The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-24

Rev. Joshua Stansfield's Theme at
Meridian-Street Church.

The Rev. Joshua Stansfeld, of Merid-
ian-street NJ. E. Church. yesterday morning
took his text from the twenty-sixth chapter
Of Matthew and tenth verse. his theme be-
ing on the observance of Palm Sunday. In
part he said: palm Sundays triumphal
and tragic day The public life of our Lord
is coming to a close and the opportunities
for men TO see and know Him as the light
the life, the Son of God-the great revealer
are also closing The great feast which
typified His own sacrifice and crucifixion is
al hand, and with thousands Of other de-
vout Jews He and His disciples are nearing
the holy city. After staying over night at
Bethpage at the house of Simon. the
leper-presumably one whom He had pre-
viously healed of that dread disease-aI;d
where the grandest triumph of His life up
to that time was realized In the action Of
Mary in breaking the alabaster box of oint-
ment, early next morning they go for
ward toward the city for the great prepara-
tory week, Jesus, for reasons fully known
to himself only, though certainly in fulfill
ment of scriptural prophecy, makes His So
called triumphal entry into the city of
Jerusalem.
But o how short lived this popularity all
was! And surely never by Jesus could have
been thought of as triumphal and vic
toriOus hour. The value of such royal en-
trance as Israefs redeemer and king, we
may, perhaps, not fully appreciate, but
that il ever gave Jesus any satisfaction
few of us would dare think He gives no
evidence anywhere of any Joy in the occa-
sion, except, perhaps, when the envy OF the
Jews would have Him restrain the shouts
of the people, he said, If these should
cease the very stones would cry out and
here, indeed, ii is not so much joy in the
event as a sweeping rebuke of the de-
termined opposition and hardness of some
The church from earliest years has made
much Of the anniversary of that so-called
triumphal entry into the city, the Greek
Church from the fourth century and the
Roman from the sixth. In St. Peters in
Rome to-day there will have been a great
pageant. The Pope, not on the colt of an
ass but borne on the shoulders of eight
men, will be carried in the papal chair
around the cathedral guarded by men with
drawn swords, and followed by cardinals
bishops. ambassadors and other dignitaries
in most gorgeous robes and trappings-
strange. If not grotesque, commemoration
of the entrance Of the lOwly Nazarine-and
after blessing the palms and exalting the
host the vast audience will dismiss carry
ing with them the palm leaves or
branches as charms against disease or i'll.
But the real triumph was not in Christ'e
entry into the city but rather. as Jesus saw
il and John recorded ii, il was on the pre-
ceding evening In the magnificent act of
Mary in the house OF Simon, the leper
OFTEN misunderstood.
''Truest love and highest insight into
truth are always doing things which are
misinterpreted and utterly beyond the
understanding of selfish and sordid souls.
This ought to have been given To the poor
or it ought to have been used thus OF thus.
Who says this? Judas And who is Judas?
A much-maligned man, l fear A careful
reading OF the synopsis gives reason TO
think that ne had no purpose OF numbering
his master and Lord. He was a man OF
good business ability; clear head practi-
cal turn OF mind and, withal, a man whom
Jesus and the rest could trust / do not
forget that in the last gospel. one OF the