Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-03-31
The Sundav
School Lesson

The outstanding fact OF this lea.
Son ts tho condemnation of Christ
Tor those WHO would substitute
CHURCH preirdlce and racial anttg
"ul@w fur rcll piety. lie teaches
us plainly that II is the heart that
lH IN" center ~ real love of God
and lh0t no amount OF fidelity to
N't rules and traditions can make up
Tor the lack ~ heartfelt fidelity
Ihls is not saying that, because
some sc,ts have laid a strong en-
phlHi7 upon forms and ceremonies
thai such observance is essentially
u'-'hristiHn, or that men ana Wom-
en- Who oh'crvc these forms arc not
y 81 os sincerely pious as those who
amor them But what Christ strove
To bring home was that any religion
whiNh made It's essential things the
diligence OF outward appearances
was losing the view OF the chief aim
OF religion to reach the heart OF
mo believer and Keep him near TO
cod. The Jews since the return
rom captivity had been drifting in
to state pt mind whore religion
10 them consisted OF rites and ccrc-
monies II Is quite plain cvn TO
day that mRu may bc strictly orth-
odoN ana yet be servant OF the
devn
The trouble about these I, rmaH-
ties ~ that while In original intent
they had images before which. The
mind of men upon the truths they
were made TO represent To be a
constant reminder OF tho GOSPEL and
what II did for mankind. lct such
iH the peculiarly nf human thot that
sooner ot later the substance iH tor
i.go'tcn ir anxiety to cultivate the
scmblRuCc Some rciigionists have
been accused uf idOlatry because
they had Images bcfocr which the
pious made Worship This IN not
true, but It Il true that with thou.
S1nds OF people who bowed down
and said their prayers before types
representing the truth In their TX
norancc Camo To look upon the inn
ages aq the embodiment OF divinity
and became unconscious inolaters
Yet mary an honest servant Of God
has gone thru these performa noes
with n pure and sincere desire Ia
live close 10 Jesus The worship Of
forms does not necessarily make a
man irrCligious. but the danger is
that he viii cling 10 the visible rep
resentation ana forget the truth for
which IL stands That " Just about
the condition IN which Jesus found
the rcligionists OF his day. They
had made tho law and the prIestly
fcrmalities the supreme thing and
had suboId,nated the heartfelt spir.
ituality without which all religion ls
n moCkery 20 the diligent observance
OF outward appearance.
A. regards racial antipathleE,
Christ taught that oil men we're the
intended children OF God and sub
jeCts OF grace Because the chill
dren OF Abraham had been selected
rs peculiar people to preserve tho
law Of God thru the ages II did not
infer that all other men were not
20 come into possession OF divine
favor In the fullnes sof time The
phoeniciRu woman knew OF the ha-
tred with which the Jews looked up
on her, yet such was mothcr-love
for u stricken daughter and such
Was the faith she had in jesus thar
she hrsved the expected rebuff To
put In her plea for blessing Like
many anather who has sought di-
vine facor. che carried the day by
humility in the presence OF Jesus.
DO you ruppose that II she had re-
sented ChriKt's tentative rebuke for
ifl NfillFll NV sue. NOulN HaNF EONlfn
an answer 10 her prayers7 No for
white Christ recognized her faith.
he nut II to the test. and her will
lingness To accept any kind Of dts
grnce II only her daughter be healed
aon his sympathy and love We
who seek the favor oI Almighty God
d well 10 leave our pride and pref
udice behind us when we approach h
the throne of grace. Gods bless
inRs come not to the naughty but 10
the loWly In heart
Jesus WAS not n Journalist He in
sisted that tho law should he full
flied but sought to emphasize the
spiritual OF which the form was only
n reminder. II is significant that
he only esta blished two forms and
asked HIS followers to observe them.
One was the Lords supper and the
other an outline 10 guide us TO ac-
cpptabie prayer How do YOU sup
pose Jesus looked upon the pas,
great discussions and contests dog
matitss over what waR right to do
and believe? How much do you cup
should be so deeply immersed in the
very thing that he labored so long
20 warn them against Zach one
OF the disputAnts was satisfied that
he had the real correct forms for
rety and that God recognized no
other. Yet God was rot pleased at
their zeal no more than he was
pleased at the zeal with which tho
Pharisees sought 20 discredit the
savior and his work We are en-
tering an era now when pious pco-
pie are willing to leave their differ
rnces 10 mans consciounce and his
God aud are learning TO labor for
tho snlva'ion ~ men instead OF the
dominance OF creed.
Christ now here taught us 10 des-
Dise the law or to avoid codifying
our belief Tor the unity and in
struCtion Of our brethren hut he
did insist that IL Was tho heart love
of men for which he lahored and
that the forms we're only incidental
II a man loves the Lord he will do
what will please him not for the
purpose ~ creating IA good opinion
among his fellows. hut because II IN
tho will ~ the Master whom he
loves Tho most ritualistic of the
churches teach us a fidelity and n
devotion that we cannot afford Ia
despiso and which very few of us
Of any creed attain. Thoroness ls
a great thing to he desired I'm re-
lirlon as well as elsewhere but we
should be- careful that such thpro-
ne1s springs from right motives and
10 made secondary to sincerity N the
ienrt Moro OF us sin IN attending
TO tho forms ~ the sacrifice of sin
rrrity than we do ~ negleCtinC the
fUrmF Christ came 70 make ms free
from the condemnation ~ tho law.