Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1905-06-29

"rhe Spirit Of the Lord Is upon me-"
Luke iy,, Is
when | read the chapter OF Chrlsts
home coming Il seems to express clear
" how Christ, IN His sensitive home
sickness, His love for His home, a part
OF His character, and His appreciation
OF all that was domestic and holy In
life He must have felt that day when
he was going home to Nazareth for
the first time after his mother had
taken her family and moved away
with them years before.
oh, to think OF Him walking up to-
wards that old home alone. torgetful
OF the past few years and unconscious,
in measure. OF the change that must
have come TO the old people, thinking
OF the old folks who had grown up
and married, and hardly realizing that
a new generation had grown up nearly
to marriage since lie left. Yet He goes
In 10 lt with an idea somehow that the
years amount to nothing, and that He
would find them all the same--that
those who loved him, those who cared
for him. those who sang for him In
the old days, would do the same again
The years had gone by aud the boy
was returning home.
As he entered the synagogue he was
noticed by every one There was some
thing about his manner and his face
which they recognized. and he became
at once the center of attraction. Whis.
perlngs went around the synagogue.
"Who Is that?" THAT Is Jesus. the
man who has performed 80 many mir.
acles; the young man who turned the
water into wine AT Cana: the young
man who healed the sick At Caper.
naum and is now the idol Of all peo-
Pile" AS the whlsperings went around
they stared at Him still the more.
Seeing Jesus present, the minister of
the synagogue who had charge OF the
ark In which the scrolls were placed
| went to Him and asked Him. as a
stranger, TO take the roll OF Isaiah and
read. When He read the text He gave
the scroll TO the custodian. who put II
back In the ark and when He sat
down all the eyes were fastened on
Him, expecting Him to say something
strange. They heard such great things
about Him from Capernaum that they
were curious. lie could perform great
miracles and they wished to see ono
They looked at Him to see what He
would do. But He still kept His seat
as His custom was in the synagogue
Then He went on with His sermon:
''Thls day Is the scripture fulfilled In
your ears" He preached sermon
altogether too broad for those sensa
ton seekers. He said TO those bigoted
| Israelites in Nazareth that when the
prophet Elijah was sent by the Lord
he was sent out TO Serepta, unto a
woman that was a widow. And many
lepers were In Israel In the time Of
Elisha the prophet, and none of them
were cleansed save Naaman, the
| Syrian. who lived in far off Damascus.
He said unto them that no prophet was
without honor save In his own coun.
! try, among his own kin, and then he
said: II can do no mighty works here
because OF your unbelief." And when
they found out that He would not per-
form any great miracles, and that He
had practically spoken against Nazar.
eth and His own people by saying that
the Lord had people outside OF Nazar-
eth whom He loved as much as He did
the Israelites, then indignation took
place Of their admiration and hate sue
ceeded love. They arose in a mob and
replied with angry words, and finally
drove Him out of the synagogue.
! wonder If one, in that great con-
gregation, still retained respect for
Him and a recognition Of His heaven
" spirit and still retained love for
Him. | think the subsequent historic
events are confirmatory Of the local
tradition that there were two in that
synagogue in that day who still held
their faith in Him, who sympathized
not with the rage Of the populace and
who felt that in Him was the divine,
and who followed Him to Capernaum
to become afterwards the founders Of
the great church In Nazareth which
Influenced the age from the time Of
Christ down to the time Of the Cru
saders. To them, as He should be to
all, He became that day citizen Of
the whole world.