The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-26

q
-. - - s~nAct it. We want the
tIi1ge and events Of the world serNeu
hot like our breakIaSt COLlSc- -,
times are so accustomed 10 tHSSe " -
6e-s mat we take for granted al tilS
5-eIo77s enginry of propaganda
II is difficult to throw our ltIlaS lIII'.
lions back to the time oe1ore tiISI Z
80 revvsDapers and tidings couIo
only travel as fast as man or peas
could move 1t is profitable 10 muse
for a moment on how men got tleiL
views before the people in the udS
when the printing press had no. 49,
Invented. Specifically. consider the
17robIen that confronted Jesus in pup
fishing His good news to all manklIlu-
We think in terms of express trans
He had to 90 afoOt or at best on the
bact- of a donkey. a horse or a camel
The primitfveness OF the me thL1
Jesus led is incomprehenslble 10 u.
Most men today in our land 90 no.
know what it is to become pnysle '1
tired from a days walking. Ihal We
q common experience of the tootSoIe
Teacher who went about with Hls ~
tie group of pupils from village 10 VII
Iaze from city to city True, he Hau
time to observe closely and to think
deeply, but His progress was SLOW II
took Him longer to go from Caper-
naum to Jerusalem than It taxes Us To
cross the continent
striking for the Cities.
The quickest and surest way OF
reaching all the people within a given
radius nowadays is TO advertise IN the
daily press Jesus could rot DO TINS;
He had to carry His message by word
of mouth. There were no great daIlleS
circulating in those wonderful cities OF
the trans-Jordan region where Greek
civilization had f1ourished so richly.
certain circle of ten cities was called
the Decapolis- Jesus could not be
content to live within reach of these
without bearing to their forums the
word that was life. What would we not
10 7Trc.T--
sations, or the sermons that He
preached to these cultivated crowds,
or the miracles that He wrought amid
theml Instead, we have only fleet
ing glimpse.
Anybody but a classical student
finds II hard to credit the advanced
state of civilization that had been at
tanned east of Palestine in these great
cities. I have seen for myself the
wonderful ruins of temples and thea
ters and palaces. After two thousand
years the grandeur of the ruins stirs
the imagination. I have in my desk !
at the moment a quantity of ancient /
Roman and Greek coins that gather |
ed in one of the cities of the Decapolis. /
visible reminders of the civilization I
that reigned here. It is in one of /
these tranS-Jordan cities that the Oc- /
casional traveller who penetrates so
far may see the wonderful mosaic of |
Jerusalem which has helped scholars |
in determining the geography of the /
Rome found a home in the Decapolis. I
Ever strategist, Jesus was ap-
pealed to by these fourishing cities. |
He faced the problem which we rashlv |
think is peculiar to our own day, that
of carrying the gospel to the great
city Possibly this study of an old
passage viii help to awaken some of
parochial ideals and help them to
work together in terms of the whole /
city.
Now Railway Route.
The traveller of today goes by rail- !
way from Damascus down through /
the region OF the Decapolis. skirtine
strikes west to Haifa. Still. as of
yore, the land is fertile, a granary +
for wide region. The Druses and T.
the Arabs cultivate it, although rob
berry, oppression and ignorance keep
them in poverty and squalor Spec
tacular valleys, lovely waterfalls and
rich gardens brighten the journey
through this region The Mecca
railway also passes through the De-
capohs territory.
The swift moving traveller pictures
IN his mind the patient Master toiling
over this country and the Imagination
IS stirred to desire for the utiliza-
ton OF all the modern agencies for the
swift spread of the story The eOsneI
which then Travelled in the heart of
Christ has fred the brains of a new
civilization so that today that same
story may be carried with rornaDtic |
swiftness all over the earth
Railways may come and customs
may change, but people are people the
world around. The mothers with their
sore eyed children whom 1 saw bv
the railway were not very different
from the mothers who waited for the
help and healing of this wonderful
Teacher. The helpfuIness and need
OF the little ones appealed to all the
loving instincts of the Good Shepherd
who was always so tender with the
little lambs AS He Travelled Jesus
served.
Helping as You Go.
Garry as you GO" is a maxim Of
efficiency taught TO the young house
keeper. 1t suggests the greater in
junction of the Savior Himself. As
you go preach heal" We need
not wait until we get TO destir.a-
ton in order to do effective min :
try. LIES waysides are in reality .
life goal Jesus ministered as lie
travelled Anybody with a passion
for helpfulness will find the world
full Of opportunities. This sunday
school lesson is one for the everyday
ness of life. While on the way Of oar
everyday work we are to serve all the
lives that we can reach.
The attention attracted to Jesus by
His work of healing is especially ex-
plicable to those who know the East
In this very region there are a few
rnissionary doctors. like DR.. Mary Ed
dy, who have widespread reputation
as Nakims. From far and near the
people come with their ailments seek
ing succor.
Amid this thronging human need
Jesus went ministering. He was not
so busy seeing the sights of the Won
derful Greek cities that He had not
time for the poor and miserable and
outcast- He ministered to people Ne
IL. go
help them: and also because His min
istry Interpreted His message. In the