The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-19

y strange aud sad incident, 1t il
illustrates wildly the small progress
Jesus had made with His disciples il
teaching them the new ideal of life
1t was within thirty DAYS of the
end of his career, and they had had
three years of instruction. Yet theil
notion of the nature of His kingdom
was so vague and crude that the
heart of the Master must have been
distressed. They thought it some
thing objective and material, They
had taken his analogy of the twelve
thrones literally, and were hungry
for the spOils of Office.
James and John, the very ones from
whom He might naturally expect the
most, really led off in the demand fol
official preferment. They seemed
not to have profited by previous err
rors which Jesus had corrected, They
had forbidden one whom they found
casting out devils, because he did not
follow them, and they had wanted tC
call down fire OH the Samaritans
The Master had, in these instances
rebuked the earthliness of their aims
and methods. But now they betray
such a base notion of their Leader
that they think he could be guilty OF
nepOtiSm. Their mother, Sa lone
was Mary sister, and they cousins OF
Jesus. Hence their claim to prefer.
ment. 1t is family attempt to steal
a march on the others. They are es.
pecially anxious to cut Peter out, the
most aggressive of the apostles They
had reason to believe Jesus regarded
them with special interest-for John
was His favorite at table, and James
was always included with the two
others as witnesses of the most signifi-
cant events
In the form of their request they
seem to have had the Sanhedrin in
mind-the- splendid supreme court
and parliament of the Hebrew nation
The Prince of the Sanhedrin sat in
the midst of two rows of elders. On
his right sat the Father of the San
hedrin,' and on his left the Sage of
the Sanhedrin. So James and John
had an ambitious dream of being clad
in gorgeous raiment and seated high
in the marble court of the Elders of
Israel, in the rehabilitated nation. 1t
may not have been entirely unmixed
selfishness. There may have been ell
ements of patriotism and courage
But thew totally missed the scope
and spirit of the kingdom. This dull
ness of His best disciples must have
been notifying to Jesus. In fact, it
was more trying to Him than the ac-
tive and cunning opposition of the
scribe and Pharisees.
With infinite patience Jesus began
to teach the lesson all over again, and
unfold the essential principles of His
kingdom. He could be charitable to
His tardy disciples, for He was found
ing a commonwealth, absolutely I'M
ique-the like of which the world had
never seen before-a kingdom of the
heart, entirely subjective, ethica !,
and spiritual. Well could Jesus say,
"Ye know not what we ask" Within
"a month they saw those coveted places
at His right and left hand occupied
indeed, but by crucified thieves. Can
you drink of My cup?" So far from
being able to drink of the cup of His
calamity, they did not even dream
in spite of all His teaching, that such
cup was soon to be pressed to His
lips. There was no room forthe cross
in their conception of His kingdom.
Again, the very ethical and spiritua
nature of the new commonwealth
makes the arbitrary distribution O
position and emolument among fayo
rites an utter impossibility. In point
of fact, ''lordship' in the common
sense of that word, is entirely ruled
out. The only greatness is that o
love, obedience, humility, and service
And there can be nothing capriciou
in this. To the fit seat the fitted per
son only can come. Those neares'
the King can reach tn cir station onl,
by the path the King Himself ha
taken.
Jesus must have been touched will
pity when he said to these over con
fident disciples, "you shall drink o
MY cup He knew the significanc
of the words. They did not 1t com
pensated also for present disappolnt
ment to know as He did that thes
crude and vainglorious follower
would finally learn His doctrine an,