The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-02-04
A Sabbath in Capernaum

! (Odpefnaum),S so famous IN New Iesta-
ment annals, exalted to heaven by
Jesus residence within its limits. The
usual audience had gathered in the
marble synagogue, which love had
prompted worthy centurion prose
lyte to build.
/ The glittering fragments of that house
of prayer, with the conventional
twisted foliage ornamentation, greet
the eye Of the modern traveller, and
remind him of the doom which Jesus
pronounced on account of the spiritu-
al obtuseness off population. Marks
spirited narrative describes Jesus as
going to the synagogue as soon as the
doors were open. By common consent,
he takes the speakers stand. and ut
tiers words that have a principle of
life in them
The most eminent scribe that ever
occupied that desk never approxima-
ted to the self assertiveness of the
present speaker. Hear his II say unto
you 81 am the way, the door, the
| vine, the shepherd truth, life, resurrec-
tom Before Abraham was, l ami
No wonder that audience was dumb
founded. Moses and the prophets
were not authorities to be appealed
to, but servants to deck the speakers
brow with aureola of divinity. In
the very midst of that fervid sermon,
the breathless stiffness of the audito-
rum is broken by the piercing cry
OF terror and establishment with which
the underworld recognizes it's Sover-
eign Master: "Ah!' "Woe is mer'
Mine hour of doom is come.n 1t
was just such cry as the condemned
felon might rise at the sudden. unex-
pected appearance of his executioner.
The seed of the serpent recognizes
the seed of the woman. But even in
his terror the unclean spirit sees an
opportunity to damage his mightyop-
ponent. He fails not to avail himself
of it. He will patronizingly acknowl-
edge the new Rabbits exalted claims,
so that there shall be the appearance
of collision. The venomous Jews
shall be furnished with some color
for their damaging accusation that
Jesus is himself possessed, and by
that means exercise the authority
over demons. The master check
mates that devil in single move.
He silences him, and expels him. The
demon gives an example of his malev-
olent ferocity by giving his unhappy
victim "a last fling before he leaves
J i'm. In that synagogue by the sea
witnessed a sharp encounter be-
tween the powers Of light and dark
ness, and Heavens final triumph is
adumbrated. No wonder that the
fame of it flew with winged feet. The
scene of Jesus tireless activity is at
once transferred from the publicity
Of the synagogue to the sweet privacy
of the home of the chiefest of his
apostles. What Peter has just seen
of the Masters power emboldens him
to call his attention to an instance of
sickness in his own house-a low,
consuming, fatal fever. The do
mestic miracle will produce no such
sensation as that wrought in the syn
agogue but love for his disciple, and
desire to confirm his somewhat I'M
stable character, as well as sympathy
for the sufferer, leads Jesus to give
the touch and word of power. What
God does is well done" No tedious
conyalescence succeeds the breaking
of the fever. AS token of gratitude
the sick woman instantly rises from
her couch and prepares savory
meal. All unconsciously she gives
evidence of the perfection of her cure;
at the same time she refreshes the
Master after the tolls of the day, and
fortities him for the overwhelming
exactions of the early evening. For
scarcely was the meal finished before
the street in front of Peters house
was converted into a hospital. That
miracle in the synagogue had been
silver bell whose notes of hope had
sounded in every Swallowed home In
obedience to its encouraging call,
when the setting sun had absolved
the people from their overstrained
notions of Sabbath observance, they
came with confidence to Him whose
sovereign power had had such CON
spicuous complication From one
sufferers mat to another He walked in
that hastily extemporized lazar- house
under the stars. Nor did he desist as
long as there was a tiny sufferer left
upon any mothers gentle bosom.
Now we know how Capernium was
lifted to heaven in point of privilege.
No other city had such perfect ex-
hibition of Jesus power. In single
night every malevolent demon was
expelled, every diseased person was
made every whit whole. The sun
that went down upon sick and suf-
fering city rose upon one healed and
happy. Yet see once more the invet-
! 30 ,NAu-o, 81 -