The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-24
:isl courtesy extended to him was


| BY substitution, the American peo-
pie were serving the emperor. These
| illustra tions, in measure, set
forth the way in which Christ can be
served BY substitution. Christ can
reach human need only through hu-
man instrumep.alities, and the dis
ciple can only serve Christ by serving
others, by serving the least of His
| brethren"
This is a wonderful thought, that
the Christly presence may be found
in the most humble, crying human
need. Notice that in Christ's earthly
ministry it was in the unexpected
places and the most humble and dis
tressing cases of human need to which
| Christ mihistered. 1t was blind Bar
timeus by the wayside; it was the
woman who touched the hem of His
garment while the multitudes
thronged Him; it was the foul
leper that came and fell at His feet;
it was the outcast and those in all man.
ner of distress that felt the Divine
touch and went away rejoicing. And
Christ to-day calls His followers to
seek in the unexpected places and
amidst the distressed multitudes for
opportunities of serving Him. lie is
waiting in such places to be served.
What a comfort it should be to us
for Him to recognize the giving of
the cup of cold water, the food, the
raiment, the shelter, the touch to the
fevered brow in the sick room, the
kindly word spoken within the prison
walls, things the poorest and weakest
of CErist's disciples can bestow, while
those who are boasting Of the great
things they have done in His name,
the uttering of prophecies, the cast
ing out of devils, the doing Of many
wonderful works, are banished from
His presence with the rebu;e: Il never
knew you; depart from Me, ye that
work iniquity."
Christ taught and emphasized the
lesson of humble service, and declared
that he who would be greatest among
them let him be as the servant of all.
The glory of the TRANSPORTATION on
the mountain top and the cOnversa-
ton with Moses and Elias were not al
lowed to shut out the need of the
lunatic son. The pain and agony of
the cross could not shut out the low
ing thought for His mother,
or stifie the cry of the Penitent
thief. Even the formality of the din
ner in the house of the rich Pharisee
could not keep Him from ministering
to the need of a sinful and outcast
woman. The great fact was not that
He had dined at the house of a rich
Pharisee and had talked with men of
influence and authority, but it was
that brand had been plucked from
the burning and a woman set to re-
joicing whose song will continue to
ring through the courts of Heaven
throughout eternity. The greatest
fact in regard to our Christian SER
vice is not that you or l are prominent
in church circles, that we have great
responsibilities resting upon us, that
large audiences depend upon us for
leadership, but it is that in the unex-
pected places, a the unexpected times,
we may meet Christ in the person of
needy soul by the wayside and be
Christ's messenger Of loving, help
full service. 1t is possible to be so
occupied with the great things,
as we consider them, in the service of
Christ as to shut out the real presence
of Christ and prevent us from per-
forming the humble service which will
call forth some day from the Masters
lips: "Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these, My
brethren, We have done it unto Me-"
The preacher whose sermon is of
more Importance than the call of dis
tress from some humble parishioner
has shut Christ out of his study and
missed more good material for stir
ring sermons than he can scraPe to-
gether out of his books after months
of study. The church member, the
Sunday school worker, who is so in
tent upon reaching the house of God
as to hastily pass by the case of need
by the roadside has thoughtIessly
missed the presence of the Christ and
will fail to find Him in the meeting
house. The rush of getting ready for
church or Sunday school. with its so
often attending impatience, may lose
us the blessing of meeting Christ in the
home, and certainly prevent us from
feeling His presence in church or class
room. The Sunday clothes that are too
nice to be soiled in ministering TO the
the fashionable church, but they may
shut the wearer out of Heaven. Better
to soil your hands and ruin your
clothes and meet the Christ by a visit
to the sick room or the prison, than to
preserve your immaculateness and re-
ceive the bowed greetings of host of
fashionable friends. Better o put your
arm around the drunkard and lead him
to Gods altar to meet there with you
the Christ than to walk apart from
Christ with the greatest man that ever
received the honors of the world. Oh,
disciple of Jesus Christ! Don't set
the bounds where Christ shall meet
YOU. Don't confne Him to the church
closet; don't look for a meeting with
Him only on Sunday and prayer meet
ing night. If you do you may never
meet Him. and you will be among those
TO whom He will say some day. depart
from Me, for l was IN hungered, and We
gave Me no meat; l was thirsty and ye
gave me no drink; l was a stranger and
We took Ne not in; naked, and We
clothed Me not; sick. and in prison, and
We visited Me not" Learn the lesson
of exalted service, see the opportuni-
ties of serfing the very Christ Himself
in the lowly and needy places, for
ITO comfort and to bless.
To find balm for woe.
To tend the lone and fatherless,
Is angels work below.
The captive to release.
To God the lost to bring.
To teach the way of life and peace.