Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-07-02

OF Christ, and he dared to say It, and
he was right, because he knew that
his life was close to God.
The first time I preached in this
rulpit several weeks agosI went out
the next day from this city to a neigh
boring place and visited the homes of
people who travelled extensively, and
I talked with the mistress Of that
mansion who mad spent some time in
personally visiting the people whe
took parts in the Passion Play at
Oberammergau. She did not go to the
play, but she went afterward in their
homes. and I shall forget the
incidents she related. She went to
the home of the man who took the
part Of Jesus Christ. She saw his wife
first, and after making known her
errand the husband was summoned.
and this woman said that the very
moment he entered the room she
could not repress the feeling that She
was in the presence Of Jesus. His
whole appearance. his whole manner
conveyed the lifelike Impression of
Jesus. And this not when he vas on
exhibition, but when he was sum-
mOned from his workshop into the
house. without knowing that anyone
was there or why re came. And the
wife told my hostess that she believed
her husband was absolutely perfect;
that he had so studied the life of
Jesus: that he had so put his heart
into every part of it; that he had so
striven to perfect himself in playing
the part of Jesus, not only on the
or0oc h,% off tho o~ncc ond fhof sh0
had. so far as she knew in the init
macy of family life, mastered life and
overcome every temptation. and in III
.earnestness and humility she said she
did not know one single thing in all
his life that was not just as she would
like to have it. Husband, can your
wife say that? It shows, dear friends,
the possibility of living so near Christ
that His example and life. not in it's
gloriied perfection. but in the pure
ness of heart, shall enable us to put
every sin under our feet. Now.
friends, if it is possible to follow
Jesus example as literally as that,
is 1t not necessary to rise to it when
so many people are following your
example?
Why did Jesus wash His disciples
feet? Not because it was necessary,
nor because it was an Oriental Gus
tom. I think He washed their feet
because He saw that the disciples
| were too proud to do it for one an
ether. It takes a manly character to
do a mental task. I fancy that if we
tried to initiate some of Jesus exam
| pies, we would find that it wouldsbe
better to go apart into a mountain
and pray and come down to the orig
inal channels of life and love
strengthened before we could do the
acts of service that Jesus did. l be-
lieye that He did it because He saw
that His disciples did not vet under
stand or comprehend the ideal that
He came to establish. What is the
law, the ideal. the essential of Gods
kingdom? I know that some would
say that it is love. That is the right
answer if you understand what love
is. 1t is not merely a love hat con-
templates and does nothing; that is
we'll disposed and stoDs there. If you
think that you are obeying His COM
mandment to love your neighbor
when you do not hate him, you have
not got the ideal of Jesus Love that
is love at all finds it's expression in
service. The mother tolls late into
the night that her boy may be neatly
dressed and educated. That is the
mothers love. If God only loved us
by only looking on us complacently,
deliver me from that love. But what
wonders hath He not wrought; what
hath He not done for us that we
| might have life, joyful lives and use
full lives? If you r going to- love,
you must serve, and I venture to COM
l poord fhot definition nf Cnruion which
says that it is tie fundamental rule OF
Gods service. But the disciples did
not catch the fdea. Do you wonder
That Jesus said to them, "Whosoever
will be great among you, let rim be
your minister, and whatsoever will be
chief among you, let him be your
servant" In His parallels He, taught
the idea Of service, but though the
disciples listened they did not seem
to comprehend, and SO on that last
night Jesus did something they did
fcomprehend and clinched ali His
teaching by girding Himself and min.
istering to them, and said. II have
given you an example"
Let me close by calling your atten.
ton to the last part. of the text: "Thal
We should do as l have done to you.
Are you doing what Jesus did, or il
it only contemplation? Are you car
rying out His example, or have yor
encountered some obstacle that is too
hard to do? In the great galleries thu
artists sit and strive to reproduce tn
masterpieces, and 20 in the gallery o
life you and I are sitting at the fee
of Jesus. Are we reproducing per
fectly? He is the example. Are W
doing as He did?
The Interpreter of Life.