The Greates Man Who Ever Lived

CAN any man unquestionably be called the greatest man who ever lived? How do you measure a man's greatness? By his military genius? His physical strength? His mental prowess?

The historian H.G.Wells said that a man's greatness can be measured by 'what he leaves to grow, and whether he started others to think along fresh lines with vigor that persisted after him.' Wells, although not claiming to be a Christian, acknowledged: "By this test Jesus stands first."

Alexander the Great, Charlemagne (styled "the Great" even in his own lifetime), and Napoleon Bonaparte were powerful rulers. By their formidable presence, they wielded great influence over those they commanded. Yet, Napoleon is reported to have said: "Jesus Christ has influenced and commanded His subjects without His visible bodily presence.

By his dynamic teachings and by the way he lived in harmony with them, Jesus has powerfully affected the lives of people for nearly two thousand years. As one writer aptly expressed it: "All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth so powerfully."

Next time: A Historical Person

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991