The Penn's Grove record., 1915-07-23
Game TO MINISTER
Mission of Jesus on Earth Was
One Disciples Were Slow
to Comprehend.

It was very hard for the twelve apos.
ties to understand the sort of kingdom
that Christ came to bring. They were
poor men, not learned, and the sort OF
kingdom they had been accustomed to
think about was one Of glittering tins
sci and imposing pomp; one in which
purple and fine linen and the blaring
of trumpets and the bowling of knees
played all important parts. Many OF
them seem to have gone on following
Jesus all the years Of his ministry
wistfully hoping and believing hat
somehow, somewhere, he was going
to turn around square in his course
and bring about a political revolution
which would drive the Romans out OF
Palestine. Power and cabinet minis
tries should then reward them for
their months of humble following.
And eve James and John, the IONS
of the fisherman, Zebedee, who were
closer to him than most of the apps
ties, could not shake off this delusion
at first. Perhaps the kingdom might
not come on earth, they reasoned, but
they wanted to make sure of thrones
in heaven. Places of authority and
Importance, where they would be
looked up to. And so they went to
Jesus privately and asked him to
ave them places.
Followed Him Loyalty.
Looking down the years of loneli-
ness and persecution and poverty that
lay ahead, he asked them with a touch
of sorrow if they could drink his cup
Confidently they answered that they
could. And they did right calamity,
though they had little notion of what
the cup would be. James preached
the Gospel as far away as Spain, then
the western limit of the world, and
John, after years of wandering, during
which he was once banished to the
Island of Patmos by a Roman en-
peror, ended his days in Ephesus,
city of Diana. They were both men
of unusual fire; Jesus called them Bo-
anerges, which means sons of thun-
der. 1t was John who once complained
Of one who cast out evil spirits in the
Lords name without being associated
with the band. And so it is not sur
prising to find in them the faults of
strength; the desire to elbow forward,
regardless Of other people. They
were accustomed to getting there.
Their question afforded Jesus the
opportunity to speak to them of the
great guiding principle of his life, un-
selfishness. He came not to be min
istered unto but to minister. You
wonder how much James and John
understood then. Jesus was constant
ly making the disciples wonder by the
things he did and said. You remem-
Der how at the last supper he washed
the feet of the twelve; they must have
sat a trife shamefaced when their
leader, whom they loved, did what
their stubborn little pride would not
; permit them to do for one another.
Always Spirit of Service.
Through all his teachings and the
acts of his life there rings this spirit
of service. He was thinking always
of what he could do for other people
t rather than of what he could do for
himself. 1t showed in little things
You remember how, when the apostles
had fished all night and caught moth.
? ing, Jesus showed them where to let
down their nets and they brought up
a great draft of fishes. There is a
curious country expression which de-
scribes him well. He was so com
mon" The common people, the COM
mon things of life interested him and
pleased him. He used to feed the
] crowds with his own hands, breaking
I the bread and the fish.
It puzzled his disciples at first and
/, distressed them. 1t was not fitting for
a king, they thought. But by and by
they caught a little of the spirit of the
I man and they came to see, wen more
after he was gone than while he was
! with them, wherein his real kingliness
consisted. He left to us no greater
] heritage than this, Of laboring not for
, ourselves, but for the men around us.
] You may call it socialism or brother
hood or Christianity; it exists in all OF
them.