Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-26

derful Passion Play at Oberammer.
gau, and it was a spiritual expert
ence. New light was shed upon the
| life of, Christ for me by that drama
as enacted by those Bavarian peas
ants. Never before had l seen sc
clearly the relation between the driv-
ing out of the money-eXchangerS
{ from the temple and the crucifxion
/ The big business" of His day. whose
enmity He incurred by that act
never let up on Jesus until it had
slain Him. All through the play the
sinister plottings OF Pharisee. priest
and businessman, against the Re-
( former who had dared attack a vest
ed interest, ran like a thread of black;
until at the end, the spectators saw
the eXultation of the conspirators
over the death of Jesus. one of the
directly csusative factors i'm the
arrest and conviction of our Lord was
the relentless persecution of the men
with whose business He had inter-
| fered.
They thought it Legitimate" 1t
was one of the accretions of the years.
Usage sanctioned it. Custom and
convenience buttressed il. Worship
ers in the temple wanted animals
for offerings, and they needed money
changed; so why not provide for the
transaction in the temple court itself.
How easy it is to put mans conyen-
ience above Gods glory.
For in the practice itself there is
abundant warrant in heathendom.
The most interesting fair in the city
of Peking is i'm temple. Japan;
great temple at Osska has a verit-
able mart of secondhand wares in its
courtyard. | have bought trinkets
in the yard of the Mosque of ST
Sophia, Constantnople. Even in the
courtyard of the Church of the HOLY
Sepulcher in Jerusalem the peddIers
ply their trade. But Jehovah's house
should be house of prayer as the
Scripture says.
If this episode in the early life of
Jesus, at His first passover is a les
son in righteous indignation and cou
rage, 1t is also a lesson in funda-
mental reverence. Gods house is
holy. He cannot be worshiped bv
those who do not bow down i'm spirit
DeIore Him as the One altogether and
alone worthy of alteration. Wise
parents and teachers who Study this
lesson will have eonsiderable to sav
ABOUT behaviour in church and Sum
gay school. lrreverence is a basic de-
rect IN the character of the Youth of
to-day; what Christ thinks about II is
written large in the story of the
temple cleansing.
now 10 clean up the Church
WIN respect to the church of His
sllIle Jesus was member, but a re-
IoThlef. lie stood fast for the insti-
luton, and fearlessly against an WIN
corrupted and misused il. In His eyes
tne abuse OF the Church was more
lrTeNerent than the exposure of its
evils lie would not counsel the Gov
erlhs OF immortality and crime on the
par par .. member or minister. for the
sake of the work. Purity was daor
Ell 10 Hlm than pride; character more
precious than reputation.
~, now what of the church to-day >
Ine SUBJECT Is too vast for n para
sraPh or two. We must confess to q
serious overlay of professionalism
anu anu pefiunctoriness: to a formaIitv
tnat sometimes conceals and some.
ZINES deadens vital spirituality. to the
! Diisht OF ecclesiastical politics. which
prevents the real life and snirit ~
the church from finding exnrassion.
10 snflnking from many of the day,s
! Nital issues which are within tba
church proper sphere: and To a vii
lui ignoring of weaknesses defects
anu deteats. 1t is rarely thai a
Enurch gathering frankly and fear-
Iessly races its tasks and its own ada-
quacy thereto; for it is much easier
and more comfortable 10 lister -
glowing addresses which internret
tacts In fashion that ministers to
self-complacency.
AS in the days of Jesus. SO now.
the strength of the church lies in the