Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-30

time to heal hostile wounded sol
dier's ear. One more "cup of cold
water" Impetuous Peter, in obedi-
ence to the old mistaken notion that
even moral and spiritual issues may
be settled by force of arms, had drawn
his sword and severed the ear of
Malchus. Jesus healed the wound
with a fine chivalry which no battle
field has equaled.
The Unused Reserves
Reserves determine battles, as
each days dispatches remind us. AL
though he fought his great battle
single-handed, the Christ-prisoner
gives us a glimpse of his possible al
lies. He refused Peters sword, and
also disdained the more than
twelve legions of angels" which
could be summoned from the Father.
What sublime and solitary strength!
Jesus stood alone in His great hour,
that no other sufferer thenceforth
might have to stand alone. Who
ever goes down into the blacklist val
ley of loneliness and suffering, finds
the Christ already there, compre-
hending Comrade.
Nevertheless, it must have COM
forted the Masters soul to know the
forces that were on His side. They
assured him of ultimate victory, be-
yond the temporary reverse. And 1t
is we'll for all of US, in our dark
hours, to remember the reserves Of
righteousness, just out of sight. Even
as the prophet of old, Jesus was given
to see in His loneliness the might
of heavens forces.
There was need. For all the dis
ciples fed. Jesus stood alone amid
a ring of enemies. Not kindly eye
in all that circle, not friendly face.
Even John the Beloved, lost his
courage in that crisis, though he and
Peter later perked up enough to en-
ter the hall of judgment. How the
compassion of Christ must go out to
every soul that endures its great
hour of sorrow with no earthly
friend to stand by.
The Four Church Trials
Lawyers have frequently pointed
out that the trial of Jesus was rankly
illegal. The Jewish code was vio-
lated in, point after point. First of
all, in the darkness of night, after
being bound like a common Grim
inal, the gentle Teacher was led be-
fore Annas, father-in-law of the high
priest. Next He was carried before
Caiaphas, the high priest Then,
apparently, to an informal gathering
of the members of the Sanhedrin,
and, in daylight, before, the Sanhe-
drin in full and formal session.
These were the ecclesiastical trials.
They had no power of life and death.
They could only recommend an ac-
cused person to DEGREES OF the
Roman Court.
When old Annas asked Jesus to
explain His teachings, the prisoner
reminded him that all His utterances
had been in public; countless wit
nesses had heard him; let them tes-
tify.
This bold front led a sycophantic
courtier to strike Jesus a blow in
the face.
A Hero's Silence and Speech
To the house of Caiaphas, where
suborned witnesses gave jangling
testimony that so contradicted itself
as to be worthless, the proceedings
we're transferred. Caiaphas, stung
by the unmoved silence and indiffer-
ence of the prisoner. as lie was heaped
upon lie, taunted Jesus to make ans
wer. "But He held His peace"
In full and formal and official
language the high priest then de-
manded of the Figure standing erect
in simple dignity and majesty, de-
spite His bonds and lack of trap
pings of state, 81 adjure Thee, by the
livin- God, that Thou tell us whether
Thou art the Christ, the Son of God"
To be silent now would seem like
a denial of His Messiahship, so Jesus
boldly replied, "I am" AS If that
were not enough, and as If He wanted
to point out the contrast between
this false and farcial judgment
scene and the true judgment of
heaven, Jesus continued, And we
shall see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of Power, and coming
with the clouds of heaven"
Upon that the high priest rent his
clothes, crying "Blasphemy" And
the death-vote was cast against the
Messiah, Thereupon the retainers