Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-08-15

sisted largely in his recognition Of the
prevalence of grief in human life, and
of the need for the simple word oi
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-st tone 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. Doubtless
one reason why Jesus walked so ten.
derly through the days was his
! ! knowledge Of the aching hearts OF
people. To him there was nothing
strange In the appeal Of Jairus, the
distinguished citizen Of Capernaum.
coming to him with an appeal for
help in q deep personal grief.
| Where Wealth and Power Fail.
The traveller who takes boat from
Tibert to the head OF the lake of
Galilee finds himself amid the ex-
lcavated ruins of the old synagogue
at Capernaum. II he has any imag-
inatfon at all, the few monks who
possess the compound, and the native
workers who dig and carry, are less
real to him than the figures who once
lpeopled this magnificently simple
structure, AS he stands on the sim
pie porch and looks out over the gilt
tering lake, he realizes that on these
same stones the feet Of Jesus and his
disciples and the Roman centurian
and Jairus trod. It was doubtless Of
this very synagogue that Jairus was
one Of the overseers. or rulers. From
the vantage point Of these beautifully
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 home. There come to
every family hours when all stand
on 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 really
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 danger
ously 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 and death
are strong messengers, and men will
listen to them who have shut their
ears to all others" The proud head
Of this preeminent citizen bent in sup
ter, his only hope.
Some Unknown Consequences.
Nobody can run a tape-line to the
lin" Of his influence. Men who write
and speak are frequently finding evi-
dences Of their touch upon persons in
remote places. Probably the disciples
of Jesus never suspected the high
circles to which the words of the mas.
ter had penetrated, and in which they
were eagerly discussed Probably
Jairus, the distinguished, had more
than once stood furtively on the edge
of a crowd, listening to this unconven-
tional Rabbi, or had peered through
latticed windows at him as he walked
and spoke. We know that, like
he had become convinced
Of the messiahship Of Jesus. yet, like
because of his worldly po-
sition. he had not avowed himself
disciple. The power OF Jesus over
Jairus Is reminder to us that the
true life reaches further than the one
who lives 1t ever dreams
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 childlke suppliant
OF this synagogue Official. He besought
the master with earnestness and plead
ing to hasten and lay healing hands
upon his dying daughter. Jairus be-
lieved greatly His faith, like his love,
was Of magnificent quality. AS we
behold him, conventionalty 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 master word that even won the
service of HATH, the elephant, who
was lord OF the jungle. Surely it is
not irreverent to say that there is
master word to which even God yields
himself. BY his own nature and word
he has bound himself not to disregard
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 engagements. and the cares Of
the multitude which trailed after him
as he turned aside to this new mis-
sion, Jesus strode straightway to the
house of Jairus The incident itself
was powerful sermon to the people.
1t reiterated the old and ever new les
son that heaven best is at the service
of the man who has faith in God. So
highly does God regard faith that the
question Of Jesus to his disciples was.
when the Son Of Man cometh, shall
he find faith on the earth?"
Two Interruptions
The swift progress Of Jesus and
Jairus was like triumph, with the