| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 1 |
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Jesus Christ is accepted as divine Teacher – a Teacher come from God. Let us ask him, “What are the best things?” and we find answers to our question on every page of the Gospels. In his Sermon on the Mount he says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of your Father and his righteousness.” He had been exhorting his disciples against anxiety. He assured them that their Father who cares for the birds, and clothes the flowers, would much more surely care for them. They need never have any anxiety, therefore, nor give themselves a moment’s care about their physical needs. Instead of this, they should seek first and only the Father’s kingdom, and all else that they should need would be supplied to them.
The things of God’s kingdom, therefore, are the best things. We learn what some of these things are from the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” that is, the lowly, the humble. Those who think highly of themselves are not the highest in God’s sight, but those who forget themselves and hold all their gifts and powers at the bidding of the Master for any service to which he may send them. Jesus spoke only once of his own heart, and then he said he was meek and lowly in heart.
His whole life was one of lowliness. His hands had made the worlds, but he used them without reserve in serving earth’s needy ones.
“Blessed are the meek.” The meek are the long suffering, those who endure wrong patiently, uncomplainingly, returning love for hate, kindness for unkindness, and prayers for curses. Men do not usually think of meekness as one of the best things, but Jesus writes it high in the list, and says that the meek shall inherit the earth.
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