The Attraction of the Greek Mind to Jesus

“Certain Greeks came therefore to Philip, saying Sir, w« would see Jesus.” — John xii. 21.

It is no wonder that the Greeks desired to see Jesus. The ideal of the Greek was always the man whose character avoided extremes. What he praised above everything else was the middle way — the golden mean. He had four favourite virtues — prudence, the middle line between anxiety and recklessness; temperance, the middle line between excess and abstinence; fortitude, the middle line between daring and cowardice; and justice, the middle line between good nature and severity. Now, I think that from the human side Jesus was essentially the man of the golden mean. He is that which the Greek waited for, but which, in his own nation, he never perfectly found — the man who had in him a little of everything. The proof is, the diversity of those who followed Jesus. I say, the diversity — not the number. A hundred followers of Jesus are more proof of His power

257 R than are a million followers proof of the power of Buddha. The men of Buddha are all of one type — they are of the East Eastern. But the men and women of Jesus are of many moulds. Why is one of His disciples so unlike another? It is because the Master never exhausts Himself in one type; He has a little bit of all lives in Him. He is the mediator — the middle man; He joins opposite shores. Peter is there with his impulse, and John with his calmness. Nathanael is there with his faith, and Nicodemus with his reasoning. Martha is there with her work, and Mary with her mysticism. Paul is there with his poetry, and James with his prose. He has songs of Bethlehem for the child, and Jordan visions for the youth, and heights of Hermon for the man. Joy can meet Him at Cana; depression can find Him at Gethsemane. He can join in the prattle by the fireside, and talk with the learned in the law. He can speak with the peasant on the highway, and discourse with the ruler of the synagogue. He can support the social order, and yet ward from its destructive stroke the victim that has wandered from the way. Oh, I do not wonder that the Greeks sought Jesus! He was the man for whom they were specially made — the man all-round. They had dreamed of Him in the 258

night, and had been gladdened by their dream; and in the waking world they found the original — standing in the dawn.

Lord, to us as to the Greeks, Thou art the fulfilment of a dream. Ere ever we had seen Thee Thou wert the desire of our hearts. We, like the Greeks, have all wanted a mediator — a middle-man — a man who had in him something of all men. Humanity could never have been attracted by any one quality, however granS. We could not tell the invalid to take comfort from the strength of Samson: that was the very thing which made her despair; she wanted one that had tasted weakness too. We could not tell gentle Ruth to imitate warlike Deborah: that would have been to kill her gentleness; she wanted one that could give her power through peace. But when Thou camest, there came a universal man, an intermediate man, a man with a touch for all. Within Thy heart slept all contraries in concord. The lion was there and the lamb, the thunder and the still small voice. The strength of Samson was there; but it was perfected in weakness. The fire of Elijah was there; but it was kindled by tender love. The activity of Martha was there; but it was winged by hours of rest. In Thy one hand a telescope swept the 259 R 2 stars; in the other a microscope searched the dust. Thy voice came from the mountain; but its precepts were made for the valley. All extremes met in Thee — joy and sacrifice, love of the sinner and loathing of the sin, power and gentleness, storm and peace, rebuke and pity, passion and placidness, depth and simplicity, ocean and stream. O Thou mediating man that had a share in all, let me find my part in Thee 1