The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-02-21

E&&4ERXtUx mE#&& % ~ IN -
kMM II ish rulers by Ju-
das; for they COW
,nanted with him for thirty pieces OF
/ silver.
On a certain occasion Jesus silenced
His enemies, the Pharisees and Sad
1ucees by the question: "What think
ge of Christ?' That is, what is your
estimate of Him? At what do you ap-
praise Him? Is He worth nothing or
everything to your
One of the great saints of the church
said: "We do not value Him at all,
lnless we value Him above ALL" Meas
1red by this yardstick, what is your
MEASURE? What prospect have you Of
getting through In the face of Gods
declaration, THAT all men should
onor the Son, even as they honor the
Father. He that honoreth not the Son
1onoreth not the Father. He that hon.
oreth not the Son honoreth not the
Father which hath sent Him."
To set n price upon Christ is inevi-
able. PLATE vainly sought to evade
This responsibility, and for all we
know, is spending his eternity in futile
efforts to wash his hands of the blood
of the One of whose condemnation to
death he publicly declared himself in
nocent.
All the issues of our dealings with
Christ are fraught with eternal conse-
luences. Whether our attitude be one
Of mere neglect, COO Indifference, de-
we set a price on His head. And God
will hold every one who is accountable
and rational, responsible for their at
titude toward His Son. This Judas
discovered to his complete undoing
when he essayed to return the thirty
pieces of silver to the high priests.
Their reply to his remorseful confess
sion, 81 have betrayed the innocent
blood" was like a death knell to his
hope Of retrieving his fatal mistake
What is that to u. see thou to that"
1t is of more than passing interest
to note that His appraisers were the
highest representatives of His nation,
of its social and intellectual standards,
and of the greatest religious system OF
the day; viz, Judaism. Those who
should have esteemed Him most high.
ly seemed to value Him the least. But
this is no less than the Master ex
pected, for He warned His disciples
that a mans enemies shall be they OF
hfc nu,p hnuSnhn1A Navorfbn1nCo a
does not relieve the shock of finding
that your familiars and your bene.
ficiaries have lifted W. the heel against
you. This truly If the most unkind
cut of all. When julius Caesar recog-
nized Brutus, his one-time friend an6
companion. among his conspirators
and assassins, he felt the hurt Of his
stab more than the others and ex.
claimed "et II Brutusl" (And you
Brutusl) So Christ said, "Judas. be.
trayest thou the Son of Man with o
kiss"
By every rule of common gratitude
the Lords people, along with every in
stitution of the social order and of
learning, should set the highest price
on the head of Christ for He Is the
author and patron of every worth.
while benefit our modern civilization
has to bestow. If this is doubted, com.
pare the civilization of the Orient with
that of the Occident and just one per.
son accounts for the difference
Christ; and just n system of in1u.
ence is responsible for it-Christianity
How unspeakably unjust then was
this price, when viewed in the light OF
His service for mankind; and yet the
prevailing disposition is to underesti
mate the value Of Gods love an6
grace, of both which He is the perfect
embodiment. 1t no longer seems won
derful that God loves us, that Chris
died TO save as, and hat through His
death and resurrection all the treas
ures of His grace are opened for Oul
inheritance.
Dear reader, will you permit me II
ask a very personal question in clos
ing? At the beginning of this New
Year, what is your estimate of Christ
If you were faced with the actual al
tentative, Christ or the word with it,
pleasures and its preferments, which
would you choose? Many have pur
sued these will-o'-the-wisps only t,
lose all for their pains. The sad com
plant of Lord Bolingbroke to his kin
on his death bed should serve as
warning against this folly: "Oh, sir
If l had served my God as faithful.
as l have served lou, my king, l woul,
not now be dying in despair" TIL
things of this world at beg are onl,
temporal, and deceptive; only tn
things of Christ are satisfying an
eternal. Therefore, set your affection
on things above, yea on Christ VIII
stitch on the right hand Of God.