AMONG the adornments on the exterior of a temple in the Far East are three carved figures of monkeys, one with his eyes covered, the second clasping his hands over his mouth, while the third is stopping his ears. Copies of these made in varying sizes and bearing inscriptions such as, "See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil," may be seen in many Christian countries. In fact, the sentiment expressed in connection with these monkey images has been referred to many times as conforming to the ideal of Christian teaching and practice. Study of the example and instruction of Christ Jesus, however, shows that such an appraisal is incorrect and misleading.
The great Master by no means ignored evil and its claims, although he came announcing that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is significant that he prefaced this proclamation of the triumph and reign of good with a call to repentance, for Christ Jesus knew that a radical change in the thought processes of men was prerequisite to their realization of heaven or God-bestowed harmony. He recognized sin when others were unaware of it; but he did not leave it there, for he knew sin to be a self-constituted falsity, and so his recognition of it was accompanied by a strong rebuke which resulted in freeing the erstwhile sinner. An instance of this is recorded by Mark in the second chanter of his Gospel, in his account of the healing of a palsied man who, lying on a bed borne by four friends, had been brought to Christ Jesus. We read that "when Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Then, in obedience to the command of the Master, the man arose, took up his bed on which he had been carried, and walked forth free. Surely this was no shutting of the eyes to evil.
The Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry indicate that many people went to him with their troubles and trials, with their sorrows and sins. He did not stop his ears to their stories of discord and evil and their appeals for assistance; contrariwise, he listened with Christian compassion and clear discernment. Then, by means of precept, parable, or proof as the case required, he pointed the way to disprove the claims of evil. Of course. Christ Jesus did not voice evil, for the simple reason that he did not think evilly; his thought was ever kind, merciful, forgiving, just, and pure. Nevertheless, his denunciation of hypocrisy, dishonesty, selfishness, and other phases of evil was drastic.
