Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-12
TWO SIDES OF A TEACHER.
The International Sunday School Les
son for September IS is "Judg-
ment and Mercy" Matt. 11:20-3O.
(By William T. Ellis.)


The Judge who sits in robed dig
nifty upon the bench and is a terror
to evil doors is, in his own home, the
familiar playmate Of his children.
There are at least two aspects OF
everybody. Browning says,
God be thanked, the meanest OF
his creatures
Boasts two soul-sides-one TO
face the world with,
One to show woman when he
loves herr" ......
The many-sidedness Of the Won
derful character whom the world rec
ognized when he was spoken OF as
the teacher, as if there were no
other, Is the study of today's Sunday
school lesson. The master Is seen In
dieting flourishing cities which had
ignored or rejected the truth, and
voicing a tender appeal to the heavy
hearted. Contrasting as these sides
are, they are yet related and both
perfectly consistent with the char
acter of Jesus.
The discourse hinged on the send
ing out of the twelve representatives
as missionaries, studied last week.
Some communities would reject them,
even as Capernaum and Bethsaida
had In effect rejected him. The re-
sponsibility for refusing to accept
known truth is set forth in phrases
like unto lightning flashes. The
theme is rich one for study. both
for it's social applications and for its
relation to the personal life.
The City and the Preacher.
A few years ago a young minister
was called from a small city charge
to the passionate Of an important con-
gregation in a neighboring city. The
new field was in critical condition,
and ecclesiastical wiseacres shook
their heads over the folly Of the con-
gregation in calling young man
who had made no particular success
of his previous small field. Yet that
minister has been the means of build
ing up his church until 1t is I'M
questionably the foremost congrega-
ton and the foremost pulpit in its
city. The place had affected the man.
The littleness and unresponsivencss
and pessimism of his first charge had
hindered his powers, although the
world accorded him the blame. A
more congenial atmosphere, greater
confidence, and readiness to work
on the part of the new parish1oners,
gave the man his opportunity.
Some churches ask that the preach
er minister primarily to their pre-
JUDGES and preconceptions. The fail
ure of some preachers is not fact
about the preachers, but about the
communities in which they work.
Many cruel judgments are rendered
upon ministers of the gospel which
rightly belong upon the heads of the
people whom they serve. Some cities,
like Brooklyn, are productive of great
preachers. 1t is more than a coin
cidence that Brooklyn is to an I'M
equalled degree the home of dis
tinguished preachers.
Up at the northern end of the Lake
of Galilee, in the center Of the sphere
of the earthly labors Of our Lord,
were three favored cities whose
streets he often walked-Capernaum,
Bethasaida, and Chorazin. In Caper-
naum he made his home during the
larger part of his public ministry.
They knew him and his life and his
teachings and his miracles. Yet
their unresponsiveness called forth
his "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe
unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the
mighty works had been done in Tyre
and Sidon which were done in you,
they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes" So he declared
of Capernaum, IF the mighty works
had been done in Sodom which were
done in thee, it would have remained
until This dovo Even In the OaY
of judgment Sodom would have a