Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-22
GOING BACK HOME
Tho International Sunday School
Lesson for August rs Is, THE Visit
20 Nazareth" Luke, 4:16-aO.
rBy william T. Ellis.

great dailies Of the metropolis that
were lying about him. They were
only New York newspapers common
to everybody; this was the paper
from back home. However lar a
man may roam, and however great
he may become, he never loses his
romantic interest in the place where
he was brought up. The old home
week idea Of New England is sue
cessful effort to capitalize this sentl'
ment. The homing instinct is one
Of the deepest in human nature
n The romantic love of the scenes OF
childhood was experienced by Jesus,
who shared all the passions OF man
kind. Nazareth, where he had been
brought up, meant more to him IMAM
the thriving city OF Capernaum.
Even Jerusalem, the city OF the KING
had not the place in his heart that
was held by this little village when
nestled IN cup-like valley OF Gall
lea. From his Capernaum successes
Jesus returned to Nazareth, taxing
With him, doubtless, his disciples.
There were members Of his family
to be visited; probably his mother
WIS there: men whom he had known
since boyhood were in almost every
house.
IA The carpenter walked down the
alnna that leads from liberals, his
eve lighted up at the sight OF many
fannfIiar scenes. Yonder were oxen
plopahing, in a yoke which he him.
self had made. The plough ltsel
had come from his workshop. Here
and there were houses that he had
built: In yonder limestone cave he
cften unused through the hot summer
noontfde:*s every foot Of the village
NJ ia euvirDns was sacred In his
1nemoey. Tho spring from which
Mary had carried water as girl,
anA which still flows in the center
Of Nazareth, had been to him as 70
all tie other boys OF the village,
place Of RESORT.
Il was for him, as for every man.
e great hour when he went back
home for the first time after WIN.
ming success abroad. Nothing is SAID
In tho scripture about the renewals
81 old associations and the visits
homo, and the pallet, perhaps, IN
the corner Of the old house where ne
had slept since earliest memory. II
was a homecoming, with all that.
the experience means Of romance and
pleasure.
When the, Preacher Goes Home.
one Sunday morning In the Eng
fish speaking church in Lucerne l
met more American acquaintance
than during a week In the rest OF
Switzerland. Persons of principle
adhere to those principles wherever
they may be, and the church-golng
kind OF folk may be found at church
wherever they are. When Jesus re-
turned to Nazareth, he did not give
his Sabbath to holding a levee. In
stead. he went to the old synagogue,
the familiar building that was asso-
ciated with his earliest memories Of
religion. How proud Mary must
have been Of him that morning, as
she saw all eyes turned to him when
he entered the village house of wor-
ship!
II thought I'd get a rest when I
went back home." said the preacher
the other day, ''but the home folks
would not have It any other way
than that should preach for them,
20 I worked as hard as If had been
here" 1ncomprehensible would be
the community that would not ask
one Of its old boys who had become
Z preacher 10 enter its pulpit. The
etiuuette OF the occasion put the
readers roll into the hands Of Jesus
that morning in the Nazareth syna-
epgue. and when he unfurled the
scroll Of Isaiah, which was handed to
him by the clerk, It was found that
the days indicated portion was more
than almost any other
passage In the old testament.
The Great Mission.
For then came the self-revelation
OF the carpenter who had become a
rabbi and who had returned home.
The thrill in hts voice startled every
hearer as he read,
"The spirit Of the Lord Is upon me,
Because he anointed me to preach
good tidings to the poor;
He hath sent me to proclaim release
to the captives,
And recovering of sight to the blind.
To set at liberty them that are
bruised
To proclaim the acceptable year of
the lord"
The very manner of reading this
prepared the startled LISTENER for the
supplementary remark with which
the teacher opened his discourse as
he sat down to teach, after the Gus
tom OF the time. To-day hath this
scripture been fulfilled in your ears"
The message makes good reading.
Observers of our times are perplexed
by the unwonted stir that has come
upon the world in this generation.
Politics are in state Of fluX; syndi-
calism has emerged as an ominous
movement in labor; economic condi-
lions are universally disturbed; un-
rest is everywhere.
Patent remedies are being pro-
claimed for these social conditions
from almost every corner. This isl
the time to read again the prophecy
OF Isaiah as accepted by Jesus. The
program for the hour is the program
laid down in that Nazareth syna-
gogue nearly two thousand years ago.
By the acceptance Of the mission
which Jesus declared to be his own,
Ass 5&oninloa arc RI helm him colyo Tho