The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1915-03-15
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SCOURGING JESUS.

| and sCourged Him. John Isl
This is solid ground for it is his
torical. We do not need to look to
either the Old Testament or New
Testament to prove it. Jesus loved,
taught, was scourged, crowned with
thorns, clothed with purple, spit upon,
killed. For this truth we do not need
| to turn a page of the evangelists'
record; but have the assurance from
men who not only never prayed,
but hated Him with bitter hatred.
! "Pilate therefore took Jesus, and
| scourged Him" We read how the
punishment was inflicted, but We
have little idea how it felt. The vic
tim was tied by the hands anchored
| low, causing him to assume stoop-
| ing position, with the back barred
A Roman soldier welded the thongs
in a degree commensurate with his
feelings of hatred or Indifference
The Jewish law provided, forty
stripes save one" but the Roman
soldier was not limited. The effect
on the scourged was to inflict severe
pain sufficient to humble the pris-
oner and cause a frame Of mind
cowed and obedient to the will Of
the judge.
"Pilate therefore took Jesus, and
sccurged Him." Him who spoke the
beatitudes for the benefit Of man
that JOY might be magnified! Quite
possible, We would feel that there
must be a mistake somewhere. This
man was ever speaking helpful things,
for he said:
BLESSED are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom Of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for
they shall be comforted Blessed are
| the meek: for they shall inherit the
earth Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteous
ness: for they shall be filled Blessed
are the merciful: for they shall OBJ
tain mercy. Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall So God Blessed
are ye when men shall revile you,
and prosecute you, and say all man
ner of evil against you falsely, for
my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding
glad, for great is your reward in
| heaven"
| What comfort in these words for
Him? He was poor oft did He mourn
no one possessed such meekness,
righteousness was personified in Him,
merciful was He even to his enemies,
pure His heart, so pure that His
! life was perfect. But now He is suf
fering to what use? The flowers Of
His utterances were now to dis
appear that the fruit might be see'
| Blessed are men suffering for
| Christs sake To make this real to
humanity was to be part of His
live for Christ are hated, buffeted,
bounded and killed as was He. The
devil Is lined up against everything
that is pure, holy, virtuous and clean,
and he would not be about his bust
ness if he wasn't.
Took Jesus and scourged Him"
-flogged Him who blessed little
children. Latin and Greek history
tell us plainly This Is not hal
lucination of the disciples. You re-
member mothers brought their chill
dren to Jesus that He might bless
them; the disciples demurred, but
the Master said, Suffer little chill
dren to come to me. and forbid
them not, for Of such is the king
dom of heaven"
Such kingdom had been the plan
or thought of none of the disciples.
A kingdom 20 be made up Of little
children, and men and women OF
lowly spirit To the man who goes
to hell the absence of children will
not fail to meet his notice. Emissaries
of the devil may try to teach the
child that there Is no God or teach
him to blaspheme His Name, but let
him know that 1t were better for
that man il "a milestone were hanged
about his neck and he be cast into
he sea than that he offend one Of
these my little ones"
Jesus took little ones in His arms
and blessed them. To have been a
child in those arms-what heaven
itself: what caress! A caress that
only child can feel. And this was
the man-the speaker Of beatitudes
and lover of children-who was
scourged, upon whose back raised
great seams of suffering. Profane
history challenges any man to deny
these facts.
Then Pilate took Jesus, and
scourged Him"-kes, Him who had
fed the multitude. This. indeed, Is
a stately act, for He did 1t not only
Of necessity but as prevention.
"They have been with me now three
days; l will not send them away
hungry, lest they should die by the
way" They needed food, that being
strengthened they might listen to the
gracious words that were pouring
out His mouth nourishment for the