The Mind of Christ

The Mind of Christ THE MIND OF CHRIST
By Paul Southern

Introduction The world has produced many outstanding men in the various fields of human endeavor. Time would fail us to tell of all the luminaries that have enlightened the ages with their radiant splendor. For instance, the songs of Shakespeare have been sung around the globe. Millions have bathed their thirsty souls in the musical waters of Beethoven’s symphonies. In our own country we have had many benefactors of civilization. George Washington, the father of our nation, gave a personal fortune to help perpetuate American democracy. Benjamin Franklin had time to snatch the lightning from the sky, and a scepter from the hands of George III. Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, broke the shackles of millions of slaves and linked his name with that of liberty and freedom. The flowery eloquence of W. J. Bryan has likewise reverberated against a thousand hills in the interest of world peace. But of all the characters who have distinguished themselves in the march of civilization, none is com-parable to Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He outshines all other stars in the human firmament, just as the sun shines with greater splendor than all the planets that revolve around it.

He towers above all other creatures, just as Pike’s Peak rises above the little hills that surround it.

Jesus Christ is the most noted man ever clothed in mortal flesh. He is talked about more than any other creature, for he is the idol of millions of Christians, and the popular target for millions of enemies. Jesus is written about more than any other person. The Bible is the best seller of all books, even in the wicked city of Hollywood, California, and Christ is the central figure of the entire book. The books, tracts and other compositions written about the Lord are as innumerable as the stars of the heavens. Jesus is likewise sung about more than any other creature. In the hymn book of the church there is not a single song ascribed to the memory of George Washington. On the other hand, it contains scores of hymns in honor of our Lord.

It may not be his true likeness, but the face of Jesus has been painted more than that of any other person. And what man is not moved by that inspiring picture, “The Man of Galilee”? There is a thrill in his name that makes even infidels and skeptics shudder, for they are afraid he is all that he claims to be—the Son of God and the Savior of the world. In one of his most famous addresses against Jesus, Robert Ingersoll concluded by saying: “Regardless of all else that may be said about him, the Nazarene was one of the greatest characters that ever lived.” In this address we are to discuss another phase of the matchless life of Jesus. The topic which has been assigned to me is “The Mind of Christ.” From the Philippian letter let us read a very appropriate text. Paul said: “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-11). In order for us to appreciate the lesson properly, some limitations and explanations are in order. We shall not concern ourselves with the incarnation suggested in the text. Other speakers on the program will discuss this phase. And when we say “The Mind of Christ,” we are not thinking of that superior intellect which Jesus had. Truly this would be an interesting investigation, for Christ had the greatest mind that ever engaged the powers of burning eloquence or inspired poetic fire. Our discussion will have to do with the major characteristics of the spirit or dis-position of Christ.

1. An Obedient Mind The first thing that attracts our attention is the obedient mind of Christ. That he was obedient to his earthly parents is suggested by the fact that “he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was subject unto them” (Luke 2:51). In this age of disobedience, children would do well to emulate the example of Chist. Paul says: “But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of liis” (Rom. 8:9). Christ was also obedient to his heavenly Father, as the following Scriptures clearly teach. “For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Again we hear him say: “for I do always the things that are pleasing to him” (John 8:29). Thus he was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). The writer of Hebrews also tells us: “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:8, 9).
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What does such a disposition on the part of Christ mean to us? May I suggest that the world is still waiting for the sunrise of real Christian devotion. We have emphasized the doctrinal, often to the neglect of the practical. Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, was accepted as a convert to the Greek Catholic Church. And yet, after his alleged conversion, he murdered his conquered colleague and brother-in-law; sentenced to death his eleven-year-old nephew; killed his eldest son; brought about the death of his second wife; took the nails that were supposed to come from the cross of Christ and put one of them on his war helmet, and one on the bridle of his war horse. In spite of all these sordid crimes, he was canonized by the Greek Catholic Church and hailed by the Council of Nicaea as “a bishop of bishops.” Certainly, Constantine had failed to learn the first lesson of true discipleship. And one of the great needs of modern Christianity is to re-discover the laws of the Christ of the Mount. Lack of respect for constituted authority is a marked characteristic of the denominational world.

2. A Prayerful Mind

Christ also had a prayerful mmd. He began his earthly ministry in prayer. “Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having bean baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son: in thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21, 22). Jesus continued stedfastly in prayer. He thought more of prayer than he did of rest. “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there piayed” (Mark 1:35). He also thought more of prayer than he did of sleep. “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 3:12). He closed his earthly ministry in prayer. Upon the cross he prayed: “My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:43). And again: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Just before he made his ascension to the right hand of God, he lifted up his hands and blessed the disciples (Luke 21:50, 51). Now in the very holy of holies, Jesus continues his prayers for us, for “he ever liveth to make intercession for” us (Heb. 7:25).

Prayer is one of the most beautiful exercises of the Christian, the nearest possible approach to God. In fact, prayer is the high water mark of Christianity. Jesus never uttered a more sacred word than when he taught our trembling lips to say: “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:9). With one word, “Our,” he taught us the brotherhood of man. With one word, “Father,” he taught us the Fa-therhood of God. Yet we often spoil this sacred exercise of prayer by using it for a sordid purpose. Prayer often becomes a parade filled with selfishness and ostentation. In one of the great art galleries there is a picture which at a distance seems to portray a monk standing with folded hands in prayer. But when you approach the picture, you notice that the monk is squeezing a lemon into a punch bowl. Prayer may seem reverential at a distance, but when we get closer, we find that it has been used for self. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself” (Luke 18:11). It is this praying with self that makes prayer a self-ish exercise. Prayer took on a new meaning for me when I leaned over the bed and helped to teach our two-year-old son to say: “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Paul Jr. looked up from his little crib and said: “Daddy, why don’t you say your prayers with me?” Since that time prayer has had a deeper meaning for me.

3. A Serving Mind Our Savior also had a serving mind. At the age of twelve he manifested this characteristic. When found in the temple, talking with the teachers, he said to his parents: “Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Within the shadow of the cross he said: “We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Again we hear him say: “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). In giving his disciples an idea of true greatness, he said: “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 23:11).

It has been truly said that “He profits most who serves best.” Some Christians are slow to learn this lesson. I once knew a school teacher who was a gospel preacher. He said to me: “I would not be a local church preacher.” Naturally I wanted to know why. He said to me: “Because you never know when your job is completed.” And so I learned about Christianity from him. Think of it! Here was a man going out to tell people about the serving Christ, and looking for a place to quit. Such ingratitude will crucify the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. There is no quitting place in Christian service. Paul said: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Remember the parable of the pearl of great price. Everything worthwhile costs toil. The greatest things are attained only by hardship and struggle. The traveler who ascends to the summit of the Swiss Alps does so at the expense of hard labor and danger. But when at last he reaches the top, what a commanding and imposing view he has. In like manner, heaven is not gained by a single bound, but “we build the ladder by which we rise from the lowly earth to the vaulted skies, and mount to its summit round by round.”

4. A Humble Mind The mind of the Master Was likewise humble, and this spirit is inseparably linked with acceptable service. Our text says that he “counted not the being on equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus was born in humble environs in a little town on the outskirts of civilization. He was brought forth in a stable and cradled in a manger, and perhaps never traveled over an area more than one hundred miles long during his personal ministry. He lived a life of humility, associating with and serving the common people. In him the lowliest found a friend, for he was interested in the least, the last and the lost. In washing the disciples’ feet he left an incomparable picture of humility (John 13:1-17). Here we are reminded that there are only two great philosophies of life. Nietzsche summed up one of them when he said, “Assert thyself.” This German philosopher was interested only in the glorification of the will to power, and the development of a super-man. Nietzsche died in a mad-house, and the world that followed him went to the very brink of hell in that war which was supposed “to make the world safe for democracy.” Jesus stands at the very opposite of such a philosophy and says, “Renounce thyself.” “If any man would come after me,” he said, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). The genesis of such an attitude is found in self-renunciation; the exodus is life eternal.

Truly, the way to heaven is down. You must lose yourself in humble service at the bottom of the ladder before you can find your crown at the top of the ladder. But too many nominal disciples are interested in getting credit for what they do. The Pharisees often stood in the synagogues and on the corners of the street to be seen of men. Dr. E. Stanley Jones tells of a Hindu -worshipper who sat on a bed of spikes and pretended to be repenting in ashes. But that bed of spikes was at the crossroads where the race of men go by, where the penitent could be seen. When Dr. Jones was about to take a picture of the man, he objected because his ashes were not on straight. Some professed Christians are likewise afraid that their ashes are not on straight.

However, the truly great men of ages past and many loyal souls of our generation have not sought the plaudits of the world, but have lost themselves in a righteous cause. Yet some men cannot live and work without glory, any more than a drug addict can live without his drug, or a whiskey fiend without his whiskey. They are continually striving for a position in the limelight. They like to hear their names heralded from the platform, and see their pictures in the leading journals of the land. The trouble with Benedict Arnold was that he loved fame more than he loved duty. Napoleon continually harped on glory, but never mentioned duty. As a result, when glory and duty clashed on the field of Waterloo, duty triumphed as it always does. Well did the poet Gray say:

“The boast of heraldry and the pomp of power,
and all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave
Await alike the inevitable hour—
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

Napoleon was a complete embodiment of the spirit of self-assertiveness. At the outset the plan seemed to work, but in the end it brought destruction. At first Europe bowed at his feet, but toward the close of his life we find Napoleon sitting in wretched loneliness on Saint Helena. When the French nation was called upon to select their greatest character, they passed up Napoleon and chose Pasteur who had dedicated his life to the betterment of humanity. The truly great will render his service whether known or unknown, thanked or unthanked, rewarded or unrewarded. Our real reward is in achievement, and our compensation in the services we render. We must be lowly salt before we can be exalted light. No man can shine in obviousness until he is permeated with obscurity. Many would like to be light, but are not willing to work like salt—“unseen, unnoticed, unsung.”

5. A Forgiving Spirit A casual reading of the life of Christ shows that the Savior had a forgiving spirit. To the sick of the palsy he said, “Thy sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9:2). To the woman taken in adultery be said: “Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforth sin no more” (John 8:11). It is impossible to reclaim a harlot by treating her as a harlot. Concerning his murderers Jesus said: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The only possible way to get rid of an enemy is to turn him into a friend. There is no way to get rid of hate except by love. You cannot make a man your friend without being friendly. Many prodigal sons returning to their first love have been driven away from the church by self-righteous elder brothers standing in the vestibuv. We often assume divine prerogatives that even Cod himself does not yet use to the full. He does not pass judgment until all the evidence is in, but we sometimes consign men to hell the first time they fall. We forgive with our fingers crossed, and just hope that the penitent will not hold out.

Booker T. Washington has well said: “No man can keep another man down in the gutter without staying down there with him.” A woman in India came to a doctor to get relief from a severe abscess. The doctor suggested that the swollen place would have to be opened with a knife in order to let the poison out. She insisted on putting a plaster on the abscess. The result was that the poison beneath the plaster spread to her heart and she died. In like manner we try to plaster over our misunderstandings in religion, and the poison often kills the souls of men. There are too many religious elephants with their names on the church rolls. They refuse to forgive, however penitent their brother may be. Manifestly, this is not the spirit of Christ. He taught that we must forgive our brother, even if he sin against us “until seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22).

6. A Loving Spirit

After discussing the foregoing characteristics of J .ms, it seems superfluous to say that he had a loving mind. This trait was supremely exhibited in his lender affection for little children, his care for the po- r, his sympathy for widows, and in the remembrance of his mother. Just before he expired on the cross, Jesus placed a halo of sanctity and beauty around +rue motherhood that no man dares remove. Christ f ’?.o showed his great love for humanity in the sacri- f -3 which he made. He gave up heaven, the very t’: one of divine glory, where he was so highly exalted i onor and dignity that it was no robbery of God for Christ to be-made equal with him (Phil. 2). He became clothed in human flesh, and was tempted in all points like as we are (Heb. 4:15). Though supremely rich, for our redemption he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 3:9). He became so poor that he could say: “The foxes have holen, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). Yea, he loved the world to the extent that he laid down his life for his sheep (John 10:11).

Truly, love cannot be love without the burdens of love. Without the cross there can be no crown; without bleeding there can be no blessing. Christ was willing to shoulder his responsibility, make his sacrifice. Therefore he went to the cross, just as a lamb to the slaughter. His death becomes a glorious absurdity, an infallible proof of his divinity. Jesus puts taste into life. As death approached, an actor said: “Let down the curtain, the farce is done.” But in death hope sees a star, so the Christian says: “Raise the curtain, for life has just begun.”

Someone has said: “The Alpine rock must own its mossy grace, or else be nothing but a stone.” And if I may paraphrase, the Christian must own his re-sponsibility to the Lord, or else be nothing but a cold, hard stone. Are we really good stewards of the manifold mercy and blessings of God? I am sorry that we have a few leaches in the church who drink at her spiritual fountain and feast at her educational table never to repay the debt of love and gratitude they owe. “Such men may last but never live, Who much receive but nothing give.” There is an attitude among some Christians that makes them try to get all they can for nothing. They have also put Christianity on a commercial basis and demand so many visible results for so many dollars invested. Thank God these are in the minority. Multitudes in the church are willing to spend and be spent for the Lord. Inspired by the loving sacrifice of Jesus, they say: “Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; . . . Take my silver and my gold: Not a mite would I withhold.”

Consequently, I believe that the church’s today is better than her yesterday, And if our members will join themselves in her every forward movement, tomorrow will be better than today.

7. A Missionary Mind

We must not close this study without mentioning the missionary mind of the Master. Jesus said: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). His gospel was to be a blessing to all. In announcing the birth of the Lord the angel said:. “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people” (Luke 2:10). Hence Jesus said: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:23). Upon another occasion he said: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16). If the gospel had remained with the Jews alone, it would have died pot-bound. The religion of our Lord i universal in its application, international in its se r'°. There is no way around this Scriptural fact. Jesus had a vision that encompassed the whole world. He broke down every racial and social barrier in his dire passion for men. .. A missionary was talking with a Hindu doctor who had performed a hundred thousand operations on the eye. When asked what the secret of his success was, the doctor replied, “I was mad after eyes.” In like manner, Jesus is mad after men. General Booth of the Salvation Army once stood before Queen Victoria, and she asked what she might do for him. lie replied: “Your Majesty, some people’s passion is money, and some people’s passion is fame, but my passion has been men.” In this statement he echoed the mind of the Master. Listen to the words of our Lord: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15, 16). Evidently we do not believe all of that statement. I am certain that our actions belie our faith. We have taught, and correctly so, that baptism is a condition of pardon. The same passage also teaches that the whole world must be evangelized. For some reason we have not fully accepted this divine challenge. Our missionary lethargy reminds us of a Hindu officer who received orders to report to a flooded ama and assist the sufferers. For forty-eight hours he watched the stars, waiting for a propitious time to go. He finally went, but arrived too late. Thousands had already died, and naturally he was demoted by his government. Jesus said go into all the world with relief for suffering souls flooded with sin. And we gaze at the stars for a propitious day while millions suffer for human needs and gospel light. Christian friends, there is no time to lose. Jesus says we must work now. So “Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 4:7). When Moffatt returned from Africa, he toured England speaking in behalf of the benighted natives. He closed every address with the statement, “In Africa I can see the smoke of a thousand villages without a Savior.” David Livingstone happened to be in the audience one day when that statement was made. At the close of the service he presented himself to Mr. Moffatt and asked: “Do you think that I will do for service in Africa?” “Yes, when can you go?” Moffatt replied. With the light of immortality in his eye, Livingstone said, “I can go today.” It goes without saying that the Lord’s business demands haste. Only those who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and respond to this missionary mind of the Master can say with the apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Remember, “if any man hath not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9).

Conclusion No man can observe these characteristics of the J ud and truthfully say that Jesus of Nazareth is int the Christ. In closing our study we should renumber that Jesus has promised to be with us al- wa.> s, even unto the end of the world, if we have his mind in us. His mercy stops not at the grave; it does not end at death. It opens to our vision mansions in the sky, a home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Before Jesus left this world, he promised to go and prepare a place for us. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that wrhere I am, there ye may be a.so” (John 14:2, 3). Somewhere out yonder beyond the sunset of life the righteous will live on forever in the land of fadeless day. The tug of tomorrow leads us on to the place where time shall be no more.

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright, shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when ’twas first begun.” My friends, I am sure that you want to go to that sinless summer land. Then cast your lives at Jesus’ feet and sing with the redeemed saints:

“All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall,
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown him Lord of all.”