The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-02
Text, lord. He Whom Thou
Lowest Is Sick"

went his way. Jesus merely answered
the question but did not urge the
young man to thus present himself
living sacrifice to God and his ser
vice. Indeed in no case did Jesus ever
do more than invite-never did he
urge. On the contrary he advised, Sit
down first and count the cost Of dis
cipleship.
What could we surmise respecting
the eternal destiny of this young man
who had been striving so earnestly to
keep the Law and to gain eternal life,
and who turned from Jesus and de-
clined to take up the cross and follow
him? Could we suppose that Divine
Justice would send such a man to eter-
nal torment under these conditions?
If there were such penalty over him
could we suppose that Jesus would
have allowed him to go without urging
him strenuously, without at least warn
ing him, that by his course he was
making the choice of eternal torment?
Can we suppose that our Master knew
that all the people whom he address
ed and who failed to accept his mes
sage would be consequently consigned
to eternal torture, and that he let
them go without urging the matter
upon them? We could not so think
Thank God we are gradually getting
free from the bondage of error fasten-
ed upon US by those who mistranslated
certain words in our Bible.
We get the proper view when we
remember that Jesus message at that
time was 1.-THE Gospel of the King
DOM" He was merely inviting who
ever might have the ear to hear and
the heart to appreciate the privilege to
become associated with himself in the
glorious Kingdom for which he told
his disciples to pray, Thy Kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth as 1t
young man lost was the special privi-
lege of becoming join heir with
Christ in that Kingdom which, in due
ii he. will be established and whose
mission will be the blessing of Israel
and the world. It will bring to them
'.imes of restitution of all things
which God hath spoken by the mouth
of all the holy prophets since the
world began (Acts Iii, 1s-21.)
sHe Whom Thou Lowest Is Sick"
Our text stands related to very
wonderful chapter in our Lords min
istry. Jesus with his disciples was
about three days journey from Beth
any, the home of Lazarus, Martha and
Mary. But they knew his where
abouts, for he was a special friend
and their home was his home when
ever he was near Jerusalem. Lazarus
| took seriously ill., But the two sisters,
Martha and Mary, feared nothing,
since they had such great confidence
in Jesus. even to belief in his ability
to- awaken sleepers from death. They
thought it proper to send the Master
word respecting Lazarus, but not
proper to dictate to him what should
| be done in the case. Rather they LETT
| to himself to decide whether he should
speak the word and rebuke the disease
| or whether he should come to Beth
any and take the sick by the hand and
say, arise. The simple message they
! sent was, Lord, he whom thou lowest
| is sick" The beautiful, childlike. sim
pie faith which they exhibited must
| have been very precious in the Mas
| ter's sight. Nevertheless Jesus said
nothing, and did nothing in the mat
! his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus
s1eepeth." They did not grasp his
meaning until he said to them plain
/ ly, Lazarus is dead; and I am glad for
your sakes that 1 was not there. l
am glad because it will give me an op-
| fortunity to demonstrate to you and
| through you to all who shall be my
disciples in the future the great power
/ of God that is vested in me in respect
/ to the resurrection of the dead.
All Bible students surely have no
ticed how frequently in the Scriptures
the word sleep is used as poetical
synonym for death Abraham slept
with his fathers" David slept with
his fathers Prophets, priests and
kings are said to have slept with their
/ fathers, whether good or bad. Like
wise the New Testament uses the same
/ figure of speech. We read that st
Stephen the Martyr, stoned to death
fell asleep" st. Paul speaks of the
church as falling asleep in death and
refers to all of our friends, good anc
bad, who go down into death, as beins
asleep in Jesus He tells US that We
need not sorrow for them as others whf
know not the resurrection hope Al
who fall asleep in death because o
Adams transgression and its dealt
sentence have in Jesus a Divinely ap
, pointed Redeemer who in Gods du