Part 15 (1/2)
His love shared human joy. ”These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.”
His love held redemption--was a saving love. ”He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.”
His love knew fullest forgiveness. He said to the woman taken in sin, ”Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more.”
His love brought friends.h.i.+p. ”Ye are my friends.”
His love gave new meaning to justice. ”Her sins which are many are forgiven-for she loved much.”
His love gave inspiration, ”If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done.” ”Greater works than these shall ye do.”
His love held the promise of eternal companions.h.i.+p. ”All mine are thine and thine are mine. I will come and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also.”
”Outlawed men, criminals and lepers and madmen, became as little children at His word, and all the wrongs and bruises inflicted on them were healed beneath His kindly glance. This is how He lived and this Gospel was the Gospel of a life He lived in such a way that men saw that love was the only thing worth living for--that life had meaning only as it had love.”
O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee.
I give Thee back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.
This many-sided, all-embracing love is the type of love His followers are pledged to yearn for and to seek earnestly to express. The love of Christ found three great expressions--in giving, in service, in sacrifice.
If we, Christian women, are to reproduce Christ's spirit of love, then giving, service, sacrifice must be dominant in our lives.
How wonderfully and fully the Christ gave of all that He had--Himself.
He needs our gifts to-day, ourselves, our talents, our money. Home Missions means a life to be lived, the full, glad giving of thought, prayer, money, that His love may be made known to all the weary, oppressed, ignorant, waiting, suffering ones in our land.
”Christ gives the best.
And in His service as we're growing stronger The calls to grand achievement still increase.
The richest gifts for us, on earth or in heaven above, Are hid in Christ. In Jesus, we receive the best we have.”
The Christ-love was expressed in service. From the time that He went forth to be ”about His Father's business” we see him always serving to the utmost of His strength with no thought of rest, or comfort.
We recall the long, hard day in Capernaum when after having spent Himself in teaching He came to Peter's house; the news of His presence there spread through the city; quickly were brought unto Him the sick, the crippled and possessed; forgetful of His weariness He healed and ministered unto them until the shadows lengthened and night closed in. All along the way, as He journeyed in Galilee, Judea or Samaria, he gave help and healing to the sick and sinful. When He heard the sad cry of the lepers, He drew near them and gave them cleansing. Those possessed of evil spirits, the blind, the soul sick, the unrealizing, hardened woman at the well, the beautiful, loving Magdelen, all found in Him a response to their utmost need. He said truly, ”The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister.”
He says to us, ”As the Father sent me, so send I you.”
”The final purpose of knowledge is action.”
Grant us the will to fas.h.i.+on as we feel; Grant us the strength to labor as we know; Grant us the purpose ribbed and edged with steel To strike the blow.
Knowledge we ask not--knowledge Thou hast lent, But, Lord, the will--there lies our bitter need.