Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-22

l suppose that there is not a passage
in Scripture more familiar than the
words Of our golden text. 1 wonder, how
ever. If you have ever thought of them
in just the connection in which they
were spoken. If you have not, | am
sure that you will have an entirely diff
ferent appreciation of their depth and
beauty, If you will consider with me the
occasion which caused this gracious in,
vitation to be delivered.
Jesus had but recently returned from
preaching tour through Galilee: He was
in Capernaum, surrounded by a great
crowd of people who were the recipients
of His gracious healing. and the privil
eyed hearers of the marvellous words
which fell from His lips. as He spoke to
them of Sin, and of a gracious God who
loved them with an everlasting love, and
longed for them to be reconciled to Him.
John, in prison, had sent his disciples
to ask Him a question. which He had
answered by continuing to do His works
of healing and mercy, and by preaching
the glorious gospel.
He had then turned to these people,
and had answered their unspoken ques-
ton about John. commenting him in the
highest terms as greater than any of the
prophets, but as lower than any one in
the kingdom of Heaven. And then He
Elias of whom the prophets had spoken
as coming before the great and terrible
day of the Lord. He despaired of them
believing 1t. because they had shown
themselves like spoiled children condemn
ing John because he was an ascetic, an1
complai lining of Him because He had been
sociable. -- -
Then the fruitlessness OF His ministry
seemed to overpOwer Him. He thought of
he v,of~o oil fhof IL
formed in Chorazin and Bethsaida: He
thought Of the times without number al
most that He had warned them of their
sins. had pleaded with them 10 repent
and to become reconciled to God. And in
spite of all this lavish expenditure of life
and love, their hearts still remained har-
dened. and they were still unrepentant.
Ii was enough to have discoura ged any
man. and particularly One who was as
keenly sensitive to the needs OF men as
Jesus. There was infinite unrest in His
mind He thought of the way He had
been treated by these cities in the light
of the way He had treated them: and
Ee began to upbraid them, warning them
again that if the mighty works which
He lad done i'm them had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would have repent
ed long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
This was particularly true of Caperna-
erations. He had made it His home dur
ing His public ministry. They had had
countless opportunities to receive the
message which John had brought, AMI
which He had emphasized. In tho
streets God, manifested in the flesh, hal
walked. He had mingled with her pen
pie in their homes. Nowhere had such
an opportunity been given for repent
ance; nowhere had such vital energy
been expended; nowhere had love been
shown in such a lavish manner, and We:
the people of Capernaum still repelted
! OF. Could God do anything less for
them than to wipe them out of exist
ence?
PERFECT FELLOWSHIP.
While the contemplation of these
things was enough to make the life of
Jesus one of infinite unrest, was enough
to discourage Him beyond measure, was
enough to bring him 10 despair, this
was not His attitude He was showing
these people how to act under those cir
cumstances. He turns to His Father
and says: IT am in fun accord with
Thee. oh Father, Lord of Heaven and Of
earth, in the way that Thou hast acted
in these Things in revealing them to the
babes and hiding them from the wise,
for thus it seemed good in Thy sight
Stop and think a moment over this
wonderful attitude which Jesus mani
Tested. He addresses God as Father.
He has an assurance of His
love. He is also Lord of Heaven and
earth. This disturbance of soul which
re has on account of the fruitlessness
of His ministry is not wrong. but part