The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-29
JESUS COMP PASSION WAS PASTORS THEME The Compassionate Christ is
 the Lord of Glory LEPROSY A TYPE OF SIN Christ Also Has Compassion Upon the Starving Millions of Russia
 and Also Those of
 China Today.
LEPROSY A TYPE OF SIN

the First Christian church yesterday morning on "The Compassionate Christ, ' taking his text from the thirty-fourth verse of the sixth chapter of Mark: And Jesus, when He came out saw much peo- pie, and was moved with compassion to- ward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things"
 Dr. Moore spoke in part as follows:
 John the Baptist had been beheaded and his disciples were left without leader ship Quite naturally they turned to Jesus, to whom John had borne such marked testimony. The crowds had be- come so great that Jesus and His disei- ples had no time to even eat or sleep. So the Master planned a quiet retreat in order that they might join the much need ed rest. They got into a boat and went to the other side of the lake. But the people saw the direction in which He went and ran thither from all the cities. Jesus looked upon the multitude and saw that they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he had compassion upon them. They wanted leadership They wanted to reach the kingdom of God. Seeing their need and their sincerity, He taught themt many things. The record does not tell us just what He taught on this occasion, but we may be sure that He taught about the coming kingdom; about Gods reign within the heart, and about the perfect rule of conduct toward our fellow men. "As ye would that others do unto you, do you also unto them.'
 The disciple is to take the initiative in doins good and being good He is not to retaliate and pay back in the same treatment that he may receive at the hands of another but he is to lead out, set the example of what a man ought to be and to do Jesus taught them these and many other things.
 Feeding Five Thousand.
 The compassion of Christ was further manifested in His treatment of these null titudes. They had gone SO far from home in their desire to see and hear Jesus that they could not get back for supper. They had in all probability missed their dinner, too.
 The disciples came to Him and said: Master, it is nearly night; end the peo- pie home. where they may get bread He answered: Give ye them to eat !" They said we have but five9loaves and two fishes; what are these among so many? But He said, "Command the peo- pie to sit down In companies of fifty and a hundred" Then He took the bread and blessed 1t and broke it and gave 1t to the disciples, and they gave to the multi tude. He did the same with the fishes. And they all ate and were satisfied.
 Now if Jesus had compassion on these multitudes so that He was willing to feed them, do you not suppose He also has compassion upon the starving mill lions of Russia and China today? believe that He is the same compassionate Christ and that He is saying to His church to- day, Give ye them to eat"
 Spiritual Blindness. Another example of the Saviour's com passion is seen in the case of the blind man who cried to Jesus for mercy, and He had compassion on him and healed him. That but demonstrates the Saviour s power He comes to those who are spir- itually blind, who cannot see the beauties of Gods kingdom and the highest inter ests of their souls. They stumble along the pathway of sin and fall because their souls are blinded by the evil one.
 Jesus would have compassion upon them, open their eyes and restore them to a life of light and love.
 Leprosy Type of Sin.
 Again the compassionate Christ heard the leper's cry of "Unelean, unclean," and to the leper He said: Be thou made clean" Leprosy was an incurable dis ease, and so because the type of sin which no man could cure
 But as Jesus cleansed the leper, so He cleanses the sinner, saying Be thou made clean" His power to heal was proof of his power to forgive sins. He established the way of life by which all may be saved. It Is the way of faith in the Son of God, repentance and reforma- tion of life and baptism into the holy name. In this way the blood is applied, sins are washed away and the soul born from above, enters into His kingdom.
 Resurrection.
 Once again the compassionate Christ manifested His love for humanity when He raised the widow of Noahs son from the dead. Broken-h hearted over the death or her only son, the joy, the pride and the hope of her life, she was following Him to the grave. Jesus stopped that procession, brought the young man back to life and restored him to the arms of his mother
 Jesus thus demonstrated His power to open the grave and bring the dead to life. And that He will do for us all. In a better land He will bring our loved ones to us and us to our loved ones, when there will be no more separations, tears or sorrows.
 What more could we ask of the Christ? {? He is our shepherd, leading us into pas lures green and by waters still. He feeds our very souls upon the bread and water of life He is our physician, healing our diseases and opening our blind eyes. He is our Lord, raising us from the dead The compassionate Christ is the Lord of Glory. Oh, friend, hear Him. accept Him, obey Him.
 In Bankruptcy.
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