Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-22
CHRIST LEAD FIRST
FIGHT IN HISTORY.
ON PR0F|TEER|NG.
REV. CHESsMAk, IN SUNDAY SER.
MON. POINTS OUT HOW JESUS
LED FIGHT AGAINST MONEY
CHANGERS IN THE TEMPLE.

Christ as the original leader againS:
pronteerS was yesterday held up be
lore a large congregation at the Bap
list Church as "A leader in early da,
CONNECTS with established custom .
by Rev, George w Chessman in a
sermon on THE Courageous Christ
he said in part
There are many incidents in the
life of Christ similar to this in Mat
thew 1914 illustrating the courage
or the Christ. In this instance lie
did the objectionable thing, accordne
10 conventional ethics~Ile healed a
man with a withcred hand on the Sab
path day And He did it in fun know
edge that the act aroused bitter re.
sentiment in the minds of the relig
lous leaders But a great principle
was at stake. a man was more val
liable than static ecclesiastical law.
sabbath was made for man. not man
for the Sabbath. Jesus acted on prin
clple regardless of fanatical custom
ana active champions of stringent or,
thodoNy, men who would hound Him
numerically for His breach Of tradi.
tions. That was courage of the fir [
order on Jesus part
The Christ OF Christians. the Ma.
ter of Men, is courageous Christ
he lived not in a world o. fiction bu.
of fact, He faced actual, concrete
problems, and He did it with absolute
fearlessness.
Let us ever remember that Jesus
was heroic Christ. as we'll as tender
and gentle He was the strong Son
OF God, virile, iorceiul man. In HIS
day He gave the impression of revo-
lutinoary He was He antagonizc /
established customs. Christ was a
dlS'tirber He never winked at wrong
Roosevelt has been called the man
with the big stick. | am not sac.
religious in calling Jesus "a man with
the big stick. He used il with telling
effect. The pharisees and lSadducees
were IN power IN the Jewish thee
cratic state. Jesus went after them.
1t was no moIlycoddling business tc
say to these autocrats. You have
made void the word OF God by YOUR
n
driving oui the money chany re- from
the tempel 1t was an indignal t
Christ that did that My house is "A
house Of PRAYER. We have made it Il
den OF thieves. He showed them up
as a nunprincipled gang of profitocr.
who would even use religion as i
cloak for grating
Read that tweniy-third chapter oi
Matthew and tell me if YOU think
Christ did not know how to WELD 4,
big stick 1t is one of the mo-.
scorching indictments of hypocriits
eXtant Jesus Christ was never an
equivocator. He never diluted or per
tuned His indictments to make them
less offensive He tolls the gcrjbls
they magnify triviai,ies and are
blind to bigger THINGS. You bird
heavy burdens and grievous to to
born. and lay them on mems shout.
ders, but You yourselves will not nova
them with one of your fingers on
no your work to be praised of men
You are vain, conceited self,regard.
ing To-
AS Christians we are TO serve hum.
bly,, reach out helping hand sacritieo
ease for human uplift. We are to be
tender and kind. BIT ii We are like
our Master We, too, must be capable
or Indignation and fearless in the
combating of brazen wrong. 1t is
recorded in Acts i-l3, Now when the:
behe'd the boldness of Peter and John
they took knowledge of them that
they had been with Jesus They were
'eaMess champions Of the truth, as
was Jesus. Disciples like Master
Rave you thought of Christilkeness in
this respect?
The world today, the real world
needs men who have the courage ,r
iisht Tor right, Men who can an.
taSohize, disturb The ,rorble is many
nleh practice prudcntialism from sci.
us" or pecnnlary motives. They are
reluctant to arouse the ire of inioutv
against them. They prefer silen, o
ana mus immunity from the disagreo,
dole' Let wrong pursue its uphcly
en"s uhdis'uIbed. That is not Chris.
tian course.
Inc challenge of Jesus Chris. ia
men Is to follow Him as cons,ructivo
vera builders, builders of the king
dom OF righteousness, justice ami
truth. Who follows in His train?"