CHAPTER VII THE CHRISTIAN IN THE DAY'S WORK DAILY READINGS If indeed, the Kingdom of God is the Cause most worth while, it follows that our plain duty is to give up our lives to the forwarding of that Cause. Does this not imply that all our time ought then to be enlisted in direct service, that anyone who has proclaimed his loyalty to the Kingdom ought forthwith to become a minister, a missionary, or a social worker? But, in such a case, how is the ordinary work of the world to be accomplished? Must a man choose between serving the Kingdom on the one hand or joining the army of daily workers on the other? Are some callings "sacred" and others "secular"? FIRST DAY: There is no indication that John the Baptist, when he preached the Kingdom, suggested that the people should leave their regular occupations. He seemed rather to suggest a new standard to be applied in the tasks already assumed. Notice the very practical nature of injunctions to the multitudes, the tax-collectors, and the soldiers. He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we Translate John's answer into modern terms. How do his demands compare with those of the old prophets? (See the prophecy of Amos.) What light does John's attitude throw upon the problem of the difference between "sacred" and "secular"? SECOND DAY: The fine religious sense of the Hebrews recognized the dignity of labor. Can you find a finer tribute to the sacredness of good workmanship than Moses' words about Bezalel? And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, Jehovah hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; and to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of skilful workmanship. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, and of the skilful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any workmanship, and of those that devise skilful works.-Exodus Is it wrong to describe good workmanship as "inspired of God"? What place has fine workmanship in the Kingdom enterprise? THIRD DAY: The old prophet Samuel laid upon the young Saul at the beginning of Saul's Kingship the high commission of God. And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop.-I Sam. 9:25. Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that Jehovah hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?-I Sam. 10: I. Do we in any way recognize today the responsibility of our public officials to God? How? What opportunity has a public official to serve the Kingdom? FOURTH DAY: Paul of Tarsus made no secret of his own trade. If our reading of the record is correct, he practiced it during his lifetime for considerable periods. One of the noblest elements in Jewish education is seen in the fact that every true son of Israel learned a regular trade as a boy. Jesus himself was a carpenter. Labor had distinct dignity and significance for the Jew. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them; and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they wrought; for by their trade they were tentmakers.-Acts 18:2, 3. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.-I Thess. 2: 9. FIFTH DAY: In one of his most pointed letters Paul referred to the bad habit of forgetting that men and women with various abilities were all necessary in the building up of the Christian community. He issued a sharp warning against the minimizing of the importance of any part of the general task. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.-I Cor. Is any one kind of labor more valuable than another? Why, or why not? SIXTH DAY: Jesus drew out for special service a little group of men. Among these disciples, we find a great variety of types, in spite of the fact that they were evidently chosen to be an “inner circle." They came largely from the ordinary occupations of life. And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him. And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons: and Simon he surnamed Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder: and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus and Simon the Cananæan, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.-Mark 3:13-19. Here were simple fishermen like Peter and Andrew; ardent enthusiasts like John and James; Matthew, the taxcollector, a member of a despised caste; Simon the Zealot, one of the revolutionaries; and an honest doubter like Thomas. SEVENTH DAY: Can we justify from the Bible the distinction between "sacred" and "secular"? How far does our study imply the importance and necessity of all callings? Certainly even under ideal conditions, the citizens of the Kingdom require food, houses, clothing, transportation, medical assistance, legal aid, and all the rest. These activities represented here are not additions to life or mere supports of life; taken all together they make up daily life itself. How |