Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-07-26
DEBORAH PASTOR AT CEDAR
RAPIDS.
DR.. q. 5. Lakeland of DEBORAH
Delivered Strong Discourse at
st. Paul's Methodist
II Church Sunday.

Last Sunday DR.. G. s. Lakeland, of
the NJ. E. church, of this city, filled
the pulpit of ST. Paul's Methodist
Episcopal church at Cedar Rapids,
and the Gazette has the following to
say about his sermon:
IF you were going to paint a pic
ture of the Christ, what would you
make Him look like?
In a remarkable sermon Sunday
morning at st. PauTs Methodist
Episcopal church, on THE Humanity
of Christ the Rev. DR.. G. S. Lack
land, of DEBORAH, Iowa, painted a
| vivid word picture of the Master as
he imagines Him-not a very tall,
very slender very effeminate person
with thin arms and tapering fingers
and weak, almost covering face.
But instead a well-built, heavy mus
cled, strong handed and powerful
necked man who would be man
among men-one who would have
the physical force to back his asser-
lions when he drove the money chan
gers from the temple and when he
stood in the face of the Pharisees and
called them whited sepulchres: one
who would have the strength and ex-
.Eerience to help toiler in need or to
perform heavy task. That is the
Christ as DR.. Lakeland imagines
Him, and he gave substantial back
ing to his theory.
For wasn't Christ carpenter?"
he asked. Didn't he toll for years
at this heavy trade-a trade heavier
in the east and especially in those
days, than nOw?" The speaker ex-
planned that the carpenters then fell
ed their own lumber, and dragged it
to their shops; they stripped it and
hewed their own timbers from it:
they did the work that makes the
muscles of the lumbermen in Mime
sofa and Michigan and Idaho stand
out like whipcords in their arms and
necks; and there is no reason to sup
pose that Jesus, tender hearted and
loving and compa ssionate though He
was, didn't attain the same splendid
type of physical manhood.
Yes, he was a human who was
tired at night-one who was so tired
sometimes that he could lie in a boat
tossed on angry waves and sleep a
sound sleep; He was a human who
knew wha''it was to be hungry and
have food offered by the devil He
was human who knew what it was
to lose a good friend in death and to
stand by his tomb and weep. He was
IA human who carried on his broad
shoulders and tender heart all the So
clal and economic unrest and suffer-
ing or the masses-one who was dig
nlhed and refined with the wealthy,
thoughtful and tactful with the pow
erty stricken-one who was loved by
all but the blind in heart and spirit. ;"
An interesting supposition advanc-
ed by Dr.. Lakeland is that in one OF
the many uprisings of the oppressed
classes of the times, Joseph, the hu-
man father of Jesus, was slain by the
Roman minions; and that Tor this
reason Jesus remained at home at his
trade until he was 80, when his
brothers would be prepared to take
up the task of caring for the house
hold and Jesus could not be scoffed
at as one who had left the duties OF
home to preach.
Withal the Christ was divine. Yet
never once did He use His divinity to
protect MS humanity. Never once did
His human strength and fortitude so
far yield as to call for personal help
upon His divine. His self control and
courage in facing every trial and
temptation that can be imagined, not
in His divine but in His human
strength, is blessing and a help to
all humanity for all time. He was
SO human that ne prayed to God for
help as any human might.
With story as to the influence of
brave general on a halfLbeaten ar
my, DR.. Lakeland closed his address
with the cry, When you become dis
couraged in the battle of life and feel
like beating a blind retreat, open
your eyes and see your friend and
brother, Jesus Christ, who never lost
a battle"