Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-06-28
! PETERS SWORD.
An Old Incident with a Modern Appli.
Standardization Zeal Prone
to Wron8-Headed Direction.

An Old 1nc1dent with Modern Appli.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Zeal Prone
to Wrong-Headed Direction.
Judas part in the arrest of Jesus in
the garden should not wholly divert at
tention from Peters part. Next after
Judas Peter was responsible for it,
though it was the last thing that he
desired. How he, with his usual RASH
ness, precipitated the very catastrophe
he deprecated is a point that needs to
be better understood, for the caution it
gives to large and estimable class of
people-people of generous impulses,
whose eagerness to help good cause
prompts them to strikei in holly before
they thoroughly understand the situa-
ton.
1t is Johns narrative that shows how
it was Peters rash zeal which effective
ly though unintentionally secured the
success of the treachery of Judas. All
the evangelists narrate Peters on
slaught with the sword upon Judas
band, but John only details the cir
cumstances through which the result
came to be the opposite of the inten-
ton. His narrative omits the garden
prayer, in which Jesus had girded Him.
self for voluntary surrender to His enc
mics. John prefers to relate how Jesus
proceeded to accomplish the thing for
strength to do which He had thrice Of
fered the prayer: Thy will be done"-
words SO often misused to denote pass
i've resignation to God rather than reso-
Lutte cooperation with Him.
Nothing would have been easier, had
He so chosen, than for Jesus in the
shades of the garden to elude his cap
tors carrying lanterns. But He, know
ing all the things that were coming up
on Him." advances to meet them, and
asks: "Whom seek YEP" They answer:
"Jesus of Nazareth" Upon his re-
joinder: II am He,"a panic seizes them
"They went backward and fell to the
ground"-the most natural thing under
were suddenly confronted in dark and
lonely spot by one of whose wonder
working powers they had heard strange
tales-a man who could quell tempests
and raise the dead. They had been sent
to seize Him, but what did He mean
by so boldly advancing upon them?
Was He not about to exert His magical
power upon them? Such a thought it
must have been that paralyzed them.
Again the door of escape invited Jesus.
But He was bent on that surrender
through which alone He saw that His
mission in the world could be fulfilled,
and thatwill of God accomplished which
He had prayed for strength to do.
And so He calmly endeavored to re-
assure them. He repeats the question:
Whom seek YEP" and the answer: II
am He" He adds: IF We seek me, per-
NIT these to Depart II. e.. His disciples
thus plainly intimating His willing
ness to yield Himself. Whether this ap-
parent compliance was of itself enough
to dispel their fear of magical power is
past knowing. But just then side
breeze sprang up that blew all doubts
away. It was in that critical moment
of their hesitation that the balance was
turned by Peter striking in with his
sword. The appeal to passion SUPER
seeded their fears. 80 the band seized
Jesus and bound Him"--again the most
natural thing that could happen. That
sword-stroke was conclusive proof that
Jesus disciples in this crisis placed no
reliance on His putting forth any mag
ical power. Why, then. should Judas
posse not view the case as Peter viewed
it-as case to be settled by carnal,
not spiritual, weapons?
The lesson thus plainly given between
the lines at the beginning of Christian
history is one that the modern reform
er is often in need of. Right~hearted
zeal against intemperance or plutoo-
racy is prone to wrong-headed direc-
ton. The fanaticism of a good but IN
enlightened man often plays into the
hand of the enemy, as when preachers
attack skepticism with ratings at
science and criticism, or denounce the
theater without discriminating between
good and bad, or assail the excuses of
capital with infammatory rhetoric.
Then, as Peters foolish sword-stroke
helped toward the binding of the Son
of Man, so does the zeal which is not
according to knowledge tend only to
perpetuate the bondage which it is for
wiser men to break.-James M. Wilton,
in n. Y. Outlook.
Watching the Beginnings.
To be a good Christian one needs to
be good Waterman. The watchman's
talent is a talent for discerning begin
nings-the scarcely visible beginnings
of danger. Any dullard will know
when the house is in blaze; you want a
Waterman who will detect the faint
odor of smoke half an hour before the
blaze might burst forth. So any dullard
in the Christian life will be able to tell
when he has fallen into willful false