Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-08-13
A NATION THAT MISSED ITS
CHANCE.
The international Sunday School Lee.
son for August Is 10 "The Wicked
Husbandmen." Matt. 2t:3346.
BY William T. Ellis.

What Washington's farewell address
was to the American people, the final
warnings of Christ on the last day OF
his public ministry were to the Jews,
and more 1t was the Lord of the
temple standing in the temple of the
Lord. uttering the most solemn abJur-
ations to the people whom he had
loved with compassionate devotion.
In this crowded last hour Jesus was
speaking the uttermost things, and CIV
ing his message once more to the ma
ton After this, there would be moth
ing for Him but to incarnate his word
in his ultimate sacrifice.
To the end He held to his picture
preaching, teaching by parallels. The
one which engages the thought Of the
Sunday schools today Is elaborate and
vivid and terrible. It had all the stern
ness of a final appeal for repentance.
Tho Bible Down to Date.
Some folk never. think of the Bible
as being any nearer to their own times
than two thousand yearsaaway. Jesus
Is our example for undermining the
parallels and adapting the scripture to
present needs. He took Isaiahs famil-
lar figure of Israel as vineyard Of the
Lord, and elaborated 1t into the par
able Of the householder going abroad
and entrusting his property and work
to stewards and servants. These re-
fused an accounting to the household
er's representatives. and even slew the
mans only son when he was sent on
be half Of his father. Thereupon, fear
full punishment was visited upon the
wicked husbandmen by the house
holder.
The story bears adjudication uncom-
monty we'll 1t applies in all points.
The vineyard was the householder
own: he had rescued it from the Wild
erness and made it himself; 1t was his
to do with as he would; he exercised
complete sovereignty over it. Even the
Bible clearly teaches that man is &C
countable to God being his creation
This pleasant vineyard of Israel had
been planted and tended and hedged
with completest care The householder
had done his part for the bearing OF
fruit All now depended upon the SER
wants While Jesus was making ma
tional application of this truth, yet it
has spiritual significance to the in
dividual life: for religion Is a growth
of God, his fairest garden.
Taking Over Responsibilities.
The mark of manhood Is fitness to
receive responsibility. Childhood Is
irresponsibility. These husbandmen
In the story were accountable stew
ards They had accepted the charge
and they must bear the responsibility
| They were left to themselves with
freedom Of choice, and all the indie
pendence Of man farming on shares.
But the Jewish nation as husband
men had been false to their rust. 1t
failed to keep faith with God, who
trained 1t to be the missionary to the
nations. Beyond all other nations.
Israel had an obligation to serve the
peoples with new conception of one
Supreme God, who was also a loving
Father
In our day. nations are compelled
to accept this teaching Of the respon-
sibility OF one people for another This
new world to the west has a big and
grave accountability to the whole hu-
man race. The tragedy Of tragedies
for nation Is to miss its destiny; to
fail to do it's highest work. Some ma
lions like the Christian kingdom erect
cd In the Holy land by the Crus" ders
and like Spain and Portugal anu the
Holy Roman Empire. have failed in
their mission OF stewardship.
The Warnings Neglected.
In the parable many servants were
sent by the patient householder to ask
an accounting of the trust he had COM
mitted to the husbandmen. These, OF
course, the hearers of the tale recog.
nize as the prophets and teachers OF
Israel. Anyone with a message OF
truth is prophet of God and one OF
his messengers.
Pity the people. SO engrossed in
themselves and their own pleasures,
that they are deaf to the words Of the
editors and statesmen and preacher'
and teachers who summon them to
their highest faithfulness. To fail tc
hear the highest truth that one may
receive, is the worst of all recreancies
Billy" Sunday saws in one of his pun.
gent utterances MANY Of you are lis
tening ton'~ht to your funeral sermon
More then once Jesus had hurled in
to the teeth of the RELIGIOUS leaders
Of his time the unwelcome truth that
their fathers had stoned the prophets,
and that they, too, were guilty Of the
same sin in failing to accent Him and
the opportunity which he brought.
The wicked husbandmen Of the story