Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-30
In The Religious World
taEv,ew or SUNDAY SCHOOL Lg.soN3
sNoss, SINNERS AND A SAVIOR
The International Sunday School Les
son for May 10 1.-THE Prodi0al
Son"-luke 16:1t-S2

The International Sunday School Les
son for May 8 10 1.-THE Prodi0al ,
Son"-luke 16:11-32
(By William T. Ellis)
A Chinese illustrated version OF
this prodigal son story lies before me
as | write The pictures are intel
ligible. If not the text. The first
scene shows home Of the Chinese
gentry, with an upper class old man
handing over to his pig-tailed son q
quantity Of silver shoes, the OLD
Chinese currency. Next the youth,
in his best Chinese raiment. Is leav-
ing home while his father weeps the
"far country" Is tea house. wnere
the youth is feasting and drinking
with dancing girl. Next he Is shown
as a tattered Chinese beggar, out
amid the Chinese groves, herdlnS
Chinese pigs. Then we see him bare
footed and in rage, being greeted by
his father outside the Chinese gate
of the old home. He Ia being clothed
in the next picture, and the feast tnat
followed, in typical Chinese fashion,
Is feast Of the gentry, older men,
his fathers friends.
We scarcely need Chinese version
to prove the universally OF the story
Fifteen minutes on the citys nam
street tonight will show prod1ga!s
dressed in the latest fashions. There
are thousands of fathers whose last
thought tonight will be of wandering
sons, who are playing the fool. Few
things are commoner in the expo
rience Of society than this one OF the
boy who, needless Of the hopes cen
tered upon him, and lacking sense
and character, turns his back upon
home and love and goes forth to see
life"
The Worlds Most Famous Story.
One school of literature demands
fiction without moral teaching. Not
so the present story. 1t 10 told to
illustrate great truth. The reason
for it's relation lies in the two SEN
fences which introduce these three
parallels OF grace. These are the key
to the narrative; without them its
meaning may not certainly be un'
locked Here is the significant IN
PRODUCTION: "Now all the publicans
and sinners we're drawing near unto
him for to hear him. And both the
Pharisees and the scribes murmured,
saying: This man receiveth sinners
and eateth with them"
This was the reproach Of Jesus
then: 1t is his praise now. He cares
for the common people. I once heard
a blatant Ounce declare. "Christ came
to found an intellectual aristocracy."
Jesus came to found no aristocracy,
except of holiness. and that by It's
very nature Is no aristocracy, but
humble, self effacing brotherhood OF
people unaware OF their own good
ness. His kingdom Is not selection
OF the self-righteous. but reunion OF
the lowly, sincere, penitent and heart.
hungry. A sinner, sorry for his sin,
il surer Of welcome with God than
the proud and self-assertive Pharises.
This Is the meaning OF this parable.
which Farrar calls "a divine epitome
Of the wandering of man. and the love
OF God, such as no literature has ever
eaualled. Put in one scale all tnat
Confucius or Sakya Noun OF
Zoroaster or Socrates ever wrote or
said --- and they wrote and said
many beautiful and holy words-ant'
nut in the other the parable OF the
prodigal son ~. md can any candid
shirt doubt which scale would out
weigh the other in eternal precious
ness?"
When Youth Plays the Fool.
The central figure of this story 's
"green'' youth: he was an unripe
soul. He thought that "the old man
was "slow," that the home life was
dead" and that he knew 1t all
which last was sure proof of his
immaturity. Nobody is so distrustful
Of his own infallibility as the man or
knowledge and wisdom. rms youth
was still in the veal period.
He got his share OF the family 1or'
tune and playc' the fool with 1t IN
"the far country" until 1t was gone
and he was reduced to the iot
peculiarly loathsome to Jew that
81 swineherd. At last. so hungry
that he was minded to eat the very
food OF the swine, he "came to him
seIf' and went home. This expe-
rience, bitter and deep. made man
~ him. True, 1t perpetually sad
dened his life, and left ineffacabfe
scars and robbed him Of the purity
which is the sweetest fountain 0!
Joy; but this was the price ne paid
Tor his folly. The man who "soWs
wild oats" in youth will reap tares In
"The bird with the broken pinion
never scared as high again"
Living with the pigs. the prodigal
son learned what 1t is to be man.
He "came to himself'--he had been
beside himself before. And when any
man comes to himself. he comes to
God
Getting Ones True Measure.
Il is the man without a dollar who
rooI,zes the hard times. After the
prodigal had spent all, famine over.
took him in hurry This seemed g
hardship, but it was the beginning OF
the youths real prosperity. HE be,
gan to be in want" which was good
for him, for it stripped him down to
his real worth. Now came his chance
TO prove himself for the first time