Magyar Egyház, 1970 (49. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1970-05-01 / 5. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 13 tant and necessary places for the purity of morals is in marriage. Jesus sanctioned marriage not only with his presence at the wedding of Cana, but also by using the wedding feast in many of his teachings. Of all the relationships that we can have with others, this man Jesus held the union of man and woman as the most intimate and the most sacred. B) Jesus also taught of the inanimate world. According to his teachings of the world of men, we must bring ourselves to the position of sacrifice and servitude. But with respect to the inanimate world, we must free ourselves. We must become the master over the world, according to the ancient commandment, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” We must not allow the things of the inanimate world to capture our soul even for a short time. Do not worry about tomorrow nor even about the distant future. We must not lay up for ourselves gold and silver, not with the idea that these should appear to us as belonging to another world and having little value for us, but because these can be corrupted. Thieves can break through and steal and it is likely that along with our treasures, our soul will be lost as well. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Foolish is that man who thinks that the amount of his earthly posessions will determine the length of his happy years upon the earth. For this very night his life may be required of him. All these things, however, do not mean that Jesus regarded posessions as invaluable. It is quite evident in his teachings that man must be concerned with the cultivation of the earth. Good seed must be planted in it, and quite logically, if one seeks the fruits of the harvest. Those who worked through the night, without success, casting their nets into the sea, were not considered foolish. Those who wish to build a building, must first determine its cost, to see if they will have a sufficient amount to complete it. We must not squander that which we posess as the prodigal son. Our posessions must be prudently taken care of. The cattle must be led to water. The oxen must be proved. The sheep, fallen into the pit, must be rescued. The lost must be found, as the lost lamb, or the lost coin. We must respect earthly posessions even if they belong to others, because fundamentally, wbat appears to belong to the owner, even that is given to him to administrate. Truthfully we bring nothing into this world, and we shall take nothing out of it. He who holds posession in his hand, as if he were its eternal master, shall lose his posessions and probably his own soul. Can the world with all its treasurers ever equal the price of one soul? C) The effects of the teachings of this man Jesus, were great. Through the words which he proclaimed and through the words which others have written of him, many have changed. When one who proclaimed of his coming, John the Baptist, inquired of his work, his disciples returned to him with the news: “The blind see. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised. And the poor receive a treasure in the words that are spoken to them.” Only the hypocrites remained the same. For these make themselves to appear different than what they are. In all their strivings they are exactly opposite in their hearts, to what they appear to be. Jesus considered these to be the true enemies against himself and against society. Against these, who constantly storm against their fellowman with a hurricane of lies, Jesus stood firm. He exposed them as the blind who lead the blind; those who appear to be faithful; those who put the concerns of men before the commandments of God. Outwardly, they are clean. Within, they are full of ravening and wickedness. They condemn their past sins, but strive to do exactly the same again. They seek to be noticed and respected, placing unbearable burdens upon others, burdens with which they would not dirty their own hands. And as Jesus stood firm against them, for the sake of his fellowmen, so these hypocrites became even more ferocious enemies. They took it upon themselves to follow him and lay in wait for him. In every gracious ambition of theirs, they could not be truthful. Because they could not imagine or believe, that this man Jesus could live a life according to his own teachings. And yet that is how he lived. (To be continued) László Hunyady: FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS A concise summary of the Christian Faith and Ethics. Includes a Short Summary for Confirmation. 120 pages. Order from R. L. Hunyady, 50 Washington Ave., Colonia, N. Jersey 07067. — $2.50.
