The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-04-10
.tenness in Society"
Aused by This Failure,
Pastor Declares.
DENIED BY MASSES
Palm 8 unday Challenge to
Follow Him, Rev. Hayes
Insists. ,r
NJ REV. n. BENNINGTON HAYES,
ID. D..
Pastsr % %. MARKS Lutheran
CAufeh.

Palm Sunday very properly in
treduess the, Passion Week. 1t was
ettlnx that there be . little trium-
plant praise and Joy ere the days
% suffering and tragedy began.
christ's life was nearly over. The
clouds were gathering fast into
which the sun OF righteousness
was to be plunged. II the triumph
Of . monarch was to be given him
on earth it must be soon. So II
Wa nttinE that the opening day
OF the week should be q day Of
brightness and Joy. And as today
we commemorate that event we
may think briefly Of the King and
His subjects.
Il was = King who entered the
city OF Jerusalem in triumph on
that early spring morning, who
had come In human form for that
very purpose. When PLATE asked
Him, art thou q King, them" He
replied. For this end was l born"
But how few recognized Him. The
wise men had to search long.
Herod never saw Him. To the
liEious teacher. more or less dan
Serious. but without power. His
gentle claims of-Kingship were
ignored. He refused to use force.
the most Kingly quality Of that
day and many a day since.
Crowd Rejects Jesus.
What happened then happens
now. Jesus is presented as the
worlds King and the crowd rejects
Him. Multitudes see the saintli-
ness of Jesus but cannot see His
kingship. To the majority He is
a historic character and a great
Teacher but without signs or power
Of . ruler. His laws are disIe-
Earded and His principles set at
nAught. In every kingdom of life
He IL dened. He is admitted as a
saint, . leader, an exemplary char
seter, but His Kingship is incred-
ible,
Now, It is the claim and teach
ing Of Christianity that Jesus is
King, the King above all other
kings, the King not only in gov
eminent but in every department
and relationship of life, not only
our religious life but our social
life, our recreational life. our busI-
ness, our social, our political life,
our national and our international
life. And here is where the church
must make its message clear.
Palm Sunday Is good time to
throw to the world anew the chal-
lsnEs Of Jesus right to rule. Here
we charge the world with its one
gross mistake that accounts for
Its failures in SO many directions.
Many individuals are loyal to
Him. they both reverence and obey
Him. They say, Thou art King"
But society does not say this and
that accounts for so much rotten
ness in society. Business and poll
tics and industry does not say this.
And so these fields of human en-
deavor are so full of unsolved
problems that are always threaten
ing the downfall of civilization.
cities (even our own city, and ma
lions do not say this. And that is
why the world is so confused and
miserable.
Come to Be worlds King.
But this is the charge and the
challenge Of Palm Sunday. To
Him was given the nations of the
earth for His inheritance, and
though the kings OF the earth fol-
low their own ways and the rulers
take council together against Him.
He did not come into the world
to give advice merely. He came to
become the worlds King. 1t was
the claim to Kingship that caused
CONSERVATION in the first century
and the same thing awakers re-
sentiment today. The rulers OF
finance and industry and social re-
forms and diplomacy want to work
their own sweet will. They have
no quarrel with Jesus. the saint.
the healer, the beautiful teacher
But they resist the interference of
the King. But the world will never
run right by haphaZard methods.
II cannot run itself. Neither will
Il be run right by 10000 faulty,
selfish. graspinE individualistic
views. There must be a master
mind. To all the plans and
schemes and efforts to make the
world behave that have been tried
and failed. we say. why not try to
let Him direct them to whom the
world belongs and whose is the
sole right to rule.
Must Have Subjects.
But a king must have subjects.
There are three characteristics of
those who. are going to admit and
submit to His Kingship. First,
they are called. And that means
you. Through his eternal Word
and by untold messengers He Is
calling for you and me.
But q second and necessary
quality OF his subjects, chosen"
we do the choosing. He carries
OF no subjects by force. IF you
love me keep my commandments"
There you have il. Faith, love, obe-
dlence, confession. Are you chosen!
Honor the kingdom, serve the
King, be loyal, be devoted, be sery-
iceaole, be jealous. Make every
day Palm Sunday. Let every
event of life be palm branch
waving in His honor.
NH ns-Il TTs