The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-01-06
SATURDAY. MIGHT
SERMONS&slzsSv7
BY ..:.<~ILESA -
- .t:tHN'
REySAMUELW. PUlvIS.D.D.
THE GUEST AT THE DOORSTEP

The GUEST AT THE DOORSTEP
Text Behold stand at the door iud
knock."-Rev. ~. 20.
over half century has gone by
since the genius OF that master painter
Holman Hunt gave TO us that thrilling.
ly noble picture The Light of the
World" Even the unframed eye can
see that great thought has been
transferred from mind 10 canvas.
There's patient face. n kindly eye.
The wounded hand is ut the knocker.
The nail pierced foot peers from be-
meath the prlestly robe. Twilight aud
evening damp have come. In his hand
Is the lighted lamp of truth. The door
Is Ivy grown-so long unopened A
touch of genius-t there's no latch on
the outside. II can only be opened
from within. Holman Hunt has Just
passed into the spirit world Every
one knows the meaning of his glorious
picture. even without n title Every
reader knows who Is meant In the
text Behold. | stand at the door and
knock" although no name Is mention
ed The spirit of God comes TO the
door OF the human heart and knocks.
He stands there while the sun is 20
ing down. aud night is coming on with
its heavy dews and damps. He waits
and knocks. But only human fingers
can slip back the bolts for him t0
come In.
The Visitor.
Whose dark door Is this? It's the.
door of the Jewish nation, where he
comes as Messiah then. rejected, to
the gentiles. 1t is the door, say the
commentators. of the Laodicenn
church. noted for its wealth and volup-
tuousness. But it's more than that.
Sob it out, crring one-"My dark door"
And the visitor is none other than the
King of kings and the Lord of lords,
of whom the angels shouted when he
came home, Lift up your heads, . We
gates. and be We lifted up We cverlast-
ing doors, and the King of Glory shalt
come in" Is he at my door2 Surely
not! He belongs to the palace only
! Balmoral, Pcterhof, Potsdam; royal
! guest rooms, with purple and fine lin
en-. gold and ivory must tint walls and
| floor for n king; royal vat and forest
and nursery must furnish food. But
look. He is passing into Peters house,
fisherman's simple cottage. He IS
stopping at Zacchaeus that hated tax
gathercr and at Simon's, the leper-
"unCleanr' And to Mary and Mar
tha's. quiet, humble folks. Why,
Master, was looking for thee, too.
but was looking at the church, at the
people, at the minister, the choir, the
ritual, the creed. and then your voice
spoke so quietly, John, behold / stand
at the door and knock" Say, is that
what that goddess prisoner meant
when he was dying at the county Jail
| the other night? preacher, I've been
bad"-the death sweat was gathering
but come closer. chaplain. Jesus
has come to even this poor dying
thief" Somehow | thought OF anoth-
er dying thief.
His Reception.
"If any man hear and open the
door" Good. Notice that IF" 9th
ers may force me with screw and rack
and fagot-he respects the sacredness
OF my human will. Every mans heart
|
| I'm ashamed. master. I've had other
guests-Save the name! They've been
on these steps and through these cor
ridOrs. BlaSphemy was here with
! blackened lips: sefiShness, with hard
eyes and close drawn robes; temper,
with murder and strife at her heels,
lust. red Tipped. hot breathed and scar
| let robed. and drunkenness, with blood
shot eye and slavering mouth. Huh!
Even now they teer at me from dark
corners with their foul memories. But
come thou in. | thought when king
would come there would be bands OF
music. booming Of cannon. tramping
of soldiers. battle1ags waving, yet |
knew that was the blunder Of Peter.
James and John-instead there's quiet,
love. Joy. peace and fragrance as OF
flowers from celestial gardens. Is my
reception cold or stilted or formalI
Forgive me. patient one. That was
my sin in the church-preoccupation.
spiritual inattention. polite unbeiet.
Give me the quick sense Of lover to
anticipate thy desires, the intuition OF
a mother for her child. the instinct OF
a bird for SUMMER cline. o lonely one
Of Nazareth. make my home a Beth
any. where a Lazarus heart shall wei
come, a Mary heart adore, a Martha
heart serve.
The Diyine Guest.
1T will come in and sup with him"
What an honor! In the old Palmetto,
State white mans carriage broke
down before a negro's home. a former
slave. prosperous now. Generous hos
pitality was extended. The table was
spread, and their former master and
mistress sat down to eat. Not a dark
face sat at that table. All stood. as
Of old, to serve. Master supped with
slave. but not for a moment did the
freed man think of sitting with him.
Christ says, II call you not servants.
but friends" He is our guest: we now
become brothers Of the bread" "men
of much ashes" for the fires OF our
hospitality must not go out Doors
that have been double locked, double
bolted and double barred are now
! swung wide open. Even the door OF