The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-07
az wILLIAM 7. ELLIS.

A LIVE man can not escape enc
mics. That they are 3 factor
in life may be accepted at the
outset Only the colorless
d and the ineffective can avoid
them. Whoever would do
the work OF a strong character in the
world must expect to have foes. ana
not be surprised or over troubled When
they appear. Every character who
has counted in history had his enc
mics. Jesus had more OF them than
most great men. And enemies are
useful They serve a certain high pur-
pose Of spiritual culture The soul
dbre is tested and proved by them.
Whether one is ut to master life ana
to engage in its strife is demonstrated
by how he bears himself when he IS
face to face with those who seek his
hurt
Light on the proper way to meet
enemies is shed, not only by the life OF
Jesus, but also by this great parable
which deals with the subject. It is to
be rem nbered that the parable was
spoken in the midst of the most hunt
ed period OF Jesus life. He himself
was surrounded on all hands by the
lepfes and emissaries of his powerful
foes. These very words would be re-
ported to men whose principal present
Interest in life was the putting away
this new Teacher from Galilee- The
parable is a tremendous one, vitality
related to everybOdy's philosophy Of
conduct.
Is Vengeance Right?
In one of the magazines there is ap-
pearing a series of exposure articles,
which are commonly believed to be m
Epired by a spirit Of revenge Iney
have Accommodated and are accomplish
ing great good; but their motive IS
avoWedly and markedly revenge upon
enemies. There is a deal OF this sort
Of thing cropping out now. Many men
are taking advantage of the GuIckened
n ttq-nf even with Old
foes. In fact. vengeance is one of the
master motives of life. We would rath-
er not think so, but an open-eyed view
OF the world cOnvinCes US that men Still
follow the Mosaic law, IAN eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth" In pursuit
Of their revenge even big men VIII
stOop to Incredible littlenesses. Nothing
calls out the meanness Of a mans ma
ture quite so thoroughly as his endeavor
20 hurt a foe.
A Man With a Problem.
The immediate occasion of the tell
sng of this story by Jesus was ques-
ton by Simon Peter The teacher had
previously pointed out how to deal with
q brother who had Wronged one. The
position assumed by Jesus was ad-
vanced ground It troubled Simon Peter.
So he came to the Master with the
question, Lord. how often shall my
brother sin against me. and I forgive
him. until seven times2 Jesus said
unto him. say not unto thee, until
seven times; but, until seventy times
seven"
Peter thought that he was doing the
handsome thing in setting his mag
nanimity at seven times. The rabbis
said q man should be forgiven three
times. Peter doubled this number and
added one for good measure, and doubt
less plumed himself on his lofty spirit
ual attitude. Jesus showed him that
he had not yet escaped the bondage
of the liberalism of the old law. Christ's
religion was not one Of rules, but Of
principles; so by using the figure seven
~ times seven Cor seventy times and
sever. whichever he said: versions differ
on this point). Jesus conveyed the idea
ffat there was no definite limit and
that forgiveness was to continue without
measure. He illustrated his meaning
by a parable
Before passing on to this. however it
IS worth noticing that Simon Peter was
a man alive to spiritual questions. He
was really concerned about moral duties
and about the perplexities Of the spirit
There are some persons frankly, who
are dead to all such matters. They are
not alive to the souFs problems. and
look upon the doubts and anxieties OF
their fellows with a sheer They think
the man who is more anxious ahout his