The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-05-10
EPWORTH LEAGUE.


May 22i ssFaIse and True Ambftione.C
Matt. Xxx, 2O-2s.
Desire for prominence, for approval
Iby others, for unusual power, for
wealth, luxury, for much Of anything
more than is Of need, for pre-eminence
over other persons, how natural all this
seems, and how common among men!
Who is entirely free from the canker
Of some Of these ambitions? Disguised
it may perhaps be under the various
cloaks of business necessity, political
Iexpediency, religious excellence, scien-
tiic attainment and literary genius,
but however cloalSed 1t is the same old
body of selfshness At heart it is MAX
Ing others work for our good. It is
making others act the slave while we
play the role of master 1t is exaltation
of our will, desire and notions, with lit
tie or no regard to those of other per-
sons. It rests on the assumption that
we are superior to others, and our
claims should take precedence Of theirs
The SONS of Zebedee We're not differ
ent from the other apostles in their am
billions. They were only more per
sistent and less modest in pressing their
application The mother of these men
was not more given to intrigue than
other women of Israel, but simply on
more intimate terms with the Master.
All were seeking the best things they
knew, seeking to get all possible Of
them and Of course for themselves. No
one blamed them for this except thVqc
who wanted the same things for them
selves and saw these others getting
ahead Of them. The ten were indignant
only because they felt the two had been
keener than they and were gaining an
advantage not due. Did this struggle
for place have any influence on the
mind of that strange man Judas Is
CARROT? Was he made fearful of dis
placement from his post as treasurer
Of the company? May not this episode
have had much to do with creating dis
trust In the minds of the twelve regard
Ing each other? If James and John,
who have been ever so intimate with
Jesus, are seeking to monopolize the
best places and highest power, what
hope that the others can successfully
compete with them? What an opening
for enmity, heart burning and endless
jealousy, strife and intrigue? What
hope more for companionship and
peace? The disruption of the band is
already In sight.
There is but one path out. This
Jesus opens. To serve is the only
worthy ambition. The symbol by
which His disciples will be distinguish
cd Is cross. Servitude is the most
exalted nobility. He demonstrates the
proposition In His own person He is
Master of all and was among them as
the one who served others and was
never served by them in the older
sense. He was giver, not getter. He
was benefactor, not the benefited.
Will they ever be able to learn this
lesson? 1t reverses all the wheels Of
life. 1t changes good to evil and evil
to good. 1t heaves the world from its
course into a new orbit. In the read
justment will 1t not hurl all into cha
os? "Can We drink My cup?" he asks
I'VE can,' they say. But Judas is ST.
lent. He holds to the old course and
with the old momentum; that Is all.
1t looks as If he leaped the track to
plunge on a tangent into darkness, but
this is only because the others slowly
turned from the old and followed Je-
sus in His new way" while Judas
changed not
II you would know how wide apart
these courses swing note this incident,
then turn to the place where. after
Pentecost, Peter and John gain the
prayed for holiness of speech and all
the company share their goods in COM
mon. Then indeed they had the cup
and baptism Of Christ.