Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-18
WEEK OF OUR LORDS PASSION

the folly and wickedness of the ding
past. declaring the significance OF
that hour which he alone understood,
foreeasting the fatal future which he
alone could see. he broke into cry
in which was uttered all the pathos
of his passion. II was a cry whose
pathos the world can never forget,
and whose significance every gener-
alton must consider. II was not Cor
Jerusalem alone. That proud, bigot-
ed and selfish city was but the type
of humanity. Here is infinite. divine
yearning. And here Is the hope OF
a final apprehension. II Is not for
Jerusalem alone. IL Is for the world.
which tod so loved, that he gave his
only begotten son. thar whatsoever
believed in MIN should not perish but
have eternal life.
Jesus Is ever to as the revelation OF
God. He shows us Gods attitude.
He unveils Gods purposes. He speaks
for the father. And never more won
derfully than here.
IL was not for himself, II was not
for a mere religious interest apart
from the great human interest, Il
was for the men shemselves, because
he loved them and because their
highest welfare was his supreme con-
Germ, that he soughtfto lead them
from their follies to his faith. It was
Infinite and divine yearning to bless
them But they would not There
,, Is the tragedy of human life In that
refusal that deliberate human rejec-
ton of divine grace. We see the
truth and beauty of the appeal OF
, Jesus. And yet how little our day Is
different to that! Men still think
they know better than the master
what is good. He seems to show
them an impossible and impracticable
way of blessing. They think happi-
ness is in seifshness, and they still
say. we will not have this man to
reign over us. jesus principles OF
discipleship seem too high. We can
not follow the teachings OF his pos
! sible perfection. Jerusalem would
not, and Europe will not, and Ameri-
ca win not. The rejection Is rcpeaat
! ed over again.
There are some who really think,
like the Sadducees, that Jesus pro-
gram Of life means the destruction OF
the social order. Annas and Gala
phas led the assault upon our Lord
because his SUCCESS meant, as they
supposed, the interference of the Ro-
man and the disruption OF the state
Men tell US today that business would
have been abandoned IL Jesus priT-
ciples were enforced; national life
would be impossible; society could
not exist; civilization would disap-
| pear; tncre would be no law, no
property, no incentive to labor. no
ambition. Sometimes such men be-
long to the church, but they will not
be disciples of Jesus. Sadly our
Lord looks at our wealthy, prosper
Gus life and says to us: "How won
drously / could transform 1t; With
what different spirit men could
work! What brotherhood of brain
and hand there would be! How all
the hatred and oppression and COM
mercial iniquity would vanish, IL
! were leader! And there would be no
less wealth and progress, but far
more. Oh America, America. how
often would have led you to the
way of life-and We would not
And more among US are like the
tickle people OF Jerusalem, who will
not think and will not be earnest.
If the religion that Jesus has can do
anything for us-giye US bread and
butter--we will accept il. But his
! ideals are far away; his fellowship
with God means nothing to us; we
have our interests and our pleasures.
And so the great world goes on its
way. 1t is not rejecting Jesus, but
| it does not know him. II does hot
care He is here as he was in Jeru-
salem with notwithstanding power,
opening the way to glorious life and
beauty. They do not know; they do
not care. II is not deliberate rejec-
ton of him, but IL is deliberate re-
| lection of all the holier, higher calls
of life. And Jesus cannot save them
as he would.
That love, infinite and yearning, of
the heavenly Father, so. wundrously
revealed in Jesus, has never ceased.
No rejection has loss it to any soul.
Jesus cry is not sentence of &bn-
demnation, but still can to repAa-
lance. He did not leave Jerusalem to.
its fate, but came back that he might
- for his people And the last mes
! sa of the risen Christ sends che
heraks of salvation to all the world,
beginning at Jerusalem. Guilty Jeru-
salem sAl offered mercy! And each
, of us, however much we have reject
ed Jesus and his light and leading
are still offered his salvation to the
uttermost today.