“The Sommum Bonum” from the May 6, 1921 Door County Advocate
THE SOMMUM BONUM
One day when Gustav Dore was adding new touches of beauty to his face of Jesus, a lady entered his studio and stood admiring his picture. By and by, the artist lifted his eyes, and for the first time became conscious of her presence. “Ah, Madame,” said he, “I did not know you were here.” “O Monsieur Dare,” she replied, “you must love Jesus to be able to paint Him so!’’ “Love Him!” cried the painter, “love Him! Yes, I know I love Him, but not enough to paint Him as He should be painted. If I loved Him more, I should be able to paint Him better.” How I long to paint Him better; Him, who loved us unto death and redeemed us, not with gold or silver but with HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD! “Daddy do ’ou love Him?” asked the little boy, of only five summers, just coming from Sunday school, as he climbed on his father’s lap, brushing aside the newspaper he was reading. With a disturbed smile the father asked, “love whom?” “Why Jesus,” was the reply. “Now, never mind, go and play.” But with the liberty of a child he did not go, but climbing higher took hold of father’s cheeks, looked him squarely in the eyes and asked point blank: “Daddy, why don’t ’ou love Him?” He could not answer. He loved horses, and cattle, land and money, but why did he not love Him in whose power his life and all he owned rested? “Why don’t ’ou love Him?” He could not get rid of the child’s question until he had squarely met it.
Jesus tells us, “If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Keeping His words, is the test of love.
Paul tells us that, “all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ’’. When that hour comes, all other loves will be worthless unless He has first place. Christ Himself tells us that they that love the Son shall not come into judgment, but the rest shall be condemned. Did He know? The question which the little boy asked is of more importance than any other question. Our life for time and eternity depends upon it. Three times He asked of Peter, the backslider, “Lovest thou me?” Love, true, sincere love, is more valuable to a real bride than all the diamonds in the world; nothing else will satisfy the heavenly Bridegroom. In John 3:36 we read: “He that believeth on the Son of God has everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” “He that is not for me, is against me.” “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”— 1 John 4:16.
EDW. F. HELMICH.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[“If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” is from John 14:23.
“all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ” is from 2 Corinthians 5:10.
In John 5:24, Jesus teaches that “He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.”
Jesus’ threefold questioning of Peter is recorded in John 21:15-17.
“He that is not for me, is against me.” is from Matthew 12:30.
Rev. Edward F. Helmich was the pastor of Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church from 1914 to 1939.]
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