Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-12
In The Religious World
(REvIEW OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON)

force and pertinency of this utterance
of Jesus itself. The passage will at
least Interpret to some readers the or.
tgin of the phrase, THE Inside of the
Cup"
Now as he spake, Pharisee asketh
him to dine with him; and he went in
and sat down to meat. And when the
Pharisee saw it. he marvelled that he
had not first bathed himself before din
ner And the Lord said unto him,
Now We the Pharisees cleanse the out
side Of the cup and of the platter; but
your inward part is full Of extortion
and wickedness. Ye foolish ones did
not he that made the outside make the
inside also? But give for aims those
things which are within; and behold,
all things are clean unto you.
But woe unto you Pharisee! for
We 1.-THE mint and rue and every herb
and pass over justice and the love Of
God; but these ought We to have DONE
and not to leave the other undone
Woe unto you Pharisee! for We love
the chief seats in the synagogues, and
the salutations in the market places.
Woe unto you! for We are as the tombs
which appear not, and the men that
walk OVER them know it not.
"And one of the lawyers answering
saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this
thou reproachest us also. And he said
Woe unto you lawyers also! for We load
men with burdens grievous to he borne
and We yourselves touch not bur-
dens with one of your fingers Woe
unto you; for We build the tombs of the
prophets, and your fathers killed them.
So We are witnesses and consent unto
the works of your fathers; for they
killed them, and We build their tombs.
Therefore also said the wisdom of God
l will send unto them prophets and
apostles; and some Of them they shall
kill and persecute; that the blood Of all
the prophets, which was shed from the
foundation of the world. may be requir-
ed Of this generation from the blood
of Abel unto the blood Of Zachariah.
who persisted between the altar, and
the sanctuary: yea, l say unto you, It
shall be required of this generation.
Woe unto you lawyers. for We took
away the key of knowledge; We enter
ed not In yourselves, and them that
were entering in We hindered.
"And when he was come out from
thence, the scribes and the Pharisees
began to press upon him vehemently
and to provoke him to speak Of many
things; laying wait for him. to catch
something out of his mouth"
Never was this particular teaching
of Jesus more timely than now. This
is the era of revolt against class dom.
nance. The churches feel this. We
have entered the day of democracy;
and democracy demands and must
have sincerity as it's basis. Only true
men are fit to govern themselves and
one another The moment pretense ar.
rives, real democracy begins to depart
Truth in the inward parts" Is the very
life blood of democracy.
And for that Jesus pleaded. Woe,
and only woe, awaits the person who
builds up religious life primarily for
other peoples eyes to see Religion is
not reputation; it is character. 1t is
the hidden, godward side of life "The
Father who seeth in secret" Is it's
Judge and rewarder. The faith taught
by the Master and the apostles is a
life "hid' with Christ in God; it shuns
the street corners and the chief seats.
There is nothing professional or self.
parading about it.
The Good Time Coming.
Everybody is asking how we arc 60.
ing to solve our clamourous social
problems Some look overeagerly to
legislation. Others pin their faith up.
on the slow processes of education.
Still others merely trust to luck. But
the Jesus way, as here indicated, is the
fundamental way. He wants social
order, based upon sincerity and service.
His program for better world is by
better men and women. The kingdom
which he established. and upon which
he pinned his faith, is made up of in.
dividuals who accept his platform and
share his life.
There have been eras wherein re.
ligious thought overemphasized indi.
vidualism; but forever-the need abides
for men and women whose lives are
kept right in the sight of God Among
the friends of Jesus there is no divorce
evil, no scandal of double living, no op
preston of other men, no cruel wealth
and no bitter poverty When the re-
ligion of the spirit reigns, and people
live with the supreme ambition to be
well-pleasing unto Christ. the inside OF
the cup is clean, even If the outside
is not polished.