But with all this tenderness for the obligations of Jewish religion as ties, He resented them as bonds. His perfect allegiance to the truth and grace of God ( Jn l'"i made even.- lesser loyalty stand in su]x)rdination. He withdrew Himself more and more from the passion of nationality as emliodied in the religious pedantry and exclusiveness of the Pharisees," imtU at la-st it was almost wholly arrayed against Him and He against it (Mt 23'^ etc.)" The disparagement of Gentiles with which He began (Mt 6^-, cf. 2i;t^), turned to denunciation of the false children and unfaithful servants (Mt .2p>-« pf s!i iji'M \n(l Luke especially records His kindly attitude towards Samaritans (Lk 9^"- 1(<33 i7]6)_ In regard to the terms of the Mosaic Law, He did not hesitate to act as Lord of the Sabbath in the interests of humanity (Mk 3*). And, further. He taught that a man could not be defiled by the eating of meats (Mk 7'*), or cleansed by the washing of ]>ans (Mk T'*). He dis- tressetl His disciples by sending away sorrowful a young devotee of the Law (Mk lO'""-), and offended religious sentiment when He kept company with publicans and sinners (Mt 9", Lk 1.5- 19').
Thus at length the devoted Student of the Scrip- tures and whole-hearted Champion of the Law was ejected from the national jmrty as a deceiver ( Jn 7'- 9^-==*. Mt 27^). and delivered iip to the priests and the Romans. While He was finally accused to the Romans as a pretender in the cause of independ- ence. He was attacked from the beginning by the legalists as an enemy to the cause of unity. Though He enilx)die»l the Hope of Israel and ful-
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NATURALNESS
filled the Law of Moses, it was in the name both of the Hojie wliich the priests mistook and of the Law wliich the scribes misinterpreted, that Jesus was brought to the cross.
But the essential attitude of Jesus in respect to nationality can be better read in the varied witness of His disciples even than in His own. Within the limits of His short career He conformed to the Law, for He was born under it (Gal 4'') ; and He spoke out of a Messianic consciousness (Lk 4'^^), because He came unto His own (Jn V^). But when He was departed, His disciples ' saw greater things than these.' They perceived that the use of current speech and even contemporary ideals was compatible with a more perfect independence of tlieir limitations than the most antagonistic and revolutionary attitude could exjjress. The ideals of Christ moved with such ease in a plane of thoiiglit which is as universal as it is inward, that they could be embodied in the contemporary forms as well as in any other. Whereas the most ardent of reformers, ready to deny standing room to every- thing established, may be quite exclusively the product of his age, and governed by the most pedantic ideas. Thus the gospel of Jesus was re- leased at once and instinctively from its nationalist setting, with this unique result that it lost nothing but gained everything by its liberation. It is true the comimny of original Apostles remained Chris- tian Jews ; but tlie leaders came to recognize tiiat they enjoyed no distinctive privilege of the King- dom which was withiield from tiie Gentiles. And St. Paul, son of Benjamin and pupil of Gamaliel as he was, drew out to the full logical issue the universal implication of the gospel.
The influence of Jesus upon nationality lias been of a composite nature. On the one liand. He has loosened its bonds by enlarging the conception of God and emphasizing the fact of human brother- hood. Nationality was at tirst constituted under the aegis of the national deity, and jirovided the practice-ground and range for social ethics. Thus nationality and religion Avere virtually the same thing, where either meant anything, and where Rome had not obliterated tliem both by tlie triumph of material force and the deification of the reigning Emperor. It was to the sacred union of these two ideas of nationality and religion that Jesus was sacrificed. But the sacrifice enabled religion to pass into the higher stage of association with human it 1/ (cf. Jn 12^-^-^'^), for which, through the providential advance of Rome, tlie world was craving, and towards which in the region of philo- sophy the Stoics had already felt their way (Ac 17-^). What nationality had hitherto done for religion, in providing the scope for its practice of social ethics, iiumanity was to do henceforth. The barriers had been broken down between Jew and Gentile, Greek and barbarian, bond and free ; they being brought by the blood of the Cross near to God, and so to one another, in order that henceforth the bonds of brotherhood might be of a purely human character, and that the parables of the Good Samaritan and of the Shepherd-judgment might be the pattern and sanction for next-door philan- thropies and M-orld-wide missions.
Literature.— Matheson, Growth of the Spirit of Christianity, as well as more formal works ; Wilson Harper, 'The Christian I leiv of Hiuiian Life (1901), chs. vii.-x. ; Forrest, The Author- ity of Christ, (1006), ch. v. ; J. Martineau, Kational Duties (1903), 1 ; B. F. Westcott, Social Aspects of Christianiti/ (1887), 35 ; F. W. Robertson, Sermons (1874), iv. 287 ; D. J. Vau^han, Qitestions of the Day (1894), 12.