the issues between
capital and labor and sided with capital. He stated the fact that the
first shall be last, but said nothing to remedy that unfortunate
situation. He did not explain how workers could obtain proper
compensation for their labor.

Jesus assumed a fair attitude when he said, "The labourer is worthy of
his hire", and, "It is enough for the disciple to be as his master, and
the servant as his lord", but he continued with doubtful logic: "If they
have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household", implying that if an employer is
worldly-minded his servants will be even worse.

Little respect is shown for employees in the remark, "The hireling
fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."[2]
Probably in those days as now many an employee stuck to his post nobly
to do his duty.

The meaning is obscure in his other comment upon an employer who told
his tired servant to serve his master first, ending with the enigma, "We
are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to
do."[3]

_Usury_

In the parable of the talents the servant who did not put his money out
at usury to make profits was condemned: "And cast ye the unprofitable
servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."[4] Punishment was to be severe in Jesus' program; the
disobedient servant "shall be beaten with many stripes." Jesus did not
advise leniency in such instances except that "he that knew not, and did
commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes."[5]
In his estimation the servant was a slave to be punished corporeally by
his master, even if ignorant of his wrong-doing.

A Dr. Taylor, former Yale College theologian, is reported to have said:
"I have no doubt that if Jesus Christ were now on earth he would, under
certain circumstances, become a slaveholder." A Southern divine in 1860
could well maintain that slavery was approved in both Old and New
Testaments, but no Christian would now impute slaveholding to Jesus. The
standard of human relationships has improved since slaveholding days in
America. The modern attitude toward servants, though by no means
perfect, is superior to the relationships between master and servants
accepted by Jesus. Slavery was the custom of the times and Jesus did not
rise above it.

In the parable of the unmerciful servant[6] Jesus taught the duty of
forgiveness. He rightly r