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

\ crowds thrOng1ng after them; out II
was interrupted by two Incidents
once when Jesus turned sharply around
and demanded to know who had toucn-
| ed His garments. A woman with an
| incurable disease has timidly, trust
/ fully. reached forth to lay hands Oh
! His cloak Her humble faith did not
venture to lift its eyes to His face OF
to challenge His personal attention.
! In the lowliness of trustful womanhooo,
| it sought only to touch the garment OF
| the wonder-worker. The Master tar
ried to speak the word of comfort and
assurance to this trusting, needy wo-
man. Jesus always had time to be
helpful. The grandeur of the char
acters of Lincoln and Lee is shown
/ by nothing more clearly than by the
fact that amid all the vast concerns
of state they never lost their simple
human interest in individuals. They
1 had time to care for persons.
The delay caused by the Masters
ministry to this tinid sick woman,
whose touch of faith had singled her
/ caused Jairus to chafe. We would
rather believe, though, that a fellow
feeling made him wondrous kind, and
that he was glad to share the Master
and His powers with another sufferer.
! Still. he was eager to go forward III
all haste-though it would have been
vain to outrun the Master Himself.
Jairus was to learn that Gods delays
are not denials.
Too late, too late!'-That second
interruption by one of the family SER
wants of Jairus supported his worst
forebocings- The dire tidings were
conveyed that the maiden was dead.
The refinement and unseIdshness that
pervaded that whole household was re-
vealed by the inquiry, why troublest
thou the Master any further?" Seem
ingly, Jesus Himself did not take seri-
a 100 he CTR oh q n
household. He quickly silenced botn
Jairus and the servant by the mystert-
Gus reinsurance, Fear not, only be-
lieve."
Into the House of Mourning.
A graphic picture of oriental mourn
ing is given by Mark in the closing
lines of this story, And they came to
the house of the ruler of the syna-
gogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and
many weeping and wailing greatly. And
when he was entered in, he saith unto
them, Why make ye a tumult, and
weep? The child is not dead, but sleep
eth. And they laughed him to Scorn.
But he, having put them all forth, TAX
eth the father of the child and her
mother and them that were with him.
and goeth in where the child was.
And taking the child by the hand, he
saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which
is, being interpreted, Damsel 1 say
unto thee, Arise. And straightway the
damsel rose up, and walked; for she
was II years old. And they were amaz-
ed straightway with a great amaze
ment.''
The sacred ceremony which Jesus
had planned was not for common eye.
The crowd were kept out of the house.
The hireling mourners were silenced.
With only the father and mother and
His own intimates whom He was train
ing in the higher school of faith, Jesus
inf he
form, to perform the greatest work of
His earthly ministry up to the mo-
ment. The very elaboratenesS of these
preparations aroused strange expecta-
tions.
The Summons to Life.
We are tempted to dwell upon the
symbolism of the command of Jesus
to the little girl, "Damsel, 1 say unto
thee, Arise" That is what Jesus is
! doing to young men and young women
| everywhere. He, more than any other
force, is lifting up life. Life ascendS
at His call The highest progress of
civilization is in obedience to His sum-
mons
But the simple fact of the narrative
| is greater than any homilies. Jesus
took the hand of her that was dead
and commanded her back to life. He
proved Himself Master of death as of
! life That truth was too overwhelming
to be grasped even by His intimates
until after the resurrection had made
| it clear. Even those who with eSsed
the miracle scarcely realized that He
was giving the supreme test of His
messiahship.
Tho scene in the death chamber is
eloquent with the message that the
entire attitude of the friends of Christ
! toward death has been changed by
Him. He has banished wailing and
hopeless grief, even IS He drove out
the hired mourners from Jairus' house.
Today the Christians grave suggests
10 efo Browning
poem on a sleeping child compares 1T
to her own sleep in death:
differing in this that sleeping shall
be colder,
And in waking, presently. brighter to
Z beholder.
Say not good night, but in some
brighter CLINE
Bid me good morning"