Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-14
In the Religious World

tunity away in irrelevant questions
and discussions. This is so with al
most every gathering. Lying on the
surface of this tragic conference at
Caesarea Phillippi which we study to-
day, are many subjects for discussion
1 Yet at bed rock the issue is wholly
one of the character and mission Of
Christ. Was he the Messiah, the one
long prophesied and expected?
/ The lieutenants of Jesus reported
to their leader the common opinion
of their day and world. He was re-
puted by one party, they said, to be the
Baptist; another declared that he was
Elijah come again; others contended
that he was jeremiah in the flesh. All
coiceded him an extraordinary place.
This was the opinion Of the scholars
and of the sophisticated men OF the
time. The worlds best wisdom agreed
that Jesus was not like other men;
and the most grudging Of verdicts IN
the centuries since grants him at least
this much.
Not flattered, but rather disheart-
ened by this report, Jesus turned from
the wisdom of the wise to the simple
faith of his own friends. Then, as
now, the eyes Of the heart had clearest
vision. Lowry belief saw further than
scholarly skepticism. Therefore Peters
prompt reply rang boldly out, thrill
ing the heart of the lonely leader. who
i'll this hour especially needed the
comfort of being understood and trust.
ed, Thou art the Christ" With all
his faults. Peter had that spiritual
faculty which discerns the inwardness
of truth. His was elemental wis
dom.
That same wisdom discerns Christ
standing at the crossroads OF time,
awaiting the Judgment Of men upon
himself, by which Judgment men
themselves are to be judged.
A Great Souls Suffering.
Lifting it's snow-crowned head in
grandeur so high that it dominates
the entire region of Palestine from
Jerusalem north, stands Mt. Hermon,
strong in it's majesty and beauty. TO
the solitude and strength of this
mountain Jesus had taken his
friends. At it's foot. in or near
Caeraea Phillippi, he underwent
this experience which some writer's
have called the passion of the
north" Here he faced the question
of what he had come into the world
for and how far the world recog-
nized him and his mission. Into
every strong life there comes these ex-
periences, when the soul is searched
to it's depth, and the eternal WHY?
is fronted in all its solemnity.
Suffering by anticipation is keen
est pain. 1t is not the shock OF the
bullet in the body, but the thought
of it that hurts the more. Jesus I'M
derwent his calvary in spirit beneath
the shadow of Mt Hermon. What
this crisis of determination and Of
realized public appraisal meant to
him we cannot understand. We
know that his soul was exceeding
sorrowful. Out of the deeps Of this
hour flowed the sublime teaching OF
self-renunciation-h Christ lift
ed up the cross upon which he was
later to be lifted.
A Friends Foolish Counsel
Nobody suffers alone. We are tied
together in the bundle of life, for
| veal or for woe. The sharpest thorn
| in the leaders crown of sorrow was
the knowledge of the suffering of his
disciples. To prepare them for what
lay before them Jesus began to
teach them, that the son of man must
suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders and the chief priests
and the scribes and be killed, and
after three days rise again. With
out figure of speech and with ut
most directness and plainness he
told these men who were looking for
ward to earthly crowns that the
world had for them nothing better
than crosses.
At this point the mistake which
lis being made every day by fond