The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-03
The International Sunday
School Lesson.
First Quarter. Lesson tx.
Matthew /: 16. March 4, 1oo6.
Jesus Tells Who Are Blessed.

All curious. speculation MS to the precse,
spot Where this sermon was preached ana
| whether 1t was strictly original or not,
Snort o an re q e saon on
the Mount is the most potent composition
in written speech. Tho original assembly
In each successive generation new and
eyer,,increasing throng comes to tho feet
of the Teacher of Mon. AS from the
old sermon has struck the ear of each
new congregation. Jesus stands yet the
nnchallenged. original teacher Of the M.
warming and empowering 1T. He is not
nor nor the f form, OF 4 ritual He comes
TO inspire life in the soul; to set UP n
kingdom within. which consists not in the
obiation. but in that Indispensable right
snd Joy. me s!rmon on she
on dignity and Importance all Its own.
The fundamental principles of the king
dom OF God are. here irradiated. the char
scrtbed. Jesus ideal was the exact re-
verse of that popularity entertained. The
people wanted an objective Kingdom lie
one Of meekness- -unarmed with carnal
weapons. In His brave enunciation of
superlatively unpopular ideal. He wns
carrying to it's nnal conclusion His victory
over, the tempter who had shown Him
Himself to the popular notion of a king
dom . The exordum OF such an
address Is Of special importance &c. Il L.
In the invetere:e, awful din of ceaseless
cursing and maledictions blessed
sounds like the high grace note of an an.
them of angels. Jesus does not proceed
to describe various classes who are bless
ed. but rather to tell of blessed subjcc-
expresses itself on occasion in manifold
ways. In two Iittic. homely mono
syllable words Jesus describes the effect
upon the social world OF the multiplication
Light! The influence of Christians is sa-
line and illuminativs. And this IS the
dren OF the Heavenly Father most ef-
feciiyely int n,, Him to their fellows
Religion is something that occurs mt
eleven o'clock Sunday morning, Such a
notion. and 1t is to be feared some people
have 1t, is forever dissioated by a little
attention to the Sermon on ths Mount
1t is then discovered that religion is not
a stated service, but life. 50 This
life begins in discovery of personal
destitution-the conscious discrepancy be-
tween the mean real and the heavenly
ideal of life. The person so affected be-
comes a child self-oblivious. asking
seeking and willing to learn, and so gains
admission to the kingdom. - There
Is ministry of sorrow from which no
one dares wish himself exempt. The
Comforter transposcs all our dead
marches into hallelujah choruses. =.
True. meekness is no despicable quality
on the contrary, something admirable 1t
implies heroic sef-control under provoca-
ton. 1t conquers in the end. The meek
ness OF the martyrs overturned Rome it,
self. - : The sharp, importuiate physl-
cal senses OF hunger and thirst are next
used to describe the resolute temper of
mind which succeeds in religion as It does
In other things.
The subject OF the kingdom of heaven
addresses himself In practical and merci-
full service for others. And mercy gets
mercy by the involable operation OF moral
law. The ceremonially pure could
enter the temple. But the really pure
in thought and purpose need no temple.
They have the vision OF God everywhere
: -" Strange as 1t may seem. a fierce
battle was fought on the very ground
where Jesus had said blessed are the
peacemalters," and one OF the contending
armies bore His emblem and were called
Christians. Inc last of the Crusaders
persisted there. This very perverslon of
the doctrine of Christ helps emphasize
the truth of it Jesus taught non-resist-
ance. and all the wars which have been
waged in His name are so many crimes