The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-12-11

way to the temple at the hour of even |
ing worship. And outside of the tenn
pie gate they were accosted by beg |
gar, lame man with cup in his |
hand asking for aims. These two in
stances have fixed themselves in my
mind, and l have always asked this
question: "Why did they watch
Jesus at that supper?" You and l
know that he was a specially invited
guest, and I wonder if it was because
they loved him and wanted to honor
him, or because they wanted to criti-
else him and embarras him. They had
placed the man with the
dropsy at the table to see what Jesus
would do with him.
Take these two men, Peter and
John, who were accosted outside the
temple gate by a beggar at the door.
They could not pass in without see
ing that man. | have often asked
myself this question: What would
| have done if at the hour of worship
| had chance to meet that beggar out
side?" | have asked myself that ques
ton. And I think, my friends, to be
very honest, would have had SYM
pathy for him. | would have made
some mental comment of his unfor-
tunate condition; of his never being
able to walk But as he handed the
cup and asked for aims l might have
passed right on into the church. I
wonder what you would have done.
We know what Peter and John did.
We know what Jesus did with the man
with the dropsy. He helped the man.
He gave them something to pay them
for watching him at the supper. Peter
and John said to the beggar: Look
on u.s." And the man looked upon
them expecting to receive some ma
terial gifts. But he had to learn the
lesson that the best gifts are not ma
terial The best gifts are spiritual.
Gifts for the mind and soul. And so
Peter said: "Silver and gold l have
none, but such as / have l give unto
you. In the name of Jesus of Nazar-
eth, rise up and walk" And they
went into the temple singing and prais-
ing God
Friends, have wondered to myself
what an hour of real worship that
must have been to Peter and John.
l wonder how they must have felt
when they looked over and say that
lame man rejoicing. How Peter must
have shouted. | say he must have
shouted when he remembered what
he had done with the lame man at
the gate. And that man at the gate
of the temple lies before the door of
every church. He may not be man
with a tin cup asking for aims or
money. Wherever the church is, the
man in need is there, or else the
church has no business there. When
| see the church moving from down
town up town, moving away from the
shiftless, moving, heart throbbed mass
of humanity up into the residential
portion of the city, / shudder for that
church. tremble for it. The church
of Jesus Christ should be closest to
the human needs, no matter where
those needs are. For the man is
there, the woman is there. 1t may be
man in need of place to lodge.
1t may be a man in need of bed.
1t may be a man sick and in need
of doctor, nurse, a hospital, or 1t
may be woman, young woman,
fresh from the country, ignorant of
the city ways, asking for instruction,
seeking help. To whom shall she
look for help if not to the church of
her mother, the church of her father,
the church of her Lord? But what
will the church say to that girl from
the country asking help? She will
say to her: "You will have to be very
careful. You must exercise the great
est care" But how can that young
woman be careful? How can she ex-
ercise that care unless the church
takes her by the hand and shows her
what to do.
| know of case right here in Al
len chapel very recently. A young girl
came from country town and Joined
Allen chapel. She came to the minis
ter said said:
81 want to get acquainted with the
right kind of people"
had her meet the young people
of the Social Pathfinder and Chris
tian Endeavor. Later on that same
young woman took sick and was sent
to the hospital Then / was sent for
The young girl was not only physi'
cally sick but mentally sick, and want
ed to unburden her mind to some one
So sent for one of the deaconesses
and the deaconess listened to hel
story. All she needed was mothering
So the deaconess mothered her. Wher
the deaconess was ready to go, before
leaving, she said
"If, when you get well, you have
no place to go, come to my house anc
l will take you in"
oh, friends, it was an act which
caused the very angels in heaven tt
smile. Yes, it was an act which
caused God Almighty himself to smile
Friends, let us close up the gap be
tween the church and the churchless
Let us bridge the chasm with lovini
hands and with warm hearts. Is th'
Magdalen welcome in our church o.
is she sneered at, as in the house o
Simon the Pharisee? Are sinners
poor, broken hearted sinners, are the,
made to feel welcome at the feast?
shall never forget when l was
young man, long before / ever though
} of entering the ministry, an instanc