The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-08-08
Temperance Iesson)
The Story.

anu expose In6lf wares. L ne SrOWJI
was by almost imperceptibie de,
grees. The national conscience, cal
lous though it was, would have re-
cented a wholesale Introduction OF
the market. Located, too, as il
was in the least sacred part, the
court of the Gentiles, and partak,
ing as it did of the nature of an
insult to the fOreign-born, it gave
the least possible offense to the
native Jews. So for gain the tenn
pie is metamorphosed into a stock
yard. Bleating lambs drown the
sound of the tinkling bells on the
fringe of the high priests robe land
the lowing of cattle completes will
the antiphonal chanting of the
priests. The sweet incense of the
golden censor is neutralized by the
nlalodors incident to a cattle pen.
Above all rise the piercing tones,
the excited chaffering of the buyer
and the seller, and the honeymoon
ger contending for his five per cent
UNI. No doubt these sly merchants
availed themselves of the presence
of worshipers from foreign parts to
expose for sale articles that had
not even the poor excuse of a
slight connection with the temple
service. So the temple had become
a poisy, filthy place. At the very
period of the Passover, when it
should be prevailed by holy calm
an4 quiet, it was really character
izetl by the greatest and profanest
eys-5n. E---7ilmon had supplantet
d in his own sanctuary. OF this
(fanation Jesus had been the 81
lent observer on his annual visits
10 Jerusalem. 1t was no late dis
covery on his part. His indignation
was all the more terrible because it
nag been so long pent up. How
this Galilean peasant could single
hahdSd eXpel the horde of traffick-
ers who had attached themselves to
marble pillar and tessellated floor
with the tenacity of barnacles, has
been matter of surprise to some
VINO have sought a supernatural eX-
ptanation and have supposed that
Jesus was aided by a sudden out
beaming of his divinity. No doubt
Il f-o o,.,.io
1estic, and his voice authoritative; ;
Dut it must be remembered he was
dealing with a lot of conscience
coFards. They were perfectly awar
OF ithe Illegal and sacrilegious char
acfer of their business. Again, there
we ire many devout souls who had
lotg been outraged by these time
h9nored abuses. They rejoiced to
sch the standard set UP, and glad
slfn. The startled temple authori-
tlSs regain their equilibrium and
set upon Jesus as he stands there
I'M the midst of the temple, pure
aid quiet, once more. They dis
plby that pitiful folly which always
afserward characterized their at
5ks upon him. They dare not
raise question as to the business
OF the thing done. Was not that
Very business of the thing done a
sufficient credential of the doer?
It was ridiculous to ask for an ad-
dltional sign. They betrayed the
Poverty of their resources in doing
Sc. All through his ministry, even
as he hung on the cross, Jesus was
lnportuned for a sign; but he new
Ell once worked miracle on de
mand. On this occasion he respon-
dsd with a parabolic saying, the
ID eaning of which unfolded itself
t0 friends and foe alike, on the
Occasion of his resurrection. Like
many of Jesus sayings, this had
b4th a literal and figurative mean
Ing. The literal referred to his
DSdy, which the Jews did destroy
and which Jesus raised three days
later. The spiritual meaning might
b9 brought out in a paraphrase,
continue to destroy this temple by
deliberate proclamation of it Land out
OF it, as from a decaying husk, l
Will raise the living stalk of my
Church,
The Teachers Lantern.