Arizona republican., 1904-02-15
THE BELOVED DISCIPLE.
Yesterday Mornings Sermon at the
 Baptist Church.

6apIlSt Church.
 John, the son of Zebedee, is common ly known as the beloved disciple" Next to Peter, John is the best known and most prominent of all the dis clples, yet he never sought prominence
 He was of a modest, retiring disposi- tloh' and became prominent in spite of
 hlnself. Where Peter always had some 1 thlng to say or do to cause himself to
 ne prominently mentioned. in all the
 'ioS2eI history there are only two or three shcrt sayings of John's recorded. and hardly one event in which he was the principal actor. John is freuue.tly
 mentioned in connection with his broth
 CT James, or with Peter and James and in every case John is the last to he named The invaIiabIe order is Peer. James and John.
 It is through Johns writings that he has become so well known to us They are peculiar to their author. J,h1's
 Gcs->el especially is unlike the others,
 and We feel that he brings us nearer to
 the heart of Jesus than all the others
 ar.d it is fer this that we know him so
 well. In his own writings he ra,,a~
 makes himself prominent When he 1 l
 name. but as another disciple or the other disciple" CT "the disciple which testifieth of these things" or "tle dis cIPle whom Jesus lCved,'' etc. John sits | back in the shadows and lets us see the
 Loru more clearly. He makes of him.
 self merely a lampstand to shed abroad
 the light of Jesus. We love him for
 that.
 John liked best to describe himself as
 the disciple whom Jesus loved" This
 seIt description was in no spirit of van IF. John did not say or imply that
 Jesus did not love the other disciples
 He simply said that he was one whom
 Jesus did love. He regarded Jesus
 love Tor him as the most remarkable
 thlns about him. Everything else sank into insignificance His name Jcbp
 was not worth mentioning. All that
 olstlnguished him as a man waE of
 httle moment. The great treasure of
 ms life and his most distineuisbin.y characteristic was that Jesus loved him. He lost himself in that precious fact Many men are noted for just one thine
 Columbus is the man who discovered ! America. Boswell is the man who wrote the life of Samuel Johnson. Watt
 Is the man who invented the steam en-
 zine. Sc John wished to be known as
 the disciple whom Jesus loved Could
 any reputation be more modest? Could
 any reputation be more exalted?
 Jesus eS~ecially loved such as Jo1n Jesus love for us is only measured bv our ability to receive. Jesus showed
 no undue favoritism for John, but John most appreciated and kept closest to Jesus ana was in position to receive
 an especial portion of his love. Jesus ioNe IS Tor such as John. The love of 1 orr Lord is bestowed according to the | laws of human love. He does love all
 men, including lost sinners, but these who come nearest to him and receive the largest measure of his love are those who appreciate and cultivate the af fectiCnal side of life. Those whose | hearts make much Of human love oueht to be most ready to open their hearts
 to the love of Jesus. Our homes. with | their high development of family affec- tion. should be like that home at Beth any of whose inmates it is recorded.
 Jesus loved Mary and Martha and i Lazarus"
 on two or three occasions anothe-
 side of Johns character was revealed. One Of these occasions was when James and John desired to call down the ven 2eance of heaven upon the Samaritan
 Village that had refused to receive Je-
 SIS. Not very much love in that. vou
 say. But l think that the love of these brethren for Jesus is the only explana- ton of their conduct here They wera jealous of the dignity of their beloved Master. So it is sometimes that the dis cfple who most loves his Lord will sbo1v
 bitterness of spirit in defense of h's Lords digEity which Jesus himself could never cherish.
 Once again these same brethren in- vited Jesus rebuke by asking that they might be given the positions of greatest honcr at his right and left hand ir his kingdom. Johns part in this is easily
 explained. He had been next to the Master on earth why should he not seek that position of favor forever? He could not bear to think of the glory and res@ Onsibilities of the throne com ing in to separate him from his Lord. His very love led him into this folly and caused him to appear in the light of self-seeking. So we may learn that
 great as is love, it is not 10 be follow cd blindly. It must be wisely cherish ed. Love must learn to sacrifice itself or it may lead either to the fierceness
 of jealousy or the selfishness of unholy ambition. Even the loving disciple will make mistakes, but the mistakes of
 such a disciple should be easily correct,
 ed. fer love is an apt pupil John never
 went so far astray or needed so severe
 discipline as Peter.
 am glad that the disciple John ever
 lived and that the New Testament tells
 us so much about him. I am glad that he has had and has today many success
 ors in men and women who value above
 all things the love of Jesus and live un-
 der the r,oIver of that love ca, ;.,,