The Red Cloud chief., 1912-09-12

that labor and are heavy laden, and ]
will give you rcst."-Matt. 11:2S.
The paragraph mark separating
verses 27 Ind 2S should rightfully ba
removed for that portion is but con
tinuation and contrast with what
has gone before. As we see from !
Lukes account, Jesus has sent out
the seventy who return boastlng OF
what had been accomplished In Jesus
name, only to receive his reproof that
they aro not SO much to rejoice In
that as that their names were written
''in heaven"
Jesus had made his appeal to Judca
only to be rejected: he has done
marvellous work In Galilee only to be
rejected there also and thus 1t leads
TO his appeal to the Individual. Jesus
knew that every problem OF the
church, financial or otherwise. every
problem Of the body polite, Is In its
final analysis one OF tho condition OF
the individual heart.
We have before us q, twofold divi-
sion OF this lesson:
I. Those Who Reject. One can
scarce reconcile tho speaker OF this
first section with him who spoke the
last words. but Ia any denunciation
more awful than that Of outraged
love? There Is no contradiction here
for his invitation Is extended to the
very people whom he has denounced.
Chorazin and Bethsaida. laden with
sin, are urged to break of their yoke
Of bondage, be reconciled with him.
become yoked with him whose burden
Is light.
Judgment Inevitable.
These cities had their day OF oppor
tunity. In like manner We notice that
the measure Of the judgment is the
measure Of opportunity. The fate oi
Tyre and Sodom was awful. but more
terrible is to be the fate, In the day
Of Judgment, Of Chorazin and Beth
saida. because they sinned against the
greater light. Tho possible exaltatioD
Of Capernaum as shown by the ques
tion asked in verse %.
Again We need to note that 1udg
ment IL inevitable. It Is tho lot and
portion Of US all. Jesus created o
wonderful opportunity for those cities
and in like manner has created one
for us as individuals Of the city, what
will be our accounting In the judg.
ment! We as citizens are being illu'
minated by q wonderful revelstion OF
truth and Righteousness. Shall New
York, Chicago and other large cen.
ters became as ancient Capernaum or
Babylon, Nineveh and Tyre?
II. Those Who Come to Jesus,
Coming now to tho second section OF
our lesson. ono can feel, the tender
pathos Of the voice of Jesus as he
turns from the whole to the individ.
uals who comprise the whole and
cries-"Hither to me-" Not alone
those who are burdened BY ceremon.
ialism or guilt but a more wonderful
scope than that, "All who labor" His
Invitation is, however. limited. for II
Is to the laboring. thus excluding tho
wilfully idle. whether they be idle ma
terially or spiritually.
Offers q Life.
Jesus knew the rest Of harmonious
relation to the Father, the rest OF
service. and so the climax Of his in
vitation is the test Of experience. v
30. "For my yoke is easy and my bur
den is light" Notice that our labor
is to be fruitful. "heavy laden" but
the Joy Of service far outweighs any
thought Of its becoming q duty and
therefore onerous. A yoke implies q
being attached to a load and with an
other. How may we know II hi.
words be true? There is but ono con
dition, "CoYhe." Jesus meant jus'
what and all that word implies. The
babe sitting upon the knee Of its nurse
knows what it's mother means wher
she calls "Come." and SO Jesus ex
tends his arms to sorrowful. lader
humanity as we'll as to ceremonially
laden Israel and says "Come." No
to church or to some religious lead
er, but to Jesus himself. The invita-
tion is very personal both as to the
ono who shall come, and the ono tc
whom We are to come.
There Is in this lesson luminous
suggestion of Jesus method OF deal
ing with the ills OF our great cities
He does not propose q lot Of mega
tions. but offers a life, an energizine
power that shall enable company oi
his believers to change these condi
tIons of Ill. Some one has called Mt
tention to Jesus attitude towards thu
Roman empire. Not one word o.
specific rebuke nor denunciation. ye
in approximately three hundred year,
there was q Christian emperor upol
thai throne.
These words of Jesus thrill will
music. They have been a solac'
throughout the ages. They have
brought into his kingdom countless
thousands.
Jesus here assumes, as he alway:
did, that tho woes OF the impeniten
and the Joys OF the saved are condl
toned upon our attitude towards him