The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-23
The Lesson Text in Everyday
Dress

lhe obStlnacy OF the people among
whom he had done his greatest works
had become crushing weight upon
the heart of Jesus. Alas Tor thee,
Chorazin" he cried alas for thee,
Bethsaida; Tor II the wonderful mira
Giles which have been performed in
you had been performed in the worst
of heaven citiss---in Tyre and Sidoa
eyen--they would have repented long
ago, putting on saciecloth and casting
ashes upon their heads In token OF
their profound soIrow. / tell you II
will be more endurable for those cities
In that great day when men shall Ire
judged according to their opportunI-
tics than for you. And thou Caper-
naum-thou hast had so much pros
perity that thou dost feel thyself eA-
allied unto the very heavens; and In
deed thou hast been exalted, for thou
last had privileges surprising those
OF any other city: yet thou shalt ue
brought down to 6eath--to utter de-
struction; for such privileges as thou
hast had would have caused as vile
place as sodom to repent, and thou
hast not repented. / tell thee that
even Sodom viii have less 10 answer
for than thou in the great day that
cometh.''
Words such as these usually sat oIsS-
! to thinking OF the great mysteries 4,
4Ged,s-dealings- WITH men. and It IS
J possible that our Lord was here inter-
rupted by one of those hard questions
which men like to ask at such a time
such question. for instance, as e,
Sodom would have repented II it had
| been given such an opportunity, why
was the opportunity withheid?'' But
/ wAateser may have prompted his
words. we have here the only answer
that can be given to questions of this
sort. These are matters which are
! beyond the range of unaided human
4 vision" we can imagine Jesus saying
and then lifting his eyes toward heav-
en- he exclaimed: II praise thee, ra-
Their, that while thou hast in thy
providence tthe language is obscure.
! but perhaps this Is not far from the
true meaning, hidden these things
so that the most discerning minds
cannot lay hold upon them, thou hasi
in thy mercy graclousiy revealed them
TO many simple minds that put their
trust in thee. / arm glad that it As So
Father. because 1t Is in accordance
with thy holy Will"
There Is apparently another break
in the order OF thought at this point.
+ Possibly he went ON to assure his dis
etpies that although life is full OF
mysteries. he-Jesus--was at the helm
aiAA AtS NPoiN uS shANfSs Aok 'S
! knows all things. For all things. "
he said, have been delivered unto
me by my Father: L have the knowl-
edge and the power; and therefore
you shall be safe. For ] am one With
him; l speak his mind; he knows me
and 1 know him. and he alone fully
knows me and ! alone fully know him
Il and those to whom / may reveal
him. Therefore come unto me, W
who are weary from struggling under
the worlds yoke; ye who are bowed
down with burdens of every sort;
and ! to whom all things haze bean
delivered viii give YOU resi=the res,
That comes TO one delivered from
bondage. Let me remove the gall
ing, crushing yoke-~the law OF sin
from your necks, and take my yoke
the law of love--instead; and as We
walk under my law learn of me: rcl-
low my example: be meek. hold your
I self In restraint, and be Lowry in heart,
as l am, and thus you shall be rid of
thing that weary and that flll mp life
with anxiety: YOU shall and rest unto
your souls. For my law of love ts
easy: nothing that love requires is
hard or CALLING; and the burden that
! I shall place upon you is light"
The Heart of tile Lesson.
most beautiful pictures which the
gospels furnish us OF the conlpas-
sion of Jesus. Compassion Is the
word. 1t was not mere pity which
he felt for men, but compassion = Ii
sympathy which prompts one to help
He made the SORROWS and sufrerlngs
of men his own.
There he stands upbraiding the
cities of the lake, Not amusing them
because they had not believed IN MIN
but rebuking them because he realized
the doom which they were bringing
upon themselves 1t takes nothing
but little bad temper TO abuse men,
: II takes a great deal OF eompa ssion
to rebuke them. Alas, for tnee Cno-
rain" And Choraxin had never said
alas for herself. As q rule, we are
apt to think that we are doing cur
duty Ii we take an interest in those
who feel for themselves. We o1 not
care to waste our sympathy upon
, people who dent want 1t. Bttt Jesus
sympathized with those who would
have scorned his sympathy.
l.. Here Is true compassion: I Is Ike
the feeling which a mother has for
, her babe that prompts her to go tc
it's rescue. whether baby wants To he
: rescued or not. Why, .han." one
asks. does not our Lord, help mer
whether they want TO be helped CT
not?" He does. He sends rain upar
, men who curse his seasons and dare
! his lightninss to strike them lie
sends sunshine upon men Who wuuic
scorn to ask single ray OF light al
his hands. He showers blessings upor
men who pick them ap. nut them In
, their pockets and declare that thes
made them themselves. He does moi
, indeed take men In his arms and al
ry them to heaven against their will
, because III the existing orCer or things
which he has established ne cannot
, And here Is the pathetic SIDE If the
ccmpassion OF Christ. lie lis inaeeo
D most compassionate. but his compass.
rion will not save the heart that -
not fully opened to HIM. AS deeply
} as he felt for the cities OF the lake
he could only give them the benefit Al
his mighty works: he could not nndei
i the existing order take them In his
arms and carry them ny force Il
heaven. As deepely as ne sympa-
thixes with those whom ne rees ftrug.
Cling under the yoke Of sin, BE- san
! not strike of that yoke until the bur,
dened soul has come to him. And re
/ the question with ms concerning til.
: compassion of Christ Is. Have ne
used II or have we abascu IT Hsvs
we found comfort In the tncugn- tie