TO the material consciousness there seems to be little else than that which speaks of and for self-seeking. The larger portion of mankind seems absorbed in seeking that which will in some way or other enhance the comfort, pleasure, power, and magnitude of a personal selfhood. With the belief in existence as material, there has appeared to be little else to consider than the accumulation of more matter,—more money, more houses, more lands, even more human learning, and the personal power which claims to accompany them.
From earliest childhood this personal standpoint seems to be the basis of mankind's education; for is not the child generally taught to think and work and even to play from the standpoint of what will bring him most personal gain, of what will make him increasingly healthy, happy, attractive, and influential? To be sure, there have been many who with a larger Christian vision have sought to season this self-seeking with some degree of unselfishness; but just so long as the standpoint continues in any degree a personal one, even unselfishness is apt to be more or less tainted with a desire for personal profit.
Jesus' entire life was utterly opposite to this personal sense of things. He lived wholly and completely for the good of others, never once yielding to the temptation to look selfishly for his own advantage. The unselfishness which his teaching and practice have always demanded has seemed for the most part not only unwelcome, but quite impossible of fulfillment. Because men have glimpsed the exalted nature of Jesus' example and commands, and have at the same time not seen clearly how to follow and obey them, they have sometimes concluded that Jesus must have had an especial divine ability which they could not attain, and therefore that they could scarcely be expected to live the unselfishness he invariably expressed.
