Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-01


Hic way to Jarusalem, wither He
went with the full knowledge that
to go there meant the suffering and
shame of the cross, He passed
throgh the borders of Samaria and
Galilee. His coming had been her
aided by the seventy who had gone
before Him; so there met Him
amongst others q group of tine lep-
ers. Standing afar off they cried to
Him, Jesus, master, pity u.s." Poor
miserable creatures they were; out
casts from home and society, suf-
ferers, married by disease, weak help
less and hopeless! Suffering makes
bedfellows, for although the Jews
had on dealings with the Samaritans,
at least one of this company was of
that hated race. This was their
only chance, their one hope-that
Jesus might have pity on them.
Such hope is never misplaced. It
was just a moment that they had
to wait until He caught their words.
Then His word of command was
given: go, show yourselves. unto
the priests" That was all, no com
mand to heal, no touch, no promise
of cure, just a command to go. The
priests must pronounce one whole
before he could be restored to home
and society. They had faith enough
in Jesus to believe that by the time
that they reached the priests that
they would be healed. 1t was faith
greater than mustard that they
had. Do you think that you would
have shown as much even with all
that you now know about Jesus?
Do you show it in your life today?
This is the record of them: "As
they went, they were cleansed." No
cleansing came until their faith
showed itself by their works. They
might have believed that they would
be cleansed when they reached the
priests, but if they had stayed where
they were that faith would not have
done anything for them. 1t was
faith in action that was effective. A
great many people today believe that
Jesus Christ can save them from
their sins, but they are not saved
until they put all their trust actu-
ally in Him depending upon Him
entirely and not in themselves at
all. A great many Christians be-
lieve that Jesus Christ can give
them power to overcome sin in their
lives, their habits, their tempers,
their apetites, etc.-but they are
living defeate dives still because
they are depending on their own
strengt htoove rcome these instead
of saying to Jesus. Lord I cannot
do it myself; I am helpless, I have
tried SO often and failed. I am now
depending on you entirely. Do for
me, what cannot do for myself -
When faith is put INTO action in
this way, victory over your sin is
assured.
Well, these ten 1epers had the
right kind of faith-oE a, better
quality and the quantity than the
majority of Christians show today;
but nine of them became stumbling
blocks because with that marvellous
faith even, they lacked gratitude.
Only one of them came back to say,
Thank you, Jesus; that one was
the one from whom we would have
least expected it; he was the Samar.
itan! Tire ingratitude of the other
nine surprised and shocked and
grieved Jesus.
Do you ever say, "Thank you," tc
Him for all His marvellous gifts tc
you? Do you say thank you fol
good air and water and shelter, and
food, and work, and friends, anG
surroundings? Do you ever say
Thank you" for the pain and the
Eshame that He endured when those
nails pierced His hands and the
thorns dug into His brow? Do you
ever say THANK you" just fol
| Himself? Take heed to yourself in
this matter lest you become an
occasion Of stumbling.
Spiritual Blindness
One other occasion of stumbling
is given by Luke in this connec-
tion-spiritual blindness, the inabi.
lty to see the things that are hap
pening right about you in their re-
! lationship to the most important
thing in the world, the Kingdom OF
God. The Pharisees exhibited it
then, and the disciples have ex-
hibited it since-some are doing it
today, possibly some who are read
| ing these words.
The Pharisees asked Jesus when
| the Kingdom of God should come
! He replied, '"The Kingdom of God
cometh not with observation
word is an astronomical term and re-
fers to the careful watching of the
| astronomers. The Kingdom of Goo
cometh not as you hope by careful
''to catch sight of it" (as Moffett
! translates .it). 1.-The Kingdom Of
! God is within you that is, 'in your
midst" Some have thought that
Jesus was telling them that the
Kingdom of God was an unseen
kingdom in their hearts. But think
a moment to whom He was speak
ing. Would He have said such TIC
these law-stickling, unbelieveing,
hypocritical Christ-rejec Phari
sees? OF course not, that He die
say to them was that the Kingdom
of God was in their midst in the
Person and Presence of the King
Himself and they were so spiritually
| blind that they did not see it. The
| Greek word is "Entos''-in the
midst. The kingdom was already
there in the midst, and they were
asking when it would come.
Then Jesus turned from the Phar
isees to His disciples and told then
that the time would come when they
would desire to see one of the days
of the Son of Man and they CoulC
not see it. He, the King, would &C
away; the privileges that they were
now enjoying would not be then
and they would long for His persona
presence but could not have it. There
would be those who would say, 10
there is the kingdom, and 10, here