The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-12-11

| again and again the lie came with ever
increasing intensity from his lips. Sud-
denly in the shift of the prisoner to the
| second hearing he saw Jesus in the
midst of the ribaldry and hostility that
promised death in unspeakable agony
evidently forgetting it all in the thought
of the Disciple And the boaster was
denying that he had eyer met the Man!
| Shocked into the realization of what he
| had done he fled into the darkness with
his form shaking with sobs of bitter
| self-reproach.
AT THE CROSS.
The travestY of trial dragged on.
Plate fought for the release in a way
surprising for lone Jew was the most
despised thing in the Roman Empire
and for the Governor of a great provi-
dnce to concern himself oyer the fate of
one with no claim of citizenship is trib-
ute indeed to the worth of Jesus. But
the end was on Calyary's hill where
three crosses lifted their weight of
bleeding flesh before the crowd. Ger
tainly some of the disciples we're there
seeing and suffering. Close about the
cross itself was the little group of
women not to be denied by any fear
and here to stood John, lone figure lift
ed by love beyond any thought of self.
Daring much in that night and day he
found his courage crowned by the dear
est legacy ever man received. Jesus
refused to die without providing for her
who had born him and had believed and
followed until a sword pierced her
heart. Mother, John will be your son;
John, she will be your mother now"
Jesus counted John as having grown in
to such character that he was the
best substitute for Himself. More than
any son or daughter he would under
| stand her hurt and her heart giving the
needed sympathy Nor could any so
minister to Johns own need as Mary.
In THE GARDEN.
There are no records of the black
Saturday of hopelessness. The Gospels
were written about Jesus not about the
Disciples so there was nothing to tell.
We would like to know their side of it
but their sorrow was so turned into iov
that 1t disappeared as a morning mist.
| Peter and John were found together.
Perhaps it was at the home of John. and
Simon may have breathed out his grief
to Mary. Certainly in his hour of great
est need his friends were true and John
kept company thru his despair. Had
Judas had such comradeship his life
story might have ended differently. The
sudden call of the mo!ning brought
them both running to the garden where
John saw everything apparently as
they had left it except that the stone
was rolled back and the guard gone tho
he may not have been aware Of either
seal or soldiery. Peter hurried into
the cavern and cried out in surprise IN
less he was greatly changed and John
followed to see the reason. Order was
everywhere evident and the youngest
of the band was convinced that there
had been no ordinary disappearance Of
the body but genuine resurrection and
he went to his home believeiug, the first
to accept the evidence. He had grown
spiritually quick in interpreting the
things connected with his Lard.
AT THE sea-
Days passed and seven of the Dis
ciples went fishing on the Galilean sea
only to meet utter disappointment thru
a night of search The morning brought
a command from the shore that filled
the empty net and John recognized
Jesus and told Simon whose eagerness
no water could stop as he dashed ashore
for the first word. Then after break
fast came the reinstatement of the man
to his old place of leadership. There
are two word for love to one, the pas
siOnately human word, the man c!ings
thru all the interview. Jesus uses an
other except the third time when he
comes down 10 the level OF the other
term and asks if even here he is sure
of his love. Peter is grleved by the i'm
piled doubt of even his own modest
claim but make no protestatlon merely
leaving it to his Lords own judgment
He is.strangely humble and the lesson
has evidently had its effect. Now he is
given another chance to prove the at
fectiOn which Christ so fully knows ex-
ists.underneath all the wavering that
had taken place He is to minister to
childhood, manhood and to old age. But
even here his restless curiosity leaped
from his own duty to question about
John only to draw another rebuke that
called each to follow and make that the
first consideration for all the life.