him who lauds thee." *
Vasishtha had intimate fellowship with Varuna.
They were both travelling in the sun-ship which swayed to and fro in its course through mid-air and were close friends.
The poet feels that he has now lost his friendship on account of his violation of Varuna's laws and prays for the pardon of his offence and the renewal of former protection.
In succeeding ages the saints of India have prayed for forgiveness in moving words.
Tukaram says:
"No deeds I've done nor thoughts I've thought; Save as Thy servant, I am nought.
Guard me, O God, and O, control The tumult of my restless soul.
Ah, do not, do not cast on me The guilt of mine iniquity.
My countless sins, I, Tuka, say, Upon Thy loving heart I lay." * Dadudayal thus pleads for forgiveness :
" Before Thee I am guilty in every nerve and vein; a sinner am I every moment:
Master, forgive me!
In the wide world I stand trembling and alone, chief of all _ sinners, the black cloud of my errors is impenetrable and covers the whole horizon of my life.
; Evils without number, countless vices are within me; many stains are without :
* Rig Veda, vii. 88.
Quoted in W. Dilger, Salvation in Hinduism and Christianity, p. 294.
"N. Macnicol, Psalms of Maratha Saints, p. 76.
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OF JESUS ON SIN
Not a single good deed have I done; no virtue is there in me; no merit is mine:
Yet forsake not Thy sinful child, for without Thee where is my refuge?
Desire, pride, anger and falsehood have misled me since my birth: O miserable man that I am!
Thou only art my help:
Father, wash me with the nectar of Thy rich forgiveness and heal the mind that is sore." ®
It is evident, then, that some of the best men in India have felt the seriousness of their sin.
In talking with Hindus to-day all of them accept the fact of sin, their own guilt and their need for pardon.
And yet it must be said that this sense of sin is not very deep among Hindus generally.
The eager desire for forgiveness is not one of the driving-forces in the religious life of India.
For this several reasons may be assigned !
In popular Hinduism forgiveness appears to be a very easy thing indeed.
Bathing in sacred rivers is considered to be quite effective for the wiping away of sin.
All over India thousands of men are making pilgrimages daily to holy rivers in the hope that their sins will be washed away.
The utterance of mantras and the frequent repetition of God's name are regarded as other means for the attainment of pardon and forgiveness.
The belief in such pilgrimages and mantras definitely tends to bring about a shallow idea of sin.
2. The doctrine of Karma plays a most important part in the thought of both the man-in-the-street and the educated man.
The problem of getting rid of Karma is far more pressing than the problem of getting rid of sin. There is a significant poem in Tiruvacagam:
"In the strong grasp of deeds, I lay, hidden amid illusion's shrouding gloom.
Thou binding with rare cords of virtue and of sin, Didst clothe with outer skin, enveloping with worms and filth,—- .
Within my nine-gated dwelling foul bewildered, By the five senses sore deceived,— To me, mean as I was, with no good thing, Thou didst grant ace, That I, with mind erewhile embruted,—pure one !—should
Become commingling love, in soul-subduing rapture melt!
5A. J. Appasamy, Temple Bells, p.62.
For other prayers for forgiveness see Temple Bells, pp. 55-64.
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Thou cam'st in grace on this same earth, didst show Thy mighty feet To me who lay mere slave,—meaner than any dog,—
Essential grace more precious than a mother's love! " ° To Manikkavachakar, who wrote these lines in Tamil, the bondage of Karma is worse than the bondage of sin. Man lies entangled in deeds.
The life of virtue and sin is imposed upon him by God.
The earlier and the more important experience is that of Karma.
The desire to get rid of Karma and of the births and deaths which they bring about is of compelling power.
Of this I speak more in the next chapter.
3. The idea that all that happens in the world is God's doing is deeply rooted in the Hindu mind.
When many Hindus are confronted with evil in their own lives they are apt to say that whatever occurs, whether good or evil, is God's work.
They forget that there is such a thing as man's evil will, constantly thwarting God's purposes.
It is not right that we should make God responsible for the evil things in life which are the result of man's sin. The Hindu doctrine of God tends to make Him the author of everything, both good and evil.
This brings about a weak and shallow conception of sin.
There is a peculiar development of thought confined to the Bhaktas.
Some of them, especially those who follow the Bhagavat Purana, are inclined to make religious experience a highly emotional thing.
They think that they realize God only when their feelings are deeply moved.
Such ecstasy, often showing itself in song and dance, is regarded as the highest end of the Bhakta's life.
All his energies are devoted to its attainment.
The failure to experience religious thrills is regarded as a serious offence.
Many Bhaktas constantly blame themselves for it.
The failure to walk in the path of virtue does not trouble them in the same way.
For this reason the conviction of sin is very superficial in some earnest and sincere Bhaktas.
The Vision of God A distinguished missionary thinker who, convinced of the weakness of the Hindu ethical sense, has tried by many arguments to deepen it has confessed that his efforts in this direction have not been of much avail.
My own conviction is that the more effective way would be to begin with God and not with man.
'The Hindu has a real passion for God.
He is willing * Manikkavachakar's Tiruvdcagam, translated by G. U. Pope, Tiruvdcagam,, p. 5-
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to suffer to the utmost in order to realize God.
Here we have a very useful point of contact with him.
Instead of seeking to put into him something in which he is lacking, namely a deep conviction of sin, why not begin with God, for whom he has a passionate longing?
The Hindu should be first helped to understand the wonder and the depth of God's love, particularly as revealed on Calvary.
It is interesting to note that Canon Raven, in his latest book The Cross and the Crisis, advocates this line of approach not merely for India but for all countries.
'' Quite plainly, to begin with sin—indeed to begin with the state of man at all—is to begin at the wrong point.
Begin with God; for the mystery is first and foremost an unveiling of the nature of God.
It has, I think, been a definite source of weakness both to the Church and to preaching of the Gospel that men have so continuously felt that their first business was to awaken a sense of sin.
Plainly we become conscious of sin as opposed to sins, we become conscious of our own deep frustration as opposed to those acts which violate convention and respectability, precisely in proportion as we get a glimpse of God—as we are caught up into a consciousness of things eternal, of the beauty and truth and goodness, dimly glimpsed in the universe, manifested in it, and from time to time making us aware of their presence." '
The vision of God will bring about the conviction of man's sin and guilt.
There is an interesting incident in the life of Jesus which sheds light on this matter.
'" And he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
And he entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes out of the boat.
And when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets.
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their nets were breaking; and they beckoned unto their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them.
And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O
Lord.
For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the 7G, E. Raven, The Cross and the Crisis, p. 47.
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draught of the fishes which they had taken." * Simon Peter realized from this incident that Jesus was a supernatural being and his immediate thought was that in that case he himself was not worthy to be in the company of Jesus.
Evéry sincere man who has the vision of God exclaims, "I am a sinful man, O Lord."
In Isaiah, Chapter vi., this point is even clearer.
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." ®
In the Bhagavad Gita there is an interesting glimpse of this truth.
Krishna described his nature to Arjuna, who was not satisfied with this account. He longed to have a vision of Krishna as he really was.
He prayed for such a vision and it appeared before him, resplendent with glory.
When Krishna saw this glorious vision he realized that he may have taken liberties with Krishna and asked for his forgiveness.
In other words, the vision roused in Arjuna a sense of the sin of irreverence and he besought Krishna's pardon for the same.
" Hail to Thee before, and hail to Thee behind, and hail to Thee on every side, O All.
Infinite in power and immeasurable in might, Thou dost pervade all, and therefore Thou art All.
If, thinking that Thou art my friend and unaware of this Thy greatness, I addressed Thee in ignorance or love as ' O Krishna,'
'O Yadava' or ' O Friend'
—If in my mirth I showed no reverence to Thee while playing or resting, while sitting or eating, while alone, O eternal Lord, or in the presence of others, I implore Thee, who art infinite, to pardon me.
Thou art the Father of the world—of all that move and all that do not move.
Thou art the object of its worship and its greatest Teacher.
There is no one equal to Thee.
How then could there be in the three worlds one greater than Thee, O Thou of incomparable power?
Therefore I bow down and prostrate myself before Thee, adorable Lord, and seek Thy
* Luke v. 2-9.
*Isaiah vi. 1-5.
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grace.
Bear with me as a father with a son, as a friend with a friend, and as a lover with his beloved." ™
When we see the vision of God, especially of His love as manifested on Calvary, we realize how deeply unworthy we are and how many barriers exist between us and God.
Jesus speaks of the many barriers in the way of our fellowship.with God.
To these we may now turn our attention.
Barriers to Communion with God 1.
Indifference.
Many people keep away from God simply from indifference.
Christ spoke a parable and said: 'A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many: and he sent forth his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden,
Come; for all things are now ready.
And they all with one consent began to make excuse.
The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them:
I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
And the servant came, and told his lord these things.
Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame.
And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room.
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled.
For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." "
The reasons which these men gave were not in themselves wrong.
It is not a sin to buy a field or five yoke of oxen.
As long as people need food it has to be raised from the earth and this means that farmers should have lands to cultivate and oxen with which to do their work.
What was really wrong was that these men preferred to see their land or oxen rather than attend the feast.
It was not a crime on the part of the third man to get married.
But when he refused to go to the feast because he had married a wife he showed that he was not particularly anxious to be present at the feast.
To-day many interesting things take up men's attention.
Talkies attract a great many people.
The daily paper with all kinds of news runs away with — " The Bhagavad Gita, xi. 40-4, translated by D. S. Sarma, The Bhagavad
Gita, pp. 170-2.
* Luke xiv. 16-24.
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a good deal of our time.
Fascinating novels are written in large numbers and command hundreds of thousands of readers.
'The radio provides music and education; even people in remote villages can hear good music and listen to informing addresses,
People with money own cars and spend much time in driving long distances.
Now there is nothing wrong in any of these.
The reading of a novel or the listening to a concert on the radio is not wrong.
But these amusements are so abundant to-day that there is little time for the quiet and peace needed for cultivating fellowship with God.
Life, especially in the cities, becomes a rush.
Men and women want to enjoy themselves and are so busy in hurrying from one engagement to another that they do not find time for God.
Jesus teaches that this is wrong and that to be indifferent to God's love is a sin.
The attractions of the world are not of permanent value : pursued too much they soon become tiresome.
People become discontented with their normal life; the duties in the home, in the school and in the office become a burden.
It is more interesting to read a novel than to cook a meal or to mend a garment.
It is easier to read the daily paper than to pray.
The danger of forgetting God through the abundant distractions of the modern age is a real one.
It is quite necessary that we should realize that these amusements should not take up the time that should really be given to God.
Worry.
Worry about daily needs keeps us from God.
Christ said:
'"' Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are not ye © of much more value than they?
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why are ye anxious concerning raiment?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? "
Millions of men and women suffer untold hardships from poverty.
Many of them do not even know where their next meal will come from.
Even those who are not actually poor * Matthew vi. 25-30.
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have several needs to meet.
We have to provide ourselves with clothes, food and houses to live in.
In these days we desire also the opportunities for education and amusement which need money.
'The danger is that we may be so worried about these things that we may forget God.
The task of finding the money for meeting the various needs of life becomes a burden.
Social and religious workers, who have seen the vision of a new day, are working hard so that there may not be such vast differences between the rich and the poor as at present.
Slowly all over the world standards of life are improving for every one.
It is likely that as years go by the conditions under which men live will steadily -become better though we cannot say whether all, poverty and suffering will be abolished.
But whatever the social conditions may be, there will be innumerable daily needs to meet and millions will be busy worrying about how to meet them.
Such anxiety keeps us away from God.
We are busy planning out ways of earning and spending money.
There is no room for God in our lives.
To such' Jesus speak of the Heavenly Father's love.
He takes care even of the birds in the air and of the flowers in the field.
Nothing can be achieved by worry.
A man cannot add even an inch to his height by anxiety.
Jesus Himself was a poor man.
He belonged to the ranks of skilled labour and was a carpenter by trade.
When He began His religious work He gave up even His home.
He said of Himself that He had nowhere to lay His head.
With His band of disciples He wandered as a Sannyasi from village to village and from town to town, depending upon the gifts of His friends and followers.
He had no economic security.
He had no monthly salary, no landed property and no bank account.
He had no shares in profitable investments with dividends coming in regularly.
And yet He was absolutely free from anxiety about His daily needs.
He had complete confidence in the love and goodness of God.
He knew without any doubt that God would provide for Him and that He would get all the supplies
He wanted.
If only we could understand something of the intimate concern of God for every creature we should turn to: Him more often.
Jesus teaches us that nothing in the world happens without God.
** Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father: but the very hairs of your head are all numbered." **
Science to-day is extending considerably our knowledge of the universe.
We are * Matthew x. 29, 30.
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told about thousands of suns and stars, about which we did not know anything before.
Even in such a vast world it is good to realize that God's infinite care extends to the smallest atom in creation and that the lowliest bird or insect lives because of Him.
Men and women with minds and souls are also, therefore, certainly under His care.
He knows all about us.
He provides for our needs.
There is a purpose in the universe.
The world is not simply a chaos; natural forces alone are not at work.
Behind them there is the watchful eye of the Father.
As long' as we are worried we cannot realize the Father's care.
And so Jesus teaches us not to worry but to know that our loving Father will meet all our needs.
Worldliness.
Jesus told the parable of a rich fool who became drunk with the wine of success.**
His fields were yielding good crops and his storehouses were found to be too small.
They had to be pulled down.
He was prepared to work quite hard.
He would pull down the old storehouses, he would not grudge the loss and the trouble which this would involve.
He would calculate accurately the needs for future years, he would make careful plans for the new buildings and he would find the money necessary for their construction.
But having built the new granaries and filled them to their capacity, he would begin to enjoy himself.
He was not aware of anything higher.
He was certainly lacking in spiritual knowledge.
To say that eating, drinking and being merry was the goal of his life shows that his soul was but little developed.
No one with a spark of spiritual understanding would have thought this.
God spoke to him severely and taught him the badly needed lesson, that man is mortal and may die at any time.
When he dies all his worldly possessions, so carefully accumulated, are of no value.
The soul must be rich towards God.
He must realize that any abundance of worldly goods cannot take the place of God.
Here, again, the temptations of the modern man are far stronger than in the time of Jesus.
Science has taught us many new ways of making money.
We are able to make land yield far more.
Clothes, scents and chocolates, meant to make life more enjoyable, are manufactured on a large scale in factories which show big profits.
Men of enormous wealth are found in all countries.
The temptations to accumulate wealth appeal to many of the most brainy men and they yield to it. The pursuit of money comes to have an absorbing importance.
There are too many opportunities to-day to extend business on a vast * Luke xii. 16-21.
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scale, to beat down competitors ruthlessly and to practise doubtful methods of buying and selling.
To all men who seek to increase their worldly goods, whether on a large scale or on a small and to pin their faith to them, Jesus says that we must be rich towards God.
God is an enduring Reality.
The spirit in man will live in eternal communion with Him.
The body may die; the world may pass away; the sun may 'slowly lose its warmth as the scientists say; all creatures may be frozen to death; but the spirit in man will continue to dwell in the Presence of the Eternal Father.
Our life on this earth is uncertain.
We may die to-morrow.
When we die the goods we have gathered together in this world are of no value to us and must only be left behind.
But if, on the other hand, we are rich towards God we shall find permanent bliss.
Being rich towards God means that we know clearly God's love for us and that we love Him with our whole heart.
We are confident of His goodness towards us and to the whole world.
To remain in His Presence in prayer and meditation is bliss; to work for Him among men, seeking to help them, is immense joy. We are then rich in spiritual possessions.
Our treasures are not the things of the world which perish but the things of the spirit such as love and truth and service which endure.
The spirit may be called to-morrow from its life in this world but it will not be helpless; it has already learnt to have intercourse with God, the Eternal Spirit, and it will abide in that fellowship.
Steadily its knowledge of God will become clearer; its capacity to love God and men will become fuller; and its power to serve and suffer will become greater.
4. Lack of Faith.
Jesus had a great deal to say about the lack of faith in His generation.
He was most patient and rarely used strong words of condemnation, but He felt compelled to rebuke people for their lack of faith.
He often spoke about the unlimited possibilities of faith.
'' And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. Therefore
I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them." ** He
Himself had complete faith in God.
He had no doubt in His own mind about God's infinite resources.
And therefore whenever He came across people who had doubts about the power * Mark xi. 22-24.
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of God He rebuked them.
It was but natural that to one who had unwavering faith in God hesitation on the subject seemed worthy of strong criticism.
To-day there is far less faith in the time of Jesus. We understand a great many things more clearly than when He lived.
Science has advanced a good deal and it says that we can only believe those things which can actually be proved in the laboratory.
We cannot believe or accept anything on surmise.
~ The existence of God cannot be proved by scientific tests and so some scientists say that we cannot believe in God.
In recent years we have come to know much about the influence of mind over body.
If a sick man really believes that he is improving in health and could tell himself truly that day by day he is getting better, he will get better.
He need not take any medical treatment; his mind will influence his body; he will cure himself by the power of his thought.
From this some scientists conclude that if prayer is offered for a sick man and he recovers, the cure is not due to God who brings about the healing but is simply the result of the influence of the mind of the person who prays over the body of the patient.
For this reason many people do not pray these days.
The fullness of God's power cannot flow into our lives if there is lack of faith in us.
Only when there is faith can there be any helpful relationship between man and God.
Even a schoolboy cannot get much help from his teacher if he thinks that the teacher does not know anything.
He must have confidence in the teacher, he must be prepared to do what the teacher tells him todo.
If he is told to work hard, he must do so even though for some time he does not see the results of his work.
Only if the boy is sure that his teacher does know and that he can help can any good come out of the instruction.
This is even more true of our relation to God. We must know that He exists, that He has unlimited power, that He is really anxious to help us, and that there is no limit to His readiness to hear us.
It is only where such unswerving faith in God exists that there can be real communion with Him.
If we have any doubts about His existence or about His love, we shall not care to approach Him ; prayer will not mean anything to us; there will be no longing in our hearts for His Presence; and we shall not make any effort to hear Him speak amidst the tumult of the world.
5. Impurity.
Jesus said:
" Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." ** There can be no vision of God where * Matthew v. 8.
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there is sin.
Sim according to Jesus does not mean only the - outer act which people see; it means also the thought from which the outer act springs.
A well which is contaminated at the bottom is dirty up to the surface.
If it is to become a fresh, clean well, the dirt at the very bottom must be removed.
It is no use throwing out only the bad water without clearing off the dirt which spoils the water.
Even if all the water in the well is thrown out, the new water which oozes out will still be dirty.
But if the source of dirt is removed, all the water in the well will become clean and the new supplies will come out clean and fresh.
Jesus teaches that there must be absolute purity. A man must not kill; he must not even-have the angry thought which sometimes issues in murder.
'" Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement: but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgement; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou, fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire." *"
The world judges only by the outer act, If a man does not commit murder he is not guilty.
His mind may be filled with bitterness but as long as there is no practical expression of his anger which people can see he is not condemned.
But Jesus says that not only the act of murder but even the angry thought is a sin.
In the same way He teaches that the lustful look on a woman is as bad as adultery.
'" Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." **
The evil thought is the source of the evil act; where there is no evil thought there can be no evil act.
The world condemns only if there is open wickedness.
But Jesus traces the trouble to its root and condemns even the wicked thought.
There are men whose minds are impure, who have indecent pictures hanging in their rooms and who constantly read exciting novels in which acts of adultery are described in great detail and with much relish.
Outwardly they may be good men and the world may have nothing to say against them, but judged by the standard of Jesus they are not clean.
' Matthew v. 21, 22.
*® Matthew v. 27, 28.
THE GOSPEL AND INDIA'S HERITAGE
The vision of God is possible only when there is purity of body and mind.
God is holy; He can only be seen by those who are holy. The experience of God is not a pleasant emotion which comes into our minds by constant prayer or religious study, whatever our lives may be.
We cannot have bitter thoughts about other people and expect to see God. We cannot cheat in business and hope to hear God speaking when we sit down to prayer.
We cannot continually tell lies and hope to understand God's goodness.
God is so pure and holy that only those who are pure can know Him.
Jesus then taught that sin is a tremendous barrier between God and man.
In the night the world is covered with darkness and all activity is practically at a standstill.
We say the sun has set; as a matter of fact, the sun has not set; only we have turned away from the face of the sun.
The sun is always radiating its light and warmth.
We turn away from it and are unable to do much. The same with God. He is always spreading
His love and goodness and truth.
He is never silent or inactive.
Only we move away from Him because of our sin.
Sin makes it impossible for us to know God and to find out what He wants us todo; even if we know what He wants us to do we cannot do it.
Therefore all through His ministry Jesus called men to repentance.
When sick people came to Him to be healed He forgave them their sins because He knew that unless they were released of the burden of their sin they could not get even physical health.
He moved especially with publicans and sinners.
The world keeps sinners apart; it is afraid of them or it wants to teach them the lesson that they have done something gravely wrong.
But Jesus was eager to help sinners.
When He was criticized for this He said that He had come not for the sake of the righteous but for the sake of sinners. People who are healthy and strong do not need a doctor; only those who are ill need him."
He was particularly pleased when sinners repented and showed their love to God.
When a woman who was a sinner repented she broke a box of fine scent as a mark of her gratitude to Him.
Those who saw this remarked about the waste of money.
But He encouraged her, for He said that where much had been forgiven there would be much love.
A man whose large debt is cancelled will feel far more grateful than a man whose small debt is wiped out."
If a man has a hundred sheep * Luke v. 27-32.
* Luke vii. 36—50.
THE TEACHING OF JESUS ON SIN
and loses one of them, he will not rest until he traces it and his joy when it is found is great.
A woman who loses a coin will sweep up the house carefully and when she finds the coin again she will rejoice greatly over it and tell her neighbours about it.
So too the angels of God rejoice over every sinner who repents and is saved."* ; 4 Juke xv. 4-10.