The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-31
ghe Sunday School.
BY REV. G. L. DEMAREsT, DID.
LESSON FOR AUGUST 8, 1886.
GENTILES SEEKING JESUS.
fJohn xii. 20-36. I
A Crisis.

(2O-24) JESUS had now been publicly rec
ognized and hailed as King of the Jews by
the multitude who we're in Jerusalem to at
tend the Feast of the Passover. They had
no thought of wider dominion than the
Kingdom of Israel. That however, was to
be advanced to universal dominion, under
the reign of the MESSIAH, by destroying all
other kingdoms. Even the more devoted
and intimate of his disciples had not yet
come to comprehend his mission as other
than temporal one, or his kingdom as spir-
itual and including and comprehending all
other kingdoms as well as all peoples. In
the parable of the Good Shepherd, he had
declared: "Other sheep have which are not
of this fold; them also must bring, and they
shall hear my voice; and they shall become
one flock" The true Messiahship compre-
hended all souls of all races and nations, and
in all worlds. The Messianic reign of JESUS
was neither limited to the Hebrew people,
nor to the earthly life. Indeed he could be
glorified in his kingdom only through death
and exaltation in the spiritual state. This
was comprehended neither by Pbarisee nor
disciple, who held the same preiudces to-
ward the nations, -Gentiles. Notwithstand-
ing, however, the strong race prejudices that
existed among the Israelites, those of other
races who accepted the Abrahamic faith were
admitted to limited privileges in the Com
monwealth and of worship in the Temple,
which was provided with court of the Cen
tiles. Numbers of them, proselytes, as they
at4a led he re
religious ceremonies at Jerusalem. JESUS as
usual upon such occasions was diligent about
his Fathers business and in his Fathers
house. The Jewish prejudice and contempt
of the Gentiles was shown even in the use of
the Temple. In its court of the Gentiles
traffic in things offered for sacrifice and in
exchange was freely tolerated if not encour-
aged. This JESUS denounced as profana-
ton of the holy place and expelled the traf-
fickers, enforcing proper decorum within the
sacred Enclosure. There were certain Greeks
present who may have witnessed his devo-
ton in this matter, or have heard his teach
ings and who had become interested in him.
him. The Apostle Philip, to whom they APP
piled, would be prudent in his courtesy to-
ward Gentiles, and consulted his fellow
townsman, Andrew. They decided to COM
municate the request to their Master. Of
the interview, if granted, we know nothing.
The circumstance, however, made pro-
found impression upon JESUS The record
of his observations upon the occasion constr
tute our present Lesson. The knowledge
that Gentiles were seeking his instructions,
impressed him to conclude that the hour had
now come when he should be glorified, and
through his death and glorifcation by the
Father would be made manifest as more than
simply King of the Jews, and accepted as
Lord of all, Gentle and Jew. AS grain of
wheat could not bear fruit and multiply ex-
cept it fall in the ground and die, so he could
not fulfill his mission as Saviour of the whole
world and the medium of Spiritual life to
ali souls except through death and the res
direction. Frequently before he had said,
mime hour is not yet come" Now he says,
1.-THE hour is come that the Son of man
should be glorifed."
There were in Jerusalem at that time
many proselytes from Greece who had come
to the feast: they had listened to the teach
ings of JESUS, and had been made glad by
his words; and they said to each other, I'm
this mans teachings there is nothing foreign,
nothing barbarous. 1t is like the words of
our own sages. 1t is for all men and for all
time" Therefore they came and asked us
to let them speak to JESUS. And when we
told him that the Greeks had come, wishing
to be his disciples, he seemed to be deeply
moved and said, '.The crisis of the world has
come. The Jews refuse the truth of COP,
the Gentiles come and ask for it. The hour
is come for the Son of man to be glorif- by
becoming the Saviour of the world. But the
seed must die in the ground before it can
bring forth fruit. '-Legend of Thomas Did
palus, James Freeman Clarke.
Struck by all they had seen and heard,
some Greeks-probably Jewish proselytes
attracted to Jerusalem by the feast-came to
Philip and asked him to procure for them
private interview with JESUS. Chaldeans
from the East had sought his cradle; then
Greeks from the West came to his cross.
Who they were and why they sought him he
knew not. He went and consulted his
fellow townsman, Andrew, and the two Apos-
ties then made known the wishes of the
Greeks to JESUS. Whether they actually in
troduced the inquirers into his presence we
cannot tell, but at any rate he saw in the in
cident a fresh sign that the hour was come
when his name should be glorified. His an
swer was to the effect that as a grain of
wheat must die before it can bring forth
fruit, so the road to his glory lay through hui
initiation, and they who would follow him
must be prepared at all times to follow him,
even to death.-Ihe Life of Christ, Farrar.
The GLORY OF THE Son OF MAN