The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-03
ZONE THING
LACKING"

pastor, Rev. John Shape, Septembe
29th, 1901.
Text Zone thing thou lackest,
Mark 1921.
The place Is probably Southern
Perea on the way towards Jerus alem
with thelast Passover looming befor
the vision of the Lamb about to b
slain. The blessing Of the littl'
children is Immediately followed b,
an illustration from life Of the lacl
of the very child like spirit, Chris
had SO heartily commended to hi!
disciples. The illustration form
the story around which we are Il
gather in thought tonight
A Itch young ruler came eagerly tt
Jesus and asked this question: "Wha,
shall l do to inherit eternal lifeH
and the Divine man made answer--
why callest thou me good. There il
but one good, namely God. Now
this answer Of the Master IS often
read as II the emphasis were to be
put on the thou Cr me. The empha.
tic word is the word good, why call.
est thou me good. BY calling me
good you call me God, for God alone
is good. JESUS reminded the young
man of the commandments and
quoted that part Of the decalogue
that covers the duty Of man to man,
and the ruler quickly replied: "All
these have observed from my youth"
Jesus then beholding him gazing at
him with his soul in his eyes) loved
him and said In the language of the
text zone thing thou lackest.
Who was this young man? Some
believe that he was l. azarus of Beth.
any and for bhe following reasons he
is nameless on the record, and so are
Mary and Martha in several in tances
In synoptic narrative Of events with
which they had to do. lie was rich,
and SO was Lazarus as one might
suppose from the use Of the box Of
costly ointment which his sister
wasted? on the Saviour six days be.
fore his crucitXion. Jesus loved him
and it also said in clear reference
to Lazarus when Jesus wept at his
new made tomb "Behold how he
loved him. Attention is also called
to- the sincerity of the Masters ut
terance in the text to the defence of
Mary in another instance when he
said Zone thing is needful and Mary
hath chosen that part, that shall
not be taken from her." All of these
reasons are unsatisfactory and incon-
elusive. The sublimity and sadness
of the story is in no way marred by
the nameessness of the young man.
His Identification with Lazaruz would
not increase our respect for Lazarus
and on the whole the line Of reason.
ing is weak and unnecessary.
We may say this OF the young man
at least he was earnest he came
running" to the Saviour. He was
brave, he came ''publicly." He did
not come at night, Nicodemus like,
but in the open, before the accompa.
nying multitude. He may have gohe
to the house where Christ was known
to be as he blessed little children and
finding him gone, runs after him and
comes upon him on the way to Jeru.
salem in the presence of the public
multitude. lie was also humble.
lie came kneeling before the Great
Teacher and he was deferential. His
form of address is respectful if not
reverertlal "God Master One could
almost wish he had not made SO dis.
nal a failure at the end Of the inter.
view since he made 10 good and no.
BILE beginning.
There we're at least twelve things
this young man did not lack but the
one thing he did lack outweighed the
rest. lie did not lack power-he was
ruler, probably ruler Of the syna.
gogue and this would give him pres
tige and influence in his community.
But he lacked one thing.
He did not lack wealth but this
was only a burden. When wealth
takes win gs it always flies away.
While it stays It's wing spetrify into
millstones weighing its possessor to
earth. With what difficulty shall
they that have riches enter into the
kingdom of God. The lack OF wealth
might have proved his greatest bless
ing: the possession of it was his
greatest curse.
He did not lack purity, for when
Christ reminded him of the command
ment--"Thou shall not commitadul-
tery" he said that he had observed
that from his youth. Yet be lacked
one thing.
He did not lack a good disposition
the sixth commandment he had
never broken. But he lacked one
thing.
He did not lack honesty. Heknew
the eighth commandment and had
observed it from childhood. Yet he
robbed God OF one thing and he him.
self lacked one thing.
lie did not lack the good opinion
Of his neighbors for he had never
borne false witness against them.
He was no tattler, no busybody, no
gossip, yet he lacked one thing: 1t
is not enough to have good opinion
Of ones neighbors, Gods good opin.
ion is far more valuable.
He did not lack filial spirit-the
fifth commandment he had ALWAYS
observed. This is very commenda.
bic for it shows the trend of the
young mans training and disposition
lie was neither ashamed Of his moth.
er's "apron strings" nor disregard.
ful ofhis father Commands, yet he