Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-23
THE LITTLE AMID THE BIG

hour OF blgneSS is paralleled by the eX-
perience of Jesus with his disciples
shortly after the TRANSPORTATION. He
Opened his heart to these intimates
concerning the ultimate things. Weigh
ing upon his spirit was the betrayal
and the crucifxion and the resurrec-
tion-the uttermost meaning Of his
mission He had taken them apart in
Galilee in their journey to Capernium,
expressly that he high talk over, with
out interruption from the crowd, the
profound things that were forthcom-
ing: 1t was the supreme lesson in his
school that he was trying to teach the
disciples. Yet they did not under
stand. The word was too CREATOR
their comprehension. Had they been
able to grasp it they would have been
saved from their abysmal depression
after the crucifixion, for the Master
clearly told them what was forthcom-
ing.
The tragic aspect Of this misunder-
standing is, not primarily that the men
could not rise to the high level of the
new meaning of the Messiahship. It
was that in this splendid and sublime
hour the disciples were busy about
their own petty concerns Jesus was
talking of the fulfillment of his mis-.
sion. They were talking Of places for
themselves. He was unfolding divine
purpose. They were engrossed in petty
personal plans. He spoke Of the eli
max of remuneration and suffering and
righteousness: they were interested
only in their petty ambitions and who
should be first among them.
EccLEsiAsTIcIsM or MINISTRY
That misconception Of fhis dearest
friends, who could not enter with him
into his greatest experience, must have
torn the tender heart of Jesus: but
worse indeed was It for him to know
that in the hour when he spoke most
fully OF loves sacrifice they were occu-
pied with the things of selflshness.
Paralleling that incident is the man.
ner in which, at this time of times, so
many men and organizations are fail
ing to comprehend the meaning Of the
worlds crisis and to flng themselves
with self-abandonment into it's pur-
poses, but instead are striving to get
individual advancement out Of it.
see ecclesiastical organizations of var.
AOuo ooASo anu luSSAtullOuS WITHOUT
number. who are trying to get aboard
the war chariot as If it were a band
wagon, bending the great cause and
the peoples devotion thereto to their
own small and selfish ends. These are
interpreting religion in terms of eccle-
siasticism and not ministry. They
strive to get rather than to give. They
are like the, disciples. ambitious for
place when their Lord would teach
them sacrifice even unto death.
Clear. comprehensive and forever
applicable is the teaching that Jesus
gave to the twelve: If any man desire
to De first among you the same shall
be last OF all and servant of ALL Thus
we look upon the magnificent minis
try of mercy that has followed in the
wake of the war-tenderly reared
women toiling like scrub women at the
humblest work; leaders in the realm
OF business casting all their interests
aside to work for dollar a year for
the government: young men abandon
ing their careers to 20 into the
trences or to drive ambulances at the
front; women and men at the home
base tofling with unflagging zeal and
unpretentious devotion and self ef.
facement to serve the great cause and
mankind in this hour of supreme op-
portunity.
THE ONE WHOM cHlLpREN-LIkEp
In the homely everyday fashion Of
using illustrations and parallels that
marked all his teachings. Jes,s rndo.