Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-20

great sacrament is past. The
disciples have been taught the
meaning of true service, as He
their Lord and Master, towei-
girt, laves their feet.
Judas is gone on his sordid Grand. and
Jesus, Son Of Mary and Son of God, worn
with the high tension of those last days,
longs for communion with His Father,
God
Taking Peter and the sons of Zebedee,
companions, with him on TRANSPORTATION S
mount, He seeks the solitudes of Geth-
semane, and. leaving them with the adj
monitiOn ''Sit We here while 1 go and
pray yonder," He seeks the deeper shades
of the wood and falls upon His face be-
fore His Father.
What is the. attitude of God toward this
poor. praying Son of Man in the garden
In the answer to that is the solution
of lifc's farthest problem. For God had
sat upon the throne Of wisdom, ignorant:
upon the throne Of power. powerless. A
spirit, Jehovah cannot comprehend flesh
and blood. weakness. WEAKNESS. want or
woe. God, He cannot help this crea-
ture man; then, like Minerva from the
brow Of Jove full armed. from the heart
Of God had sprung loves largest legacy
the Christ.
From the manger at Bethlehem, past
the arch tempter's most subtle snares, up
through those wondrous three and thirty
years, the Son of God had brought the
Son OF Mary. two natures in one. until
that hour when, facing treachery full
blown and malice mad with hate, He
turns into those lonely shades to con-
quer for humanity its greatest victory. ~.
This Is not God who lies here all alone
upon the ground; this Is not God whose
sweat is drops of blood. This Is not God
who shrinks back in an agony of dread
from those tortures near at hand; nay,
this is the Son of Man. your brother,
mine.
'Oh. my Father, If it be possible let
this cum pass away from me, neverthe-
less not as will, but as Thou wilt" 'f'f
''Oh. my Father, If this cup may not
pass away. except ! drink it. Thy will
be DONE ,
He rises hungry hearted. He seeks IN
human sympathy some comfort. He finds
them sleeping-them, us. 80,
What! Could we not watch with me
one hour? Watch and pray. lest We en-
ter into temptation. The spirit, indeed is
willing, but the flesh Is weak"
How does He know that the flesh is
weak? He has just learned this in Geth-
semane; now He returns and prays again,
and, victor over cowardice, weakness, hu-
man frailty, He rises to find His Fathers
messengers there to strengthen Him.
Now He sees the flash of lights and
hears the clash of arms. feels the kiss
of Judas. Herod's m0ckery and Plate
scourage.
The crown of thorns is pressed upon a
brow that bears 1t patiently. the buffet
ing, the splitting the derision, all are
borne. The nails and spear thrust mark
the limit OF mans power to torture man.
Out Of that hour and up to heavens
throne there wings the prayer. Father,
forgive them. for they know not what
they do"-a brother fresh from His own
fiery trial praying for His brethren yet
in ignorance.
The power to do all this was won in
the victory Of Gethsemane and now God
knows. for by His side there sits the
risen conquerer. Now God can help a
creature formed OF clay. for by Him sits
the brother of the race, who, in Geth-
semane. had wrung from humanity SUBJ
missions valedictory. Thy will be done /"
The race still creeps to its Gethsemane,
heaven Jehovah knows by His own Sons
report the meaning of mans fierce en-
deavor to do right. all hampered as he
Is by his humanity. Crushed by his bur-
den. no man faints and falls. but that
the victor of Gsthsemane can under
stand; a man. He has the mind OF man
to know: God. He has the power of
God to heed and help.
o race, be grateful for Bethlehem, for
Galilee. for Calvary, but most of all for
Gethsemane-Gethsem whence springs
the power to sympathize. the courage to
meet thy Calvary undaunted.