Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-08-05

Christ performed his first miracle In
Cana among his friends and neigh
bors we must begin our earthly Chris
tian service among those we love and
hold dear. Do not be a gospel messen-
ger only to the heathcn. Go and find
your neighbOrs and talk to them about
the atonement of the cross. Find the
heather at your very door.
Begin at Home.
The further you go into this premise
the more powerful becomes the gospel
lesson. Not only did Christ begin his
public gospel ministry among his
neighbors, but he began that gospel
ministry in a private way within the
quietude Of his own home. Mary, his
mother, had felt this divine influence
long before the outside world felt 1t
and saw it in Cana Of Galllee. How
do | know? The inference is clear
from the chapter Of my text. When
the wine failed, Mary heard the women
of the house talking together about the
mishap. This would be most natural
If the bride to be was Mary's own Sis
ter and Jesus aunt. What then hap
pened? Why, Mary Immediately went
and told Christ. Then she said to the
servants, "What he saith unto you do
IT." Do not these statements prove to
YOU that Mary knew Jesus could ex-
trlcate them out Of their difficulties II
he would? All, yes. Christ showed
his divinity first in his home. 1t is
right and necessary for us to begin our
ministry for Christ among our friends.
It is not. however, more important TO
be q gospel messenger to our nelghDors
than a gospel messenger in private to
our husbands, our wives, our parents,
our children, in the quiet sanctity OF
our own homes. Christ was a divine
Christ in a carpenter shop before he
was a divine Christ making the water
blush crimson in Cana Of Galilee.
But we must not circumscrbe our
gospel ministry to our homes and our
neighbors and our friends. We must
not say, Because Christ performed
his first miracle at wedding there
fore we will only attend the weddings
and the festivities of the young peo-
pie" We have a greater mission than
that. No sooner were these young
folks married and started out in the
world with gospel good cheer than
Christ went forth into the world to
continue that ministry. He went
among the strangers. He went to
those who cursed and derided and ulti-
mately slew him. He went to those
who would have nothing to do with
him. He went among the sinners and
the outcasts to carry to them the bread
of life" He went to Mary Magdalene
and to the house of despised Zaccheus
He went everywhere where the sins OF
mankind were calling for the need OF
a Saviour. From amid the songs and
the merrymakings Of this nuptial ban
quet will you and carry the message
of Christ to an outside sinful world?
Will we preach Christ amid the cypress
as we'll as amid the orange blossoms!
VIII we preach Christ under the moan
ing. weeping willows as well as among
the singing multitudes Of weddings Of
Galilee? ut is better to go to the
house of mourning than to the house
Of feastlngv It is your dutysto go to
both placese But remember; oh, Chris
tian, those who are'preparing to enter
another world and to be married to
death need you as much as those who
are about to place upon their fingers
the wedding ring Of gold which will
encirce that finger after the flesh has
withered away in the grave.
copyright, 1908, by Louis Klopsch.l