The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-08-28
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared Especially for The Repub-
Gcan by Rev. u S. Wright, DID.

God is a spirit; and they that wor-
- ship Him must worship Him in
spirit and truth.-JOhn 4:24.
THE HURT OF GOD
90 Jerusalem, Jerusalem that kill
eth the prophets, and stoneth them
that are sent unto her! How often
would have gathered thy children
together, even as hen gathereth her
chickens under wings, and We would
not" Something of the passionate
love for this City of David may be
judged from this lament of its Lord
but its depth can not be fully guaged
until one realizes the dreams of the
Boy who lost himself there, the por-
ing over the city's stored past until
it filled his mind and caught his
imagination and became the symbol
of all the hopes of the Jew and of the
world. To the Jewish boy it was the
hottest spot in all the earth. To
Christ it was the nearest gate to the
Fathers House. He loved it with all
a mans strong passion and He turned
toward it in the beginning of his min
istry as naturally as a flower toward
the sun. For any one to mar the
hush Of its worship brought the in
dignant rush that overturned tables
and scattered the harpies in all direc-
tons. 1t was in its confines that He
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from the result of that nights con-
verse. He fingered in its neighbour
hood that He might accept its call
swiftly and bring His love message
to its heart. But no word came. The
Pharisee leaders were dumb. There
came a growing jealousy on the part
of Johns followers that could not be
stilled by him who had baptized the
new Prophet. Then John was shut
up in prison, would it be His turn
next? The Jerusalem door shut with
a bang in the face of its great Lover
and heart-sick He must turn away
from its gates. Defeated disillusion-
ed, disappointed, disheartened, with
His own soul crying blood over His
coming among His own things and
His own folk receiving Him not, He
was in no mood to face the Jews who
constantly travelled the road to the
capital. Like a wounded deer He fled
from the face of men who knew Him
into the deepest distance He could
find and took the path to Samaria
Hurt hearts, defeated failing folk
find Him an understanding comrade
He was tested in all points as we and
suffered being tested. John says,
she must needs pass thru Samaria."
The compulson was in His own
spirit but there was guidance also.
The Father knew the need of His
Boy. The leading may be thru cir
cumstances, it may seem to have been
wholly the work of our own choice,
but Somebody is planning for our
way and the needs of our lives. And
there was "meat to eat that they
knew not of waiting for Jesus in
His journey in which the heart was
as weary as the body and it is be-
cause of this that the record says,
"Jesus returned in the power of the
Spirit into Galilee." Samaria rein
vigorated the discouraged Jew, With
soul singing over the Fathers pro-
vision, with faith restored in the res
ponsiveness of people, He faced Gal
lice hopeful and strong.
OPENING A WELL.
Sitting beside the centuries old
we'll where had drunk countless men
of His ancestry Jesus was deep in
thought when a woman came with
her water jar. She was an outcast
also and sympathy surged up under
His WEAKNESS as He lost His own
pain in wondering how He might help
hers. Yet she was to be blamed while
He was not but He would give all His
skill to her help. 1t would be hard
digging but Jesus never hesitated
over that nor over beginning the job
He spoke to her, frankly, courteously,
with never a culver of suggestion
that they did not at this old well at
which she was seeking water stand
upon exactly the same level. They
were simply travellers, both of them,
both thirsty, and could sweep aside
the ordinary rules of the world they
had both left behind. 1t was a new
day and they would start it together.
So the first barrier was gone thru
and they were talking to one another
Immediately another rock must be re-
moved and that was race difference.
He was a Jew and she a Samaritan.
He lifted it out of the way by the
appeal of need, for need knows no
race lines. DR.. Stidger tells in Adven-
lures in Humanity of baby dying
for lack of nourishment whose father
appealed to mothers to share a bit
from their own babies for his and
Catholic and Protestant, black and
white, rich and poor, chaste and fall