The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-06-09
Jesus, the Kingly
Friend
TEXT-Behold thy king cometh.-John
L. L.
BY REV. F. e. HOPKINS, D. D.
Pastor Of First Congregational Church. Gary. Ind.

Consider the friendship of Jesus as
one Of the kingly characteristics Of
bis royal nature. The imperfection OF
our love is in it's disquietude. With
few rare exceptions we are never
quite satisfied that we have not
given our love too easily, too quick
iy or too freely. But 1t was not SO
with Jesus.
Having loved, he loved unto the end.
And we believe that means not only
unto the end of life and throughout
eternity, but also unto the full cas-
pacity of his infinite heart to love.
Some one has said, Jesus was sower
nd not reaper" that HE had very
lew followers as compared with other
great leaders or teachers"
The soundness of that statement Is
not at all clear. It seems to US that
Jesus made friends quickly and that
be had far more of them than most
men who live only thirty-three years,
and whose work was revolutionary.
1t is certain no mans friends ever
clung or cling more closely than the
friends of Jesus. What man Of thirty
three can name twelve friends to
whom he has given whole hearts
devotion and received the same in re-
turn? This Jesus did and had. Even
poor, misguided Judas was his friend.
And down to the moment when he
left the upper room the master looked
across the table, and in loving warn
ing said: "The hand of him that be-
trayed Me is with Me on the table,"
And after his great sin such remorse
came in Judas heart on account cs
The way he had abused the friendship
Of the Lord that he went out and hung
himself.
Now men do not kill themselves for
abusing those they hate. And, Of
course, all that the New Testament
ells us about the kingly friend Is a
mere outline. Only few names are
given. What is the name of the friend
who had the colt ready and waiting
for Jesus at Bethpage when Jesus
wanted to ride? Nobody knows. Who
was the friend, bearing the pitcher
If water" through the streets Of Jeru-
salem, who opened his house for the
asst supper? Nobody knows. But
hey were among the friends of Jesus.
In the New Testament we see the
beginning of the great principle and
that is about all. And the essential
principle of Christianity is friendship.
based on perfect love. Let us not for
get the eleventh commandment. That
Is Christianity. We know that the
Jewish religion made but slight i'm
sessed it. The Greeks undertook to
meet the longing of the human heart
oy culture, and marvellous were the
achievements of that gifted empire;
Ill the same, "the world by wisdom
knew not God"
Then Rome incarnated a dream of
power and colonized as far as the
Ganges. But with power came self
lshness and it crushed liberty to
death. But Jesus came and said, "Ye
are my friends" He said it to Greek
and Roman. To Judah and to Israel.
To Samaritan and Publican, Scribe
and Pharisee, and "'To as many as
believed on Him to them gave He
power to become the sons of God"
And what did that mean? 1t meant
4 even an usorious tax collector like
zaccheus truly repents and restores
bis ill-gotten gains where they belong
he shall be treated as a friend of the
Lord. If a woman has been sinner
and she is sorry and she will promise
TO sin no more, she is to be forgiven.
She is not to be stoned Her sisters
shall not say Poor thing. We are
awfully sorry for her, you know"
while all the time In their hearts they
are not feeling kind at all. They are
to help her go in peace. And men are
to be kind and help her. That is the
Idea. She is not 70 be tortured by
regrets, and alarmed by fears, and
torn by conscience, vat the evil spirits
are to driven out N Der, AID into the
door of her heart is TO enter the angel
- peace.
when Samar1tans Nre full of preJu-
dice, and bigotry, and hatred, Shall
we not call down fire from heaven
and destroy them?" ask the apostles.
But Jesus answered mo! No! The
son of man came not to kill but to
save. To make alive"
"The good shepherd layeth down
his life for the sheep. Greater love
hath no man than this, that man
lay down his life for his friends But
God commendeth His love to us in
that while we were yet sinners, enc
mics, His son died for u.s."
Oh, what is love? Who can fathom
It? Who can define it? There is only
me who can do 1t, and that one is
Jesus. For Jesus is the love of God
snelt friend. And today wherever we
see the rich helping the poor, and the
wise instructing the ignorant, and the
strong bearing the burdens of the
weak. and the saved seeking the lost,
wherever doors of opportunity are be-
Ing opened by helping hands with
smiles of encouragement, wherever
hone carries its lantern to guide our
stems along the unfamiliar and slip
merry paths of life, wherever we can
get on the track Of men and women
that have crossed the road to lift up
a wounded traveller and take care of
him until he can take care of himself,
there, and everywhere, behind these
ministries, and rising above all as the
inspirer of all, we catch sight of the
worlds only king, the ruler of the
human heart. The worlds everlasting
and omnipotent friend. and he Ia
Jesus.