The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-22

What the Church Folks IRE Thinking
AbOUt and Doing. Religious News
From Everywhere.
I'd YOUNG PEOPLE.s ToPTC.

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fury, after the advent Of the illu rafnat-
ing spirit. They were the first to he
taught the wonderful new message
which Jesus came to bring. Neverthe-
less his instruction to them is still nee
essay for US.
There was the lesson Of prayer
Lord, teach US to pray cried the dis
ci2ies, ana in answer he gave them that
MODEL prayer which countless millions
since have spoken and which has
taught the race to say Our Father -
By reiterated parallels he showed them
lhat the Fathers ear is always open
TO the feeblest cry of the least Of his
children. God loves to hear PRAYER
and the quickest approach to his pres
ence IS on our knees.
Buf praying is not all; there must be
watching and working. So Jesus put
ms olsclples under the shadow of a
great truthZthat they are to live all
their lives with expectant face turned
toward Gods kingdom. So live and so
watch and so work, was his teaching,
that when the Lord comes YOU Will be
found watching. Eternal vigilance IS
the price of spiritual liberty.
A Compelling Love.
The greatest of story tellers was this
King, who had new truths to utter
and who clothed them in the homeiv
form Of parallels. He wanted the world
70 know something of the greatness of
the compelling love of God. BeIiev-
X L
ed abstractly, he cast it in the form
OF the story of The prodiga1 son. where
Dy whole legion of wandering chill
dren have learned the precious truth
gnat Ike as a father pitfeth his chill
dren, so the Lord pitieth;" and that
Tor every wandering, SHINING child
there is straight path back from the
uttermost limits of the far country TO
the Fathers house and the Fathers
forgiveness. The most of what Jesus
came to earth to teach is comprehend
ed in the parable OF the ProdigaI Son.
A Day of Triumph
Because of the resurrection of Laza-
rus, great crowds acclaimed Jesus as
the Messiah on the road to Jerusalem.
The triumphal entry prefgured the
palms of victory in tn path of the feet
of the Emancipation OF the race the
Redeemer of mankind.
This ovation, which set overcrowded
Jerusalem agog, did not affect the
deep humility of him who was its OBJ
Ject- He was quite willing before the
sound of the crowds huzzas had
scarcely died from his ears to do
slaves work of washing the feet OF his
proud and squabbling disciples Disin-
clination to serve as a sign of smaliness
and rot of greatness. It was a great
principle, not a practice, but a Drin-
ciple which the Master laid down
when he said: IF I then. the Lord
feet, We ought also to wash one anoth-
er's feet
Three Types OF Men.
In the lesson of the Unjust Judge,
the PharlSee and the Publican, Jesus
scores hypocrisy. Readiness to face
all the facts is the first mark of a
strong character Jesus suffered no
decisions concerning humanity or him
self. He knew what was in man.
Hypocrttes are a fact There Is no
use of trying to minimize them or to
explain them away. They exist and
always have existed and will exist so
long as it is to the advantage of the
bad to initiate the good It is a mis-
take TO assume that hypocrites are con-
fined exclusively to religion. There are
more of them outside the church than
In it. Every calling has them and
every circle of society.
universal and unfailing rule by
which false prophet may be discov-
by the wise Teacher: by their fruits
ye shall know them" Look at a life
in the large. and what is its harvest?
Is the sum total Of It's influence good
Or bad Has Its weight fallen on the
SIDE OF service or CT Seifishness in the
scale Of yedrS2 Is a man looking out
Tor himself, has he an "eye for the
main choice or IS he seeking to spend
MS powers in human helpfulness2
What, in the long run. is a man after7
OF what character is his most coveted
goal? That is the true test.
In the long run almost every life is
correctly estimated. You may be SLAM
dered or unduly fattered for a time:
men may praise or condemn you be-
yond your deserts. But. in the stretch
of the years you will be estimated not
by what the tongue of detraction or the
voice of adulation says, but by - aE-
gregate and output of your own char
acter.
And so God will measure YOU. He
judges righteous judgments. The pfous
mouthings of sanctimonious speech
may deceive men as to ones real re-
ligious character. but it wins no praise
from Christ. He spoke with scant re-
spect Of those who constantly cry
Lord, Lord; It is to be questioned
whether the loose and light use of the
sacred words of religion is not as great
profanity as the coarse cursing of the
creature of the gutter. The danger of
substituting stereotyped religiosity
for modest, vital, and fruitful Chris
uanity IS ever present with even the
sincerest disciples. Jesus himself sur-
gests the dread possibility of those who
profess most religion being cast out