The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 66

Thie is the inspiration of the mission of eel6shneee in every age. Its aim is eelf- advo.nto.ge, power, authority, glory, fame, the praise of men, numerical strength, and r,redominant influence. (2) It is inspired by self-advantage at the exp-,nse of other!!.. The thief in benefiting himself robs his fellow-man. The principles of honesty and justice o.re recklessly violated. The selfish teacher is a thief, living on mental and spirituo.l plunder; gratifying himself at the expense of man and God, and at the expense of honesty and rectitude; robbing man of his spiritual birthright, liberty, ~mi manhood, and standing between him and the light of heaven; robbing Christ of his office and position as the only Medium of spiritual blessings, and robbing God of the homage and glory due to his }fame, and of his throne in the human heart. (3) It seeks self-advantage by cunningness and stealth. The thief attains his ends under the cover of do.rkncss in the night, when his victims are asleep and off their guard. Before the public he studies to appear as an honest man, but behind their backs he studies to rob them. The counterpart of this has been and is in full play in the religious world. The selfish teacher aUains his ends by stealth. He makes use of Christ to rob him, and wears the garb of holiness to defraud it of its reality. In the degree he deceives he succeeds, and deceives by the most consummate craftiness, and his true character is fully known only on the other side. 2. Its spirit and aim are murderous. "And to kill." (1) It kills the life of the body. If the thief cannot carry his booty by stealth, he will not scrnple to ta.ke away the life of him who may oppose him. What killed the prophets, crucified our Lord, martyred his apostles, persecuted, imprisoned, and burnt hosts of his followers through the ages? It was this mission of selfishness in its vo.ried forms. Is not its spirit the same to-day, and are not scores of precious lives taken away by this mission in the Name of Christ? (2) It kills the life of the soul. By keeping it in ignorance, by standing between it and its t11.1e life and elements of support, by lowering its aspirations and centering its affections on things below and not on things above, on its lower self and not on God, on the present and not on the future, on this world and not on the other, by supplying its want.a with false and unsuitable nutriment, and materializing its affections, thus it is lost and stealthily killed. 3. Its spirit and aim are destructive. ".And to destroy." If the thief cannot steal o.nd kill, he will destroy valuable property. The mission of selfishness in the time of our Lord had not only killed the very life of the nation, but also had destroyed the spiritual food of the sheep with an admixture of human tradition and the devilish spirit of selfishness and murder. Thus in every age this mission poisons the living water and the bread of life, and adulterates the milk. of the Word; and if it cannot kill the sheep, it will as far o.s possible destroy their pasture and spiritual supplies. ¾, Its spirit and aim are entirely self-seeking, cruel, and destructive. "The thief cometh not, but," etc. The genius and history of the mission of selfishness are spiritual robbery, murder, and destruction. II, 'fHE MISSION OF DIVINE LOVE, In contrast with the mission of selfishness, we have the mission of Divine love in Christ. " I came," etc. 1. It is a mission of Divina authority. The mission of selfishness was unlawful, and existed by stealth, robbery, and unrighteousness. The mission of Christ was legal and Divine. He came not as a thief, but as a Divine messenger, openly, according to the Divine plan, to fulfil the Divine promise and purpose. He came in the volume of the book written of him. He came in the fulness of time, in the open do.y, His appearance was heralded, and he carried with him all the credentials of Divine power o.nd authority. 2. It is a mission of Divine benevolence, (1) Christ came to give. "That they may ha.ve," etc. If we have, Christ must give. 'l'he mission of selfishness is to steal, to take away from men what they ho.ve, and deprive them of what they may have. But Christ came that men may have; he came lo give, to benefit the human family. He came not for his own suke, but for the so.ke of others. He became poor to make the world rich. (2) He came to confer on men the greaust blessing. "That they may have life." The Divine life, the spiritual and highest life of the soul, the life it had lost by sin and kept from by a sinful and a selfish mission. This life was men's greatest need; for this they panted, and nothing but this could save them from spiritual death and make them happy. Man's greatest blessing is that which will satisfy his greatest want. Spiritual lifo is this, and to bring it within his reach Christ came to the world. (3) To confer this blessing on men w11s the sole object of hia coming. Ho had no other message. Every other con• 68 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oH. X, 1-42.