Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-10
MEMS MOODS OFT
BLIND THEIR EYES
Only Rare Souls Have Capacity
Of Holding Always to
the Truth II
SON For April 18th Is ''The Journey
to Emmaus." Luke "a: 1885.
(By VIM. T. Ellis.l

(By VIM. 7. Ellis)
Two men are walking with lowered
heads toward the west. Their feet
are heavy. as II weighed. Detection is
written in their face. their attitude.
their tones. The fresh gray of the
Dlive orchards by the roadside has
no beauty for them. They are blind
to the effulgence of the Spring flowers
which carpet Judeas hills. A mood of
repression is upon them, like a black
cloud.
Behind them lies the city of David,
Tnere they had expected to see, at
his very time, the wonder of wonders,
he consummation of the hopes of the
nation, the assumption of kingly power
by the long-eXpected Deliverer.
Instead they had seen Him who was
Lhelr hope executed as a common
triminal. The leaders OF the nation
which they expected He would restore
lad been foremost in the dreadful
Iced. Their gentle prophet was dead.
Through two long nights and Sab
oath between that awful reality had
grown clearer and clearer Portents
n the sky had attended His death,
bubstantiating His claims. All to no
vail. He now was dead; they had
#een Him laid in Joseph's new tomb.
Now nothing remained but to take
ip life's common round, a supreme
hope extinguished. These two men be.
onged in the procession OF disap-
pointed ones, who nevertheless re-
,Ne life's duties in grim fortitude !
ia fatthfulness, even when all the
amps of the soul have gone out. I'm ::
II this third day they had remained
With the company of comrades of
esus; now they must go back to EN-
fhSlp 10 l Isel,
hopes had been extingushed, but at
east blessed routine called them. And
S they walked they talked of what
night have been.
When the Mood Is Gray
1t was like the ride home from the !
cemetery, was this seven-mile jour /
ley. The dear dead was the theme. +
II voice and manner, the kindly
houghtfulness, the great deeds of
esus, their crucified leader, filled
heir conversation. Over all hung the
ray pail, 'It might have been!"
Discouragement never sees clearly.
HE mood of these men blinded their
yes. The great gift of holding to a
ruth through all sorts of weather
'as not theirs. Only rare souls have
his capacity. AS I write these lines
sit propped up in a bed of illness,
nd outside the rain is falling; there :,
ore, the Easter note of jubilation
oes not sound so spontaneously as
he lesson demands. A week hence 1 !.
lay forget that the sky was ever gray 4
The disciples did not feel" their
eligion; as if their feelings had aught
do with the immutable love of God
r the changeless truth OF Christ. De-
ression is always a foil to faith
PHYSICAL moods blind us to spiritual
ealities The mental attitude of those
wo disciples intervened like thick
ell between them and clear vision
Il their Lord.
The Talk by the Way
For the stranger who joined them
b their walk, in the easy, familiar
nd democratic fashion of the plain
eople, was none other than the
isen Christ Himself, though they
new it not. He slipped naturally into
he talk, with a few searching cues
opes. the tragedy of the crucihxion,
heir dependency. and the unsettling
lmors concerning thoes who had been
arly at the grave, which they found
mpty.
Then, to their amazement and joy,
his new-found companion began to
iden their knowledge by showing
rom the Old Testament that it was
hus the Messiah should die and rise
gain. These men belonged to the
irge company of Christians unfa-
kar with the study of the Bible.
ike many others. they were discus
ng the profundities of religion in
ignorance of the teachings of rel-
ion. A little less speculation and a
tile more reading OF the Bible, would
lear up most of our spiritual per-
lexities. We miss a primary teach
hg of this particular lesson unless
e learn afresh the importance of
boxing into the Bible for authorita-
We teaching upon religious themes.
hrist began His ministry by quot
lg Scripture; here. risen and tri-
mphant, He still finds in the Old
estament sufficient explanation of
imseIf.
Hospitality and Consequence
II the wayfarers had not Hospitality
ressed their companion to enter their
ONE, they would never have known
nat the Lord Himself had walked by
heir side. How much we miss when
e fall of hospitality! In the bless
hg of the frugal meal, and In the
reaking of the bread, their eyes were
pened. Perhaps they saw the prints
the nails in His hands; perhaps II
as familiar gesture; perhaps the
ew attitude at the meal gave them
clearer vision. Somehow. they knew
i'm. Their faith established, the
aster disappeared.
The story of the lesson has been re-
pld In verse by Lily P. Ponder, with
application to our daily life.
per calm Judean hillsides, slopinr
slowly from the west,
ne purple shadows, Iengthenine. gave
promise soon OF rest; 9
II beautiful the landscape lay, be-
meath that chastened light
'hich In the lovely Orient precedes
the fall of night.
From out the fair Jerusalem, where
softened spiendor shone,
pom the road to Emmaus, two men
went forth alone;
18th grteving hearts and voices
hushed, they sadly spoke of Him
hose recent death on Golgotha made
even the heavens dim.
stranger came beside the two, and
as He walked their way,
ith sympathy He asked what grief
upon their spirits lay;
ben, wond'ring that He had not
heard, they told Him of the cross.
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