The record., 1912-04-11


l0-L
This Is character study in black
and white. The picture is drawn by n
determined hand and there is no hint
Of hesitation. Stroke follows stroke
until the complete portrait is before
us. The story is IS complete as II is
concise II begins in comedy and ends
in tragedy. The young man. impulsive,
optimistic and temperamentally en-
thusiastic. hurrics breathlessly into
the presence of Jesus with the long
hushed question of his heart upon his
iirs, and then when our hopes for him
are highest we behold him making
what Dante calls The Great Re
fusal" and returns To his old life as i'll
at ease and with his heart as hungry
rs ever.
Let lis not misunderstand this young
man He was no comedian trining with
sacred things and then casting them
thouEhtlessly away from him. lie was
intense. enthusiastic, n nObleman at
heart. and when Jcsus looked upon
him he fell in love with him. lie
had climbed the ladder of lawful am
bitiOn. and while still young man
was in the council of the elders. Honor
did not spoil the humility of his
heart. and in the presence of the Mas
ter he bowed in graceful reverence,
Richly endowed with worldly wealth,
he was still more richly endowed with
a nature rich in the virtues that make
for righteousness.
Jesus was intensely interested In
this young man. We read that He
loved him" | think he was interest
ed in him on account of his youth
Christ and young manhood. as has
been said. are as magnet and steel
This yCung man had all his life to
live. The years with all their posi-
BILE achievements We're still before
him.
Christ was interested In this youns
man because he was rich. Riches and
wealth meant power. and power Is an
other name for responsibility. Jesus
spoke hard words about rich men and
about rich men who loved money, who
trusted in money, who because OF
their money forgot about God. Jesus
however, did not despise man be
cause he was rich. lie loved the rich
young ruler. II was a rich man who
begged his lifeless body as 1t huns
unclaimed upon the cross. Two rich
men took his dead body ard wrapped
il tenderiy in the choicest Of linen and
laid it away in a costly sepulcher.
Jesus knows and recognizes no class
Riches and poverty TO him are but the
tools with which character fashions cir
cumstances. The mansthe gowd fol-
a that" 1t is written OF him that "he
made Eis grave with the rich in his
DEATH" There is pathos and tragedy
in that sentence. Must the Master
wait till death to dwell in the hab
itations of the rich?" May he not make
his abode with the rich in his life:
Let the rich man open the door and
Christ will enter In TO share his lone
ly isolation. and will satisfy the hun
ger of his heart.
Jesus was interested in this young
man because he was moral. His life
was pure and his hands clean. For him
a good name was better than great
riches. lie followed the quest of the
best. lie was one OF the Knights ol
the Round Table, who had pledged his
honor to live sweet life CT puresi
chastity To gain the love and ad
miration of Jesus 1t Is not necessary
TO wander OFF into forbidden paths
of sin. and to run the gauntlet Of q
dissipated life. For all young mer
who are fighting sin and the devil and
carrying a clean conscience in the
midst of communicating circumstances
Jesus has a warm welcome.
Jesus was interested In this young
man, who with his youth, his position
his influence, his purity Of life, was
still dissatisfied and came with the
cry of unrest What lack yet?" This
is a wonderful thing that he should
have so much and yet not have
enough.
Jesus answered the young mans
question by a command. Come, follow
me-" In great book recently pub
lished there is this striking sentence
IF the gods went their way and were
satisfied and the beasts went their
way and we're satisfied, the unrest OF
man can only mean that he is no,
rightly related TO his present lie
Now, is not that just the truth? How
can a man be rightly related to .his
present life in which he is set if he
leaves out God and refuses to become
related to the eternal realities that lie
all around him, in the world of truth
and beauty and goodnesss Are youth
and worldly honor, and riches the ouly
things that life needs to be related to;
Out of all these human relationships
the cry is heard. What lack yet?r
And Jesus responds promptly, "Yor
lack the love and the light of the pres
enoe of the God of truth"
The human heart is homeless until
il finds the Heavenly Father" Find
| God. and you find rest and peace and
satisfaction. Religion is satisfaction
RELIGION completes life and perfects
love. and only in the presence of God
is the soul satisfied.
No sacrifice is too great to gain this
great treasure Sell all that vsu
have and give to the poor II neces
sary." Let nothing hold you back from
| following after Christ in the life oI