The Alaska citizen., 1916-04-17
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WHY JESUS CHOSE PREACHING.

me. because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel 10 the poor. Luke 4.1S.
 IL is in the rebound that the bent bow filings the arrow to he mark. It was after he struggle T tempta- ton that Jesus returned trCm the wilderness to his home ciiy to be gin the work ot His ministry to the poor Before telling others how 10 yauquish temptation to sin He passed to it's victory first. When Moses came from the mouDtaIn af- ter forty days of communion with God his face shone, and he appeared not like other men. So JcsuS came back from the wilderness of strug gle and triumph With face radiant and soul illuminated with the well defined plan of giving the gospel to the world, and that H. would launch 1t from a sermon
 Scholars have searched for the hidden powers in Jesus and have tried to eXp.ain their findings to the world Some explain Him through His skill in pu't.na His truths in most attractive simplicity, but others. like Socrates, have sue ceeded here Some emphasize His philanthropy in that He went about food 1r,l healing on every side, the fOrerun- her of all settlement work and hos pitals. but there have been many men like John Howard and women like Florence Nightingale Some emphasize Hm as a reform CT that he put the axe to the root of the tree and with fury and fanaticism cut the evil out of the wark but ev- cry age has found men of this type. II is true that He had wonderful eloquence that could sway the crowd like the winds sway t"e grow ing wheat field, men fingered in His presence and hung upon tA" words of His grace, but Jesus gives the explanation in that "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me
 The early life of Jesus was given up to work, and after the death of Joseph, he doubtless car ried the burden of the care of the family. Severe bodily toll robs the mind of privilege of study and the eighteen silent years were crowded with hours of carpentry. Reading makes the full man wait ing the accurate man, conversation the ready man, travel the broad man, reflection the deep man The education of Jesus was largely ob- tained in the university of toll, In daily contact with the men of the world who create; among the poor, midst humble and tired folk, and thus was he able to tell in simple way the parables that were to live throughout the ages. Sucl knowl- edge was ideally fitted to tell the truths that He taught
 In Him We have the difference between genius and mediocrlty. This greatest preacher and teacher that the world has ever known made all His sermons wi,hout Ii brary or college training. This indeed, is no argument against books. Hitchcock was right. If l were 20 years of age and had ten years to preach, l would spend the first nine getting ready for the tenth" Jesus spent 30 years get ting ready 10 preach but little more than three years The com mon youth will not look ID to the stars, but he will study astronomy He will not separate the rarts of the flowers but he will study botany He will not mix the elements that in proper proportions make possible the powers of the earth, but he will study chemistry and physics t'AN-t like Lincoln, who do fir5t hand work They are few. fer genius does not travel in crowds. Too much knowledge is like too much wood thrown upon the fine, there Is nothing but smoke, for it has smothered the spark of power. Lincoln had the Bible, Hunyan's Pilgrims Progress, Aesop's Fables the Declaration and the Constitu- tion and became the best equipped man of his day. Jesus learned He brew, Greek and Latin, the needs of the common people the way to success and triumph as He studied the map of life.
 Why did not Jesus become sol dier, for Josephus tells us that there were 100000 young men in Palestine? Why did He nOt become a great teacher and stand with the famed men of Athens? Why did he not aspire to the position and pop ularity of a ruler for He certainly possessed all good qualifications and the country was in sore need of a man who could lift them high from the Quagmire of petty politi- clans. The great man is always the practical man. Such a man