Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-04-18
= IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. =
(By w. P. Chambers.) .

We have now reached the last week |
of that wonderful life which culmin-
ated in the tragedy of the universe. |
Various attempts have been made to |
set in order the events of the last
few days of our Saviour's life. 1t is
not improbable that with more per-
feet understanding of the meaning of |
a few phrases used in describing
these events, complete readjust-
ment may be made that shall give
three days and three nights as the
time Jesus lay In the tomb.
Our lesson text says it was "six
days before the passover" that the
events we study today, occurred.
Commentators generally place it on
Tuesday night.
Jesus is again in Bethany. He had
spent the short time since the rails
ing of Lazarus at Ephraim, city
some miles northeast of Jerusalem,
and perhaps passing over into Perea
again. Joining the throngs that were
going up to Jerusalem to the passover.
he passed through Jericho where he
healed two blind men and had the
interview with Zacheus.
The feast" was at the house of
Simon the leper. Matthew and Mark
both relate the incident, but mention
no names. except that Of the owner
of the house. Lazarus was doubtless
still living when the first three Cos
pels were written, and it would have
brought him into disagreeable prom
inence to have mentioned his name,
or even alluded to the great miracle
by which he was so closely linked
to the despised Nazarene. But when
John wrote long years afterward, the
temple had been destroyed, the San,
hedrin was thing of the past, the
Jews were a people without country,
and doubtless Lazarus and his two
sisters were in heaven with Jesus.
Hence there was no reason why he
should not speak plainly.
The feast was given in honor of
the great wonder-worker, and the
central figure in the greatest miracle
ever wrought, was to sit down with
his master as an honored guest.
Martha, in keeping with her reputa-
ton as skillful housekeeper, and her
ability to do things, took charge of
the table service, and while she
carved the meats, and prepared the
food for its being passed to the guests
her heart was bursting with peans of
praise to him who had restored the
broken link in the family chain. But
the younger sister, less slxillful in
service perhaps, sought another meth
cd Of expressing her unspeakable
love. She has one precious possession.
To us it seems pitifully small in
value, but it represented mans
wages for whole year, and was a
wonderful dowry for maiden to
possess. 1t was box of rare oint-
ment from the far East in the origin.
al alabaster vase In the utter aban.
donment of her devotion, she breaks
the vase, and pours the royal un-
guent over the beloved head and
feet of her Lord. With her own thick
tresses sire dries his feet, and be
as widely known as the gospe
itself
But Satan was reclining at thai
table too. Perhaps he goes oftenel
into the churches than he does int
the bar rooms, and other sinks o
iniquity and dens of vice. His lieu
tenants can easily run the places o
open shame. but the tempter himsel
whan he can, stays close to the goot
people of the community.
Hypocrisy often stimulates a yea
for service that shames the slowe
movements of the truly devout; blu
somewhere or somehow, as in tn
case of Judas, the real motives crop
out, and we stand appalled, at tn
depth and extent of human depravity
So long as the world stands tn
poor will need help; and he VIII
gives in the hope that some day a
calls for missions and aims shall b
met and satisfied. and no more sacr
fees be required, has failed to rea
LIES lesson Alright.
Manevolence would destroy, nc
only the doors Of good, but all tn
reminders thereof. The ruler
thought that with Jesus out Of tn
way, their work would still be Ii
complete as long as Lazarus lived.