Wherever there is a lofty thought of God, there follows a lofty thought of man. The two are inextricably interwoven both in philosophy and practice. This is why you would expect to find in Christianity (which has revolutionized our thought of God) a revolutionary view of man.
One of the premier premises that draws me to the Christian faith is that Jesus always recognized the worth of a man. For all the failures and follies of humanity, people were never contemptible to Jesus. In fact, the worst man, the most sunken, was to Him, a potential son of God. And it was not just for an elect few He lived, nor for an elect few He died, for God “so loved the world”, the Bible says in John 3:16, “that He gave His only begotten son”. Now, this recognition of the worth of men and women is all the more remarkable because of His perfect knowledge of the heart.
Sometimes we say “If I had but known that guy, I probably would have not let him in the door.” It is because we could not read his secret, and therefore were mistaken in our judgment. But Jesus “knew what was in man”. And Jesus was never mistaken in His judgments yet He continually drew new people across the threshold of His love.
This is what Christ called His followers to do, also. In spite of knowing all man’s follies and absurdities and all the evil broodings in his heart, we are to remain from being cynical or skeptical and recognize the inalienable grandeur of the soul.
Jesus saw the worth of people because He saw the worth of a soul. He was (and is) “the lover of the soul”. We will never see rightly until we do the same. We will never see rightly until we love. When we hate anyone, vision is distorted. When we are indifferent, the eye is dimmed. Only when we love do we discover the hidden treasures of personality and recognize the full value of people.
Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new Commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, so you must love one another.” And in John 15:12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Ephesians 5:2, “And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
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