The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-17
RY WILLIAM q. ELLIs.)


CBY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
A famous Philadelphia clergyman
was buried a few weeks ago, and OF
his funeral the large church was
thronged with mourners, mostly wo-
men, and mostly plain people. This
minister, the only man of his calling
in the city enjoying worldwide
fame had seldom been heard at great
ecclesiastical gatherings. nor did he
make after-dinner speeches. The
home of sorrow knew him better than
rhe banqueting hall. The poor saw
him oftener than the great and the
wise. Like his Master, he had con-
ceived his mission to be to comfort
the people. Frequently he said that
there was always somebody in every
congregation wanting consolation, so
in prayer or sermon he never failed to
speak a word of comfort. The deep
human wisdom of this minister con-
sisted largely in his recognition of the
prevalence of grief in human life, and
of the need for the simple word OF
cheer and courage.
That same truth marches with the
present lesson. This story leads US
into one of earth's houses of sorrow
How many and how varied these are!
Brown-stone or wood. marble or logs,
makes no difference to the democratic
messenger of grief. whichever way
we turn we find human hearts that
are sore and suffering. DouDtleSs one
reason why Jesus walked so tenderly
through the days was His knowledge
of the aching hearts OF people 10
Him there was nothing strange IN
the appeal of JairuS, the distinguished
citizen of Capernaum, coming to Him
with an appeal for help in deep
Personal grief.
Where Wealth and Power Fail.
The traveller who takes boat from
Tiberias to the head of the Lake of
Galilee finds himself amid the eX-
Cavated ruins of the old synagogue at
Capernaum. If he has any magma
ton at all, the few monks who pos
sesS the compound and the native
workers who dig and carry, are less
real to him than the figures who once
peopled this magnificently simple
structure. As he stands on the simple
porch and looks out over the glittering
lake, he realizes that on these same
stones the feet of Jesus and
His disciples and the Roman centu-
rian and Jairus trod. 1t was doubtless
of this very synagogue that Jairus was
one of the overseers, or rulers. From
sculptured pillars, we look back upon
Jairus, the prosperous, influential,
learned, clean-living, distinguished
citizen of Capernaum. All that this
world can give man seemed to be
possessed of this leading phariSee.
Prosperity, influence, learning, and
righteousness cannot keep out sor-
row from a home. There come to
the common plane of humanity and
suffer the primal griefs of man. King
and peasant feel the same kinds of
sorrows and pains The impotence
OF worldly power to ward off the real
~ essential ills of life has appealed
to every thoughtful man. Little did
Jairus care for his standing in Caper-
naum at this hour. His daughter, ap-
parently an only child, lay dangerous
~ i'll. All that he had would he give
in exchange for her life.
That deep grief drove this proud
aristocrat to the feet of the new
Teacher from Nazareth. Sorrow has
been the school wherein myriadS have
learned Christ, For sorrow aid
death are strong messengers, and men
will listen to them who have shut
their ears to all others" The proud
head of this pre-eminent citizen bent
in supplication before the Galillean
Carpenter, his only hope.
Some Unknown Consequences.
Nobody can run a tape line to the
limit of his inf1ue ace. Men who write
evidences of their touch upon persons
in remote places. Probably the dis
cipleS of Jesus never suspected the
high circles to which the words of
which they were eagerly discussed.
Probably Jairus, the distinguished,
had more than once stood furtively
on the edge of a crowd, listening to
peered through latticed windows at
Him ss He walked and spoke. We
know that, like Nicodemus, he had
become convinced of the messiahshlp
of Jesus, vet, like NicodemuS, be-
cause of his worldly position, he had
not avowed himself a disciple. The
power of Jesus over Jairus is a re-
minder to us that the true life
reaches further than the one who lives
1t ever dreams.
eff only we strive to be pure and true,
To each of us will come an hour
When the tree of life shall burst
into flower,
And rain at our feet a glorious
dover
OF something grander than ever we
Jairus was never so high as when
he bent low at the feet of Jesus.
Greatness always knows how to hum
BILE itself. The urgency of love and
need had made a childlike suppliant
of this synagogue official. He be-
sought the Master with earnestness
and pleading to hasten and lay heal
ing hands upon his dying daughter.
Jairus believed greatly. His faith,
like his love, was of a magnificent
quality. As we behold him, conven-
tionality laid aside, pleading for help
in his sorrow, our hearts throb in
sympathy with him.
The Master Word of Faith.
One of the jungle Stories deals
with the master word" and how there
was a master word that even won the
service of HATH the elephant, VINO
was lord of the Jungle Surely it is
not irreverent to say that there is u
master word to which even God yields
Himself BY His own nature and word
He has bound Himself not to disrc-
gard faith-"All things are possible
to him that believeth." The heart of
faith commands the help of heaven
The faith of Jairus put Jesus at his
service Disregarding all his other en-
gagements, and the cares of the multi
tude which trailed after Him as he
turned aside to this new mission, Jesus
stroda straightMay to the house of