The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-27

Xne International EunQaY-SGnOO4 Les
son for October - IS, Jesus Anolnt-
ed at Bethany Matt. 26:6-16. The
Golden Text IS "She hath wrought
good work upon me" Matt. z6:1O.
BY WILLIAM 7. ELLIS.
The recent widespread discussion of
tainted money" has raised afresh an
issue that IS not new in religton-the
place and importance of money 1t IS
akin to a debate that ragged IN the
home OF Simon the leper in the little
town Of Bethany, just outside of old
Jerusalem, two thousand years ago
Then an ardent, inpetuOus, grateful
dfsciDIe. woman whose heart brin-
med over with love, lavished upon the
Restorer of her brother a precious
ointment that could have been sold for
fifty dollars in gold as we rate money,
or that was the equivalent or g. year 8
wages for a workingman of the time,
or that was worth One-third more than
the sum which the disciple estimated
to be necessary to feed five thousand.
The treasurer Of the college OF apos-
ties resented what he called the waste
Guluess Of the deed; his idea was that
the monetary standard was supreme
and that the most important thing for
the inciDient church to consider was
Its source Of financial income
It IS rather interesting that these
tugo vell-knoWn Bible characters, Mary
and Judas, should each be remembered
largely for one incident, ana that one
moneys worth. Mary thought her
richest treasure was best spent In pour
ing It forth as a fragrant amounting Tor
the Master she loved Judas thought
thirty pieces of silver-far less than
the cost OF AIary's alabaster cruise OF
Tard-of more value than his LORDS
life plus his own honor and fidelity
and salvation.
The money standard persists Today
q live issue throughout Christendom Is,
Does money rule the church % Are
devotion to the ideals which had their
embodiment in Jesus and loves self
forgetting sacrifice, of less Importance
than the favor of the wealthy Must
churches yield dominant influence to
the men with the longest purses Can
they get along without, or venture TO
sntagonize, the rich Is the cold
practical world wisdom of Judas to
control. or the impractical, impul-
siVe warm heart OF Mary?
The Aftermath of a Miracle.
This incident occurred at a feast
given by Simon, a healed leper. 1t was
a scandal in the eyes Of the austere
reIigionists of his time that Jesus came
eating and drinking and sharing the
common life of the people; but this Is
TODAY his glory. for it has Sanctfed the
ordinary relations Of men and women,
their Joys as we'll as their sorrows.
Christianity is as normal and appro-
pirate at a feast as at funeral
The happiest persons at this particu-
lar festivity we're the members Of the
Bethany home whittier the weary
Christ was accustomed to resort,
whose head. Lazarus had been raised
from the dead by Him. The presence
of both Jesus and Lazarus at the feast
made the occasion really sensational.
What a peeping i'm at the doors and
windows there must have been. and
what q curious crowd gathered to see
the guests arrive and depart This
man who had been dead and buried
four days, and then made alive again
was as much an object of interest as
the acie-WorSer himself.
The Importance of this particular
miracle Is not to be overlooked. 1t
tremendously stimulated interest in
Jesus. IT increased the number of his
disciples, and it is given as the direct
cause of the triumpbal entry. More
over. it intensified the bitterness of
Christ's enemies. They included Laz-
arus In their hate, and would have put
him TO death also, because the testf-
zn0ny of his resurrection was so DOW
erfuI an argument for the divinity of
the Nazarene. The price paid for
Christ's friendship is always the en-
nifty Of his enemies. They who would
reign with him must also suffer with
him
Contrasts at a Feast.
Life is not as simple as in our youth
full dreams we believed it to be. Each
days newspaper contains, side by side
tragedies and rejOicings, failures and
successes, sorrows and joys; and its
marriage and death notices are always
grouped together. This Bethany feast
was a picture of life. There was the
deep and wondering joy over the res
toratiOn OF Lazarus, chastened by
memories Of the great sorrow of his
ieath. There also was seen the tran
scending love Of Mary who by the way
must not be cOnfounded with Mary
Magdalene, nor with the sinful woman
who anointed Jesus at another feast
and in sharp contrast to this was the
were the common run OF people, and
the exalted Spirit who was incarnate
of Cod All gathered about Simon 8
table. merged into the one world. and
yet each a world i'm himself
Tt is suggestive that these diverse in
terests found their common meeting
point in the person of Jesus. For in
him all the conditions and classes and
races of mankind are discovering a
common center. The worlds great