The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-08
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

- FTER visiting many of the
W great art galleries OF Eu-
IA W8 rome, / found myself with a
WA growing resentment against
the, common artistic concep-
ton of Christ. Most COM
monty he is portrayed, either as
baby or as a corpse. The paintings
which represent him in life snow an
effeminate, characterless race Hls
IS a countenance for the stained glass
windows OF a convent; but in the mar
ket places of the world, where strong
men meet it would not invite respect
The artists and, too, often the theolo-
gians, have robbed Jesus of his strong
It is matter of simple record,
patent to anybody who will spend an
hour with his New Testament, that
Jesus of Nazareth was strong human
personality, attractive to the rougn
and ready people who lived close to
the soil. A stained glass window saint
would have had scant hearing IN
GaliIee. The teachings of Jesus,
though often sublime, above his hear
ers' comprehension, were teachings Oh
practical wisdom. His parallels are
full of working philosophy. the peo-
pie who try to walk in the way he pre-
Ecribes are, in the long run, the hap
piest and most prosperous people on
earth. His words are the best rule OF
conduct for this world, as well as the
Only RulQ6 10 l6IClby III AAAO AAS1>N'
A Human Story.
one of the deathless stories of Jesus,
which today engages the thought of
the Sunday schools, is the Iamlllar
parable of the Talents. Like last
weeks lesson of the Wise and Fool
ish Virgins, it deals with an inevitable
day of reckoning; but it is likewise
full of the most practical counsel for
conduct in the unheeding world of hu-
man beings. The story is so athrob
with eternal reality. that we could
easily date it in the year 1870. and put
names and places to it; even as Hail
Game sa.-- his novels are mere mod
ernizations of the Bible incidents.
Thus runs the parable: house
holder, about to leave home for long
period, entrusted his wealth to three
servants. Probably upon the revenue
they earned for him he was depend
ent on his journeys, and assuredly
the three servants stood in place OF
sacred responsibility. Always the law
has recognized the peculiar obligations
resting upon a trustee. knowing vel
his servants and their capacity, the
householder. gave to one five talents q
very large sum, equivalent in our day
10 fifty or a hundred thousand dollars
according as we accept the heavy OF
lighter talent as meant To another ne
gave two talents, and to another one
This parable, let me stop to say
must not be confused with the some
what similar parable, told earlier by
Jesus, on the pounds: orators anc
writers have often made the absurd
mistake of speaking of a talent wrap
ned in a napkin. It was a pound thai
was wrapped in a napkin; the talen'
was worth sixty times as much as the
pound. In one story, all the servants
received alike; in the other, according
to their several ability. In details anc
IN teaching the two parallels diffel
widely. practical result of this les
son should give the separate identity
of these two pieces of literature in the
minds of all students.
The use made by the three servant
of the talents entrusted them is thu
point of the story. The first two mel
Traded diligently with their capital, anC
after a period of time doubled it. Th'
third, in craven fearfulness, unwilling
to take any responsibility, buried hi
talent in the ground until his LORD
return The five talent man and tn
two talent man were praised and re
Warded by their master in exactly tn
same words; the third man, despite hi
pusillanimous whimperings, or per
haps partly because of them, wa
thrown out into the darkness.
Into the Market Place.
one contrast between the stories toll
fv Jesus and the apocryphal legend
IS that the former deal largely wit
normal human relationships, Wherea
the latter are pervaded by an air Q
71ureaIfty. 1t seems as If Jesus trie
IN every way to accentuate the pres
emit worldliness of the gospel. HI
words were for men in world of mer
He himself lived close to artisan, farm
er, merchant, and he knew all abor
the burdens, perplexities and injustice
which each had to face
This story is a call to the marke
place, and not to the cloister- The on