River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-11-24

LnSm the spirit OF prayer anu sup
p1ication," and then they will see
with the eyes of their understand
ing, him whom they pierced and
they will all mourn for him" Czech
ariah xii, 10Y, and their mourning
will be turned into joy: for, as Jo-
seph forgave his brethren, SO will
this great antitypical Joseph of the
throne of earth freely forgive those
who caused his crucifxion.
POLITICS AND SELFISHNESS
AS RELIGION
The Jews are not SO different
from other people now, nor were
they then. History indicates that
some of their highest Offices were
held by irreligionist for their politi-
cal influence, thus the chief-priests,
at the first advent of our Lord, was
a Sadducee, who wholly disbelieved
in the promises of God to Israel, in
Guiding a disbelief in the resurrec-
ton of the dead. Similarly to-day
there are high-priests, both among
Jews and Christians, who disbe-
lieve, and yet hold high positions.
Among Christians there are D. D. IS
who are unbelievers and many of
the most notable rabbis among the
Jews also declare themselves
unbelievers. We are not claiming
that such unbelieving Christians
and Jewish ministers would lightly
espouse and support an unjust pro-
cedure against an innocent man.
We do not know about this. It has
yet to be tested, perhaps. We do
know, however that when faith in
a Divine Revelation and in Divine
supervision of human affairs is lost
the natural effect is that the losers
of the faith become more and more
policy men and consider policy the
extreme of human wisdom, particu-
larly in the guidance of affairs of
Church and State.
Taking History for it, that the
leaders of Judaism at the time Of
Our Lord were Higher Critical un-
believers (Sadducees), we can read
lily see that their policy was to curry
favor with the Roman Emperor and
to seek to hold the common people
in subsection to themselves. To
these, then, it must have seemed
almost a calamity that poor man,
although of noble birth, of the
family of David and the tribe of
Judah, should gather about him a
handful of nondescript fishermen,
taxgatherers, etc.; that he should
pronounce himself king and de-
clare the setting up of his Kingdom
to be near, and that by the exercise
of some supernatural power for the
healing of their diseases he should
attract the common people" to his
standard, but not the learned. We
can well imagine their reasoning
that, if this thing, the popularity of
Jesus, continued to increase, it
would shortly reach the ears of the
Roman Emperor and then all their
claims for imperial favors would be
discounted and they would be rated
as nation of;rebels.
The riding of Jesus into Jerusa-
lem, just before the Passover, on
an ass, after the manner of the
of the kings of Israel and surround
ed by multitude sho uting, Ho-
sauna to the Son of David who
cometh in the name of the Lord"
capped the climax, so to speak,
and convinced these unbelieving
Jews, politicians, occupying relig
ious offices, that it would be far
better that one innocent man should
die than that the whole nation
should be turned into turmoil and
wrecked by the Romans in conse-
quence. How many Americ an
preachers, judges officials, ETC.,
would in this enlightened day be
inclined similarly to decide such a
matter! And is not this the policy
which always prevails in monarch
les? Fancy such commotion in
the capital of Germany, Italy,
France, Austria, Russia. Great
Britain, the United States. Fancy
that after such a parade, mimic
though it might appear, the adored
one should go to the temple and
execute a long neglected law and,
in thus exercising his religious
rights, suppose that he should
drive out the money-changers and
merchants from the outer precints
IF their chief ralioiOuS Cathedral