The Alaska citizen., 1916-05-01
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THE POPULARITY OF JESUS.

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 THE POPULARITY OF JESUS.
 And the common people heard him gladly Mark 12.&7
 No man has lcaped to popularity with such q degree of swirness as did Jesus Tn their excitement mon rushed from every quarter to hear and see with common interest The farmer left his plough in the fur rough the tradesman his desk. the women and children hastened 10 be near the young carpenter to hear him trace the truth in forms of beauty and awaken hopes long dead Generals. poets, philosophers, scien- lists divide honors But in the realm of morals is their one master Jesus; the next leader is thou sand leagues behind
 | The common people loved Je- sus because he recovered their lost sense of selfrespect and discovered the mans soul to himself Other teachers despised the ordinary man. Horace wrote "I hate the vulgar crowd and keep them at dis tance" The great soldiers held that their people had gone astray like wolves and therefore deserved to be killed Jesus said the people had strayed like sheep from the fold He found a thousand excuses for those who had been damned from their birth" Moved with com passion He gathered the people into His heart with large embrace and sought to comfort the universal sorrow of mankind. No other teach CT has said so many beautiful things about the poor as He did. With all the love of mother for her child, of a patriot for his country of a hero or martyr for the noble prin ciple for which he was dying. Jesus SpOht Ol tile pOOI anu W C"h "4'i' affection and pride that is almost adoration for a being big with des- tiny and made in the image of God. To the east of Jordan a buried village has been discovered. Slow iy the winds had covered up the buildings anG hidden them from view Within are the frescoes. the statuary and vases, the tables and furniture undisturbed though two thousand years have passed Cara vans of cameIs and men have tram pied over tke ground, little sus- peeting the riches of treasure under their feet Not otherwise the phil osophcrs and generals trampled down the common people. The leaders of that day had no concep- tion of the values of the human soul of it's latent possibilities, of it's faculties hidden like roots in the quiet earth, waiting only for the call of summer to find their latent strength and vigor. Suddenly Jesus came upon the scene and called the people. as He waved His won der working wand and thousands came forth from fear and depression to a plave of self respect and self reverence. and the dignity of the sons of God He moved men to a compassion for themselves until they stretched out their hands in ecstasy of iov to Him and kissing the hem of His garment lost their heart to Him, until thousands of the poor today would count it joy to die for Jesus by reason of their great love.
 IL The common people loved Him because He was the genial, brotherly, companionable Christ, So ciety holds two types ot manhood, the aristocratic type, and the demo cratic type The motto of one is vc}ueiveness, of the other compre- hcnsion The one manifests itself in politics in an emperor, House of Lords. the gentleman class, They build iron bars before the gates and high walls around their palaces, holding at arms length the masses. The masters of intellect have often manifested this trait to the people and have only made less penetrable the barriers. But Jesus took within his circle of compassion the poor and needy, and the greater their social distress, the larger their claim upon Him, John the Baptist was ever stunning society, desert ing the city loving silence choosing solitude. Jesus was most compani- enable He loved to be with the children. He walked with the di- sciples through the corn fields. He worked in the vineyards with those who gathered the clusters. Whatever concerned men was full of fascina- tion and charm. He had the genius of friendship, and drew twelve men with Him whereSOever He is found. It would be difficult to analyse too closely His great attractive powers. "Why is the rainbow beautiful And the dew drop pure? And the red rose sweet?" When we can answer these questions we will know