Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1910-01-13
The international Sunday School Les
son for January 16 is "The Begin
ming of the Galilean Min
istry." Matt. q: 1925.
A MISSION AND A MESSAGE.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.


Life-strategy should be every per-
sons study. Few plan their lives ef-
fectively: we master all arts except
Many men drift through the days
without any conscious effort to direct
their powers into the best possible
channel. A little effort to get out of
the accustomed rut, is all that stands
in the way of some persons success.
A change Of location is often neces-
sary to improve ones powers, respite
the proverbs to the contrary 1t is
hard for great life to win out amid
small and sordid and suspicious peo-
pie. Even Jesus had to go from Naz-
areth to Capernaum to find a fertile
field for the sowing of his life
Everybody should seek to discover
his Capernaum. The great west is
full OF prosperous people who, had
they remained in New England vii
lagos, would have developed into in
teresting but futile Characters with
out scope or vision. Thousands of
young men are undergoing slow at
rophy of soul in restricted and uncon-
genial positions, when, had they but
courage to venture into some new
field they would find happiness and
prosperity. Jesus set a practical ex-
ample when he turned from the hide
bound bigotry of Jerusalem, and the
suspicious, unreceptive provincialism
of Nazareth to the cosmopolitan city
OF Capernaum, where men had learn
ed by contact with the outside world,
the lesson of the open mind.
Jesus a City Man.
There was an urgent practical rea-
son why Jesus should make Caper-
naum the scene of his mission and his
message. John had fallen into Her
DDS clutches. While Jesus remained
in Herod's territory he ran the same
risk. 1t was prudent for him to go to
the city by the sea. The move also
fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy which Mat
thew quotes. 1t was written in Gods
plan for the Messiah that he should
early reach out to the Gentiles.
Art and literature love to depict
Jesus amid the green fields and by
the side of the shimmering lake. New
ertheless, it must be remembered that
throughout most of his public minis
try he lived and worked in the city
Here we find him making his home
In Capernaum the second most import
ant city in Palestine, bustling centre
of caravan routes and an important
mart of trade The Son Of Man loved
to mingle with men While he knew
lonely mountain mediations beneath
the diamond stars, he also loved the
foel of human crowds Sweaty toll
ers thronged the streets that he de-
lighted to walk the f1sh-market was
as attractive to him as landscape;
the chatter ard dichering that accom-
panied trading opened to him vistas
into the heart of man Depth in phil
osophy can be learned only by dwell
ing close to men in observation, and
apart from men in meditation.
Two Preashers: One Sermon.
There is q real apostolic succession
, in all preaching OF truth. Like the
flaming Highland cross, which was
passed swiftly from clan to clan, and
from village to village, the word Of
truth is carried on by many messen-
gers. The truths preachers may fall
by the way, even as John was now
held in duress by Herou, but the truth
goes marching on, The old wilder
ness cry of the Baptist was taken up