| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 4 |
Page 4 |
Or think of what the friendship of Jesus was to John. He was one of the first two who came to Jesus. Several hours were spent in an interview one afternoon. What took place in that blessed experience we do not know, but we are sure that John received impressions and impulses that day which changed all his life. It seems that John was originally intolerant, fiery, and resentful. But all his fierceness was cured by the gentle and softening friendship of Jesus, which lay about him continually like an atmosphere of summer. John’s influence in the world has been marvelous. It has been like a holy fragrance, breathing everywhere, sweetening the air, softening human hardness, making men gentler.
The friendship of Jesus was not always soft and easy. Sometimes it seemed stern and severe. “Think not,” he said, “that I came to send peace on the earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword.” This word appears to break like a false note in a gospel whose keynote was peace. Yet there is world for the sword even in love’s ministry. Human friendships sometimes err in overgentleness. Faithful friendship is sometimes required to speak the word of rebuke, though it should always be in love. Christ loves us too well not to smite the evil he sees in us. His holiness is the enemy of everything in our life that is not beautiful and good. For whatever, then, there is in us that is wrong, he brings the sword. We are not perfect, and cannot be perfect until every evil influence is thrust out. Christ would not be our truest friend if he sent peace to our hearts when they were cherishing pride, self conceit, and selfishness. Love must come, then, as a sword.
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