Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-20
ThePoliticinns And The RabbIc

Look for the motive" is a good
rule to fellow, in judging actions.
Back of this whole procedure at Pi-
late's judgment seat lay the schem-
Ing OF adroit ecclesiastical politi-
clans, who were using the time-serv-
ing judge to satisfy their own envy
and revenge. These men who so
cooly foreswore a mans life were
exceedingly solicitous to keep cere-
monially clean, because of the Pass
over. They seduously conserved
their church standing while at the
same time they sought to slay the
man who spoke the truth.
Adroity, skillfully, they played
their deadly politics, alternately
working upon the unsuspecting rab-
BILE and upon the job-holding judge
The voice that cried Away with
him! Cruelty him!" was the voice
of the multitude: but the words were
the words of the priests and phari-
sees. Obviously, the strong man
who uses weaker men to accomplish
reprehensible ends is more guilty
than the one who dares. to do his
evil work alone.
PLATE, the lever that was used
was his overmastering solicitude to
favorite devices of the devil. If men
were as much afraid of offending
] God as they are of losing their jobs
there would be more out-and- out
manhood in public life and in pri-
vate business. There crafty old vii.
lains from the temple precincts ha6
only to whisper "If thou release this
man thou are not Caesars friend,
to bring PLATE to heel like a whim-
pering dog. He saw through theil
| plot, but, being coward, he was
For the charge that caused Jesus
to be convicted was not one against
himself, but an implied charge
against PLATE. Before the Jewish
tribunal Jesus had been charged will
blasphemy. That was no offenst
against Roman law, so before Pilat(
He was charged with treason. Tha
fell fiat; so it took a hint of a charge
against Pilates own loyalty to bring
Jesus to the cross.
The Best a Man Can Do
With a procedure more orienta
than Roman, PLATE, after declaring
he found no fault with the prisoner
permitted him to be scourged ano
Knocked, and ultimately crucified
Craftily, at one stage in the trail ht
sought to evade responsibility by
sending Jesus to Herod, whose court
made sport of him, without provok-
Ing word of response.
Driven to desperation by the rab
ble's choice of a robber to be SCI
free. instead of Jesus (for PLATE haG
weakly put the matter up to the
crowd, PLATE cried, in the helpless.
ness of coward, What then shall
do unto Jesus who is called Christ? p
| That is the question of questions. II
! Is the most important Interrogation
that ever confronts a human being
and every one of us must face It
Upon our answer to that depends ouI
| life-p philosophy and our life-conduct;
and our veal for two worlds.
Place alongside of Pilates fearful
question the bold affirmation OF
Jesus: ITO this end am / come into
the world, that / should bear witness
unto the truth" That is the immor-
tai spirit of man asserting it's high
est prerogative. No higher function
Is possible to mortal or immortal
than to bear witness to the truth. BY
word, by pen, by vote, by life, by
suffering, by death, IL need be man
must, by divine compulsion, bear
witness to the highest truth he
knows. In this exercise he may die,
as did Jesus, but he will die crowned.
This passion of loyalty to the truth
needs cultivation, especially among
youth, in these sophisticated, mate
rial days. The glory Of suffering