Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-05-26

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simply could not, because of his OWL
nature. because of his loyalty to his
disciples best interest. and because OF
his implicit obedience to the prear.
ranged program Of the Father-grant
the request. The places of power in the
new kingdom were for those for whom
they were prepared, and who were pre-.
pared for them. Fitness. not favorit-
ism. wins the places in the kingdom OF
truth. In modern business and politics
n man may be catapulated into a situa.
ton for which he has no qualifications
by the friendly offices of those in pow.
err; but hat is no real kindness to the
person so favored. Pull" in the LONG
run pulls downward.
The method and the desire of these
applicants for office were signs Of their
present disqualification. They were
acting dishonorably oward their fell
lows. andothey were adopting a course
which would speedily rend any COM
munity with d~issensIon. An eastern
sage has said that IL our Lord had
granted the request of the brothers
as to which of them should sit on his
right hand.
Already there was strife among the
ten when they heard of the presumpt-
uous request of their comrades-though
doubtless they had been figuring on
good places for themselves, every one.
The disappointed office seeker is usually
the most arden reformer. The incident
of the grurnbling among the other dis
ciples is only one more. added to count
less millions. illustrating the truth that
self seeking begets, Instead of love and
mutual helpfulness, only jealousy, en-
mites and suspicion
A LESSON FROM THE TEACHER.
The patient teacher called the sauab-
bling learners to him, n began to
pacify them and to attach to the Incl
dent a great teaching; 1t was his habit
to link great truths to present facts.
Gently he pointed out that they were
no better than the heather. Their pres
n conduct was exactly tina Of the
Gentiles.
The worlds way wsls not to be their
way. however,; they were peculiar, q
people set apart. The difference be-
tween the world and the church is an
and underlying one. The two
cannot be conformed, except one be
TRANSFORMED. The Christian may as
we'll give up trying to dress himself by
the worlds mirrors; he cannot do 1t.
n church is not to work according to
the worlds patterns. With all our
modern talk about ''progressiveness"
and "a~daptabtlity" the fact remains
that worldliness in a Christian is Just
as unchristianlike as 1t was when John
and James tried to feather their own
nests in the worlds way.
Here are the great words which ex-
press the fundamental platform of
Jesus without conformity to which
none should call himself a regular
member OF his party in full standing,
II n may borrow the current political
figure: "Whosoever will be great among
you, shall be FOUR minister; and Who
soever of you will be the chiefest. shall
be the servant Of all For even the
Son Of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister. and t. give his
life a ransom for many.
That is the Masters view of the sort
Of life every friend Of his should live.
tremendous words need no COM
They sufficiently characterize
the presumptuous ambition of John and
James: they are adequate rebuke for
the quarreling disciples: they arraign
the pride and ~self-seeking Of Christians
and the world, and they set forth. in
unmistakable terms the ideals which
Jesus came to teach society and to ex-
press in his own ministry and sacrifice
upon an undeserved cross.