Carl Hopkins Elmore once told of a Jewish rabbi who was so moved and disturbed by the maltreatment of his race in certain sections of the world that he sent this appeal to all Christendom on the eve of another Easter:

I challenge the Christian world to measure itself by the standards of Christ. As long as any group is judged by its creed or color or country in place of its character, Christianity is a sacrilege rather than a sanctity. To this end I summon Christians everywhere to make this Easter to signify Christ realized and not merely Christ risen.1

Are not the words of our text a declaration of judgment over against the situation Dr. Elmore describes? To read these Scripture verses thoughtfully is to be struck by how strong and accurate is his indictment of an attitude of mind and he…