The Religion of the Second Mile.-It is the second mile for which Jesus is pleading. There is where his religion lies, the religion of grace that goes beyond compulsion, that does not ask, "What do men deserve?" or, "What does law demand ?" but simply, "What can I do for others?" The employee who gives that thought and interest for which wages cannot pay, is traveling the second mile. The mother, who never thinks of wages nor measures her hours, but only loves and gives, is on the second mile. All high patriotism, all unselfish service, all love and friendship, all heroism and sacrifice, belong to this second mile. Here men forget the hard "must" in the joy of "may," here men forget weariness in the passion of love, and find God, whose rule of life is not compulsion, but grace and mercy. Along the first mile men are servants, along the second mile they walk as free sons in fellowship with their Father. Along the first road men ask about duty, along the second they declare, "I rejoice to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." But the best of Jesus' message is this: a man may take the spirit of the second mile back into the first, and make the spirit of grace and good will the heart of all his living. So doing a man turns even the first mile of duty into a way of freedom. The Life of Jesus Interprets His Words.-The final interpretation of the words of Jesus must always be the spirit and life of Jesus. It is easy to pervert his teaching by clinging to his words. In one instance, at least, he himself did not turn the other cheek when he was smitten unjustly, according to John's report (John 18. 22, 23). He did not always give what men asked. That would often mean to injure men, and the rule of Christ is love. But on the other hand, if we are to know all the beauty and wonder and power of this spirit of unquenchable good will, we must turn to the picture of Jesus. He must stand before us as we read his words, unwearied in well-doing, undeterred by men's selfishness or ingratitude or enmity, his love, his charity, his mercy flowing on like a healing flood that covers all that is unsightly or evil and purifies all that is unclean. What a lesson to our narrowness as we let our thoughts review the company of those whom he served and loved!—a Roman centurion of a hated race, a Canaanitish woman scorned as pagan, a hated publican like Zacchæus, some little children in the market place, a blind beggar whose voice could scarcely rise above the din of the crowd, a heart-broken mother, a group of repulsive lepers, a disciple who was waiting to betray him, another who denied him, and at last the city that rejected him and the soldiers whose hands drove the nails. vessels it is what fills them that counts. love before, but Jesus has forever given meaning. Words are like Men had said that word its JESUS' CONFIDENCE IN THE POWER OF GOOD WILL How Jesus Used It.-But something more lies back of these words, and that is Jesus' confidence in this same good will as the greatest power in the world. It was the power that he himself used. He used it with the poor, the suffering, and the sinful. He won the poor and suffering by his kindly service. He won the sinful not by condemnation, but by his love and mercy. But he used this same weapon against his enemies also. When they had poured upon him the last vials of their wrath, when their hatred had hunted him to the cross, his answer was this same spirit of love and good will. The Final Hope.-There are times when force is needed. The state must sometimes restrain the man who is dangerous to society, whether criminal or insane. To yield to every wish of every man would be to injure often instead of helping; it would not mean good will. And we ourselves may sometimes have to use physical force. But the real work of the world is not done by force. The real power in the world that builds and saves and lifts mankind is this power of loving good will. That is the power that must be shown at all costs. Sometimes it will show itself in suffering with the turned cheek and the coat that is taken. Sometimes it will show itself in giving to him that asks. But this is the spirit that must come forth, for it alone can save. It is not only our true life, God's life in us, but it is also the world's only hope. The Verdict of History.-And history has shown its power. When Jesus went to the cross, loving and suffering instead of smiting his foes, it looked as though all hope for his kingdom was gone. But the cross, the symbol of his unconquerable good will to men, was not the end, but the beginning. From it have flowed in deepening, broadening streams those mighty currents of love and good will that are renewing the earth to-day. Proud Jerusalem went to its ruin, the armies of mighty Rome are long since gone, but the King of Love sits on his throne to-day more securely than ever. Slowly, but surely, his spirit of love and good will is superseding the reign of greed and selfassertion and brute force. And the great world war is only one more witness to the failure of that appeal to selfishness and force which curses those who invoke it even more than those upon whom its blows fall. DIRECTIONS FOR STUDY Read the Scripture passages: Matthew 6. 12-15; 5. 23, 24; 5. 38-48; 18. 21-35. Consider first what Jesus brought that was new on this. theme. How did he join this to his idea of God? How did he illustrate it in his life? Read the story of the unmerciful servant and ask: Why is the unforgiving spirit considered so great a fault by Jesus? Why cannot God forgive those who are unforgiving? Consider Jesus' picture of the spirit of good will as given in Matthew 5. 38-48. Show how he illustrated it and trusted in its power. Where are we limiting this spirit to-day? Where is this spirit showing its power as between men and men, and between nations? CHAPTER XIII THE LAW OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE IN three chapters we have now studied the law of the life with men according to Jesus. Brotherhood was the first word, since we are all sons of one Father, trying to live in his spirit. Reverence was the next word, the regard for every man as man, as son of the Father and of infinite worth. Then came the law of grace and good will, the desire for the good of every man, no matter what he was or what he deserved. Now we take one step further and study the law of service. THE LAW OF SERVICE In Jesus' Life.-We have already seen how the law of service was made plain in Jesus' own life. What he taught his disciples he had first worked out for himself. He had faced the question at the beginning of his ministry: as the Messiah should he rule or serve? He gave answer in the lesson that he read at Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: To set at liberty them that are bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." At the close of his ministry he turned to those that knew him best and said: "I am in the midst of you as he that serveth." As teacher, as healer, as friend, all his life can be described by that one word, servant. And as he lived, so he died, giving his life in service, that he might do by his death what his life had not accomplished for men. The Rule of the Kingdom.-To his disciples Jesus declared that this life of service was not exceptional, it was the law of all life in his kingdom. Clearly he sets the two ideals of life over against each other. In the pagan world power means lordship: "Their great ones exercise authority over them." Power means the right to command others, to make them serve you. That was what James and John were thinking about as they dreamed of the glories of the coming rule of their Master. The other disciples did not think differently; they simply objected because the brothers were trying to get ahead of them. That was the pagan spirit, Jesus said. It was different in his realm. There power meant a better chance to help, and position meant the opportunity to serve. There was still room for ambition, but it was an ambition to be useful; there was a chance for greatness, but the measure of greatness was not what a man got for himself but what he did for others (Mark 10. 35-45). "I Have Given You an Example."-In the fourth Gospel the message is given in connection with the simple but eloquent scene of the washing of the feet. "So when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me, Teacher, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you" (John 13. 12-15). THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN The Essential Demand.-Jesus made service the distinguishing mark of his disciples. God's spirit is grace and goodness, and where that spirit appears in men, there you see the sons of God. Love and service were not new words when Jesus spoke them; great teachers had used them often before. Such teachers, however, had joined these words with endless other obligations as to belief and action. Jesus said, this is the spirit that makes a man like God. The story of the good Samaritan illustrates this. The lawyer agreed with Jesus that love was the supreme and |