The Russellville Democrat., 1889-06-27
Christ Rejected by the Naza-
 renes.

The following sermon was preach ed recently by Rev. W. c. Wheat, pastor of the Russellville Cumber- land Presbyterian church, and is published by request:
 "And they were offended athim".-Mark6:s at 6:s.
 In the proceeding chapter is brief history of the healing of the man possessed with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs, the healing of the woman which had an issue of blood twelve years and also the raising from the dead of Jairus' daughter.
 From the scenes narrated above he passed out and entered into his country, Nazareth, where he had been brought up.
 When the Sabbath day was come he entered into the Synagogue and taught with such freedom, power, profundity of thought, and unerring precision as to command the atten ton of the noblest sages of that age.
 And those who heard him were astonished and said: "From whence hath this man these things, and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his handsf Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Joseph and Mary, the brother of James and loses and of Juda and SimonY And are not his sisters with usr
 We discover then,
 1st. That Jesus came of obscure percentage.
 2nd. That he rose suddenly into prominence as teacher and bene- factor of the people in all ranks and conditions of life.
 3rd. No sooner had his wotk be- gun than questions were raised by the curious relative to the source of his wisdom and power to accomplish such things. They cared not to find the real source of his ability and wis dom, but according to previous i'm pressions and preconceiyed Ideas they made all hinge upon the source and conditions of his birth, and his conditions and surroundings in life, and when they found that he was of obscure parentage and n mean circumstances Tn life,
 were offened at him, because they thought he had assumed position too high and responsible for his ob- scure birth and low condition. If he had come of the highest worldly cir cle of social life and his ancestors had been men of distinction and re- nown they would not perhaps, have thought hlm presumptious and out of place, but as it was, they were of fended at him.
 In this they failed to recognize. 1st. The common origin of man.
 2nd. That while some men have greater ability than others, it is not because 1t differs in kind, but only in degree.
 3rd. That all of the distinctions and discriminations which existed in that age, and also the impediments which sternly confronted and disputed the ascent of any man agreeable to his ability, to the highest possible heights of intellectual, social and nor al influence and usefulnes, were the result of the mental and moral abera. tions incident to Sin.
 4th. That as every tree is known by it's fruit, so every rational being is to be known by what he does, and can do, and not by ancestral lines or conditions of wealth, ar of poverty.
 9th. That moral worth, true mer- it and an unimpeachable character should be recognized, honored and admired instead of ancestral lines or favorable surroundings and condit- ions in life.
 In their rejection of Jesus because of his obscure birth and mean CIT cumstances they manifested lack Of the true spirit of manhood, humani. ty and especially of christianity and were evidently wanting In true nor al sense and appreciation of the good, But what had Jesus done to give of, fensep Had he arrayed himself against either the private or public social or moral good of the communi ty?
 Had his life been filled with deeds If the darkest crime and of the deeD. est cruelty2
 No, he was not charged with these but the charge was, that he was a carpenter, the Son of Joseph and Mary, the brother of James and loses, and of Juda and Simon and whose sisters were with them.
 They had prejudged the "Son oI man" and had erected the wall of caste and class around themselves so high as to prevent, even the possibility, ol his doing them good.
 They did not dispute the fact that he displayed profound wisdom and that mighty works were wrought by him; but their objection was that he was too common, and they were offended that he should even pre-. sume thus to teach and work when he was Of such lowly station in life.
 If he had come from the ranks oi the aristocracy or of those who were self exalted, it is more than likely that no objection or opposition would have been offered to his teachings,
 In their opposition to Jesus they not only overlooked, but also disre. garded one of the fundamental prin- cipals which underlIes all God given society and especially the divine government and that is, that any man may rise from obscurlty, without