Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-04
The Times-Dispatch Sunday
Sermon
The Fathers Business"
Dy J. A. Eubank.


er's busincss?"-Luke H. 40
II matters not whether one be Il Christian
or Dcist. zach Intelligent individual must
IN time come to recognize the fact that he
rests under some obligation to give manifest
expression to that belief. Jesus. at the age
of 12 years. clearly apprehcndcd not only
mis- own relationship to the Father. but that
OF all other men az well--that is that God
Is the Father of us all. and that all alike are
His children.
Hence in. the language OF the text He
indicates the duty that rests upon Him. and
His purpose to meet it. and during the sub
seauent years OF His life He never fultcrcd
IN that purpose. meeting all tho require
ments OF the law, until In triumph His voice
rang out from the cross, "It Isl fnished."
What the Fathers business" u.s. Isaiah
had indicated something like 700 years be-
fore the birth OF Jesus. In the beginning of
i1is three years active ministry preceding the
cruciiSion, Jesus voiced His acceptance OF
the commission and understanding of it's du-
ties. by entering the synagogue on the Sab
path day and reading from the Book OF
isaiah as follows: THE Spirit OF the Lord
- upon Me. because He hath anointed Me
10 preach the gospel to the poor; He hath
sent Me to heal the broken hearted to
preach dclirerance to the captivcs and re-
covering OF sight to the blind. to got at lib
crtH them that are bruised, to preach the
acceptable year OF the Lord"
Jesus then closed the book and began 10
taik TO them, saying This day IL this scrip-
t"re tnih'ied in your cars And the further
testimony Is that as He talked TO them Civ
ing them the glorious message OF liberty in
the Fathers love. "Ali bare Him witness
ana wondered at the gracious words which
proceeded out of His mouth And thcv soid
Is not this Joscph's son?"
h"t inc enemies Of tho kind Of gospel mes
sage that He came to deliver and TO teach
o'ners to dinuse until the whole world should
nc delivered from the captivity OF sin were
present In their sanctimonious robes made
more conspicuous by their broad phyfnctcrics
ana hiled with wrath at His sayings. they
rose up. and thrust Him out of the city and
led Him upon the brow OF tho hill wb.rcon
.neir city was built, that they nigh, cast
Him down headlonE"
b"t Jesus escaped them and continued
about his Fathers business" as d.scri,od
e' ''somuch that il is stated when lie
came down to Capernaum a city of c;oli,oe
anu '"ueht them on tho Sabbath day they
wore astonished at His doctrine. for ,,s ,.orI
was with power"
Ana such preaching always carried with il
hnck OF It! VIZ" 20
Ana. as indicated I'm the outset ,ho,o ro,
uhon Christian and Deist alike tho dutv NJ
"s fo~t the Fathers business" in such
manner '!s the enlightened intelligence Of
oAches MIN that he can most effective
iy h's'uargc that duty
To the Christian bcljcycr h.,, =,
conception of that duty should be perfcc,
c'e"r' Gospel means good news and
mere are so many ways in which tho tn,
Chr'stian may convey a message OF hone and
'"cer 10 the poor who so often hear only
ABOUT the things which discourage The,
'here are the broken hca tcd-alas, tho l,,a
- luii or them-may not contribute IN
"''i 'heir anSuishcd hearts? inst kird,v
""ro ana the warm clasp OF n symnathc,ic
.''" mEnt DC as healing as the balm or
"iicad. TO preach delverancc IN tbo .,,
'iNeS the world is SO full OF cantivcs ,o
sun bound hand and foot by it's fcttcrs-i.
there not suggestion here To every f,hris
'l"h upon whom rests the Spirit of tho Lord
'hat ne might be helpful in freeing some
one or these captivcs? Not nv NIGH, nov
bS power but by My spirit. saith the Iord or
hosts Then there arc the blind who II
'hc hand of love were outstretcbcd In ,bon,
might he led I" the truth: the '.bruiscd"-
IN" broken and oppresscd-so comnIete,v
held down by misfortune and Injustice tbat
uhaidca they are unable to arise-is there NOT
way by which We might help these?
rms day is this scripture fulfilled in vour
ears-"to preach the acceptable year of the
Lord" VIZ N'e
~ is great opportunity for laymcn as
well as ministers-arc YOU dear reader aoinr
your part In looking after the Fathers bust
ncss? ""''