Evening star., 1922-10-14
Sunday School Lesson

s, and control of society and political IN
He called them the offspring Of vi
pers, because they were protesting re-
| pentance when they had not changed
.neie NE. He denounced their depend
ahce upon ancestors for salvation. Thel
We're doomed unless they reveal by
practical social service the genuineness
OF .neir conversation. He pointed out
70 .nose who wished to know what they
haoaa Snoa,a 90 mat they must live lives or
| ana contentment. John revealed by his
demands that selfshness was the roo;
OF SIN. Spiritual life he held proves t.
sen py social service. The performance
I ton.
| The call that comes today to meet
! the conditions in Russia and the near
east VIII be answered by the spiritual
man, VINO recognizes that the elimi-
nation or self1shness would remove
the problems OF poverty In the world
To-Day. We have only fragments Of
the program Of the Baptist, but he
! showed sympathy with the poor ami
presented a positive program thar
called upon the grating publican 20
cease collecting more taxes than was
due. He took from the soldiers every
incentive to enter the army when be
told them to cease committing violence
and taking anything wrongfully by
pay. He moved them to change their
evil ways by pointing out that "thr
Kingdom of heaven is at hand" Per
haps John did not recognize the place
that his demand for righteousness Of
life was to play in preparing the WAY
FOR the Kingdom of righteousness that
Jesus was to establish, but the fact
remains that the spirituality, the uni
versatility and the democracy of tho
kingdom of God were in germ in thai
r nS nd ifS
cation to human governments laid
the firm foundations of free iustitu-
tions.
John revealed his power as al preach
er in bringing men to a decision So
they confessed their sins and were
baptized. His popularity was 50 great
that men. impressed with il. com
menced to question among themselves
II he were not the Messiah. Luke :
use of answered" shows that the
people were thinking of him as the
Coming One. He considered that
silence at that hour meant treason,
so he modesIy denied that he was
the Messiah. eXcla inning that He
would be mightier because He would
baptize with the Holy SpirI'
John was not only pathbuilder for
the Coming One. but he discovered
His presence when Jesus applied for
baptism. When the prophet met, face
10 Idce, the greatest personality pf
history. he was perplexed. He saw
in that remarkable face of the Mas
ter. purity. peace and power that
made John desire 20 be baptized by
The Lord Jesus. 1t was only upon
the persuasion of Christ. who. while
He had no sins to confess, wished 10
Identify Himself with the spiritual
movement that John had inaugurated
that the prophet baptized Him. The
solidarity of the race was illustrated
by the Masters act when He gave His
approval OF His heralds work by be
ing baptized. Luke mentions tn"
spiritual earnestness of Jesus, who
prayed al His baptism. John saw the
vision of the open heaven and the
coming OF the Holy Spirit upon Christ
in the form of dove He heard the
voice of God. that sounded like thun-
der. saying TO him. according to Mat
thew, This is My Beloved Son"
Jesus received approval also for His
work. All doubt was removed from
John concerning the Christ. Jesus
was confirmed in His program and
purpose. John showed real greatness
when he humbled himself in hIs ef-
forts to eaalt the Christ. We ought
to follow his example