The Republican., 1924-12-11

recognition. It may have been in
February that the chance arrived.
And it came through that home of
many loves in Bethasy where Laza-
rus, the lone boy, doubly dear to the
older girls, mother and sisters in one,
was taken suddenly sick. Under the
increasing illness they hurried mes
senger to Jesus with no appeal other
than the word of love that judged His
action from their own eager willing
ness to serve. But before He reached
the Master, Lazarus was still and the
hurried preparation for the burial,
which would be upon the same day,
was well under way.
! With that strange prescience that
4, was His, Jesus sensed the situation in
spite of the cheering message with
which the messenger returned, saying
that the sickness was not unto death
but to the glory of God. Then there
came the great tug at the heart of
! our Lord to rush Immediately to the
home where He alone was able to
bring joy. 1t was this pull that
echoes in the statement, 81 am glad
for your sakes that l was not there"
for He felt Himself unable to refuse
to act if He were nearer, so great is
His desire to relieve those He calls
friends. But their real need was to
know the certainty of deaths limita-
tions and have the witness of abiding
immortality. At the same time He
would offer Jerusalem the gift of life,
it might be that this would be accep-
ted. And it was by the great throng
that welcomed Him in spite of the
rulers declaration of death against
Him. So for two days He tarried
with feet itching to take the road,
refusing His desire, that a better
gift might be given. Some one has
written a great truth in the words:
"He asked for strength that he might
! achieve; he was made weak that he
might obey. He asked for health
that he might do greater things; ne
was given infrmity that he might do
better things. He asked for riches
that he might be happy; he was given
poverty that he might be wise. He
asked for power that he might have
the praise of men;he was given weak
ness that he might feel the need Of
God. He asked for all things that he
might enjoy life; he was given Life
that he might enjoy all things. He
had received nothing that he asked
for, but all that he hoped for. His
prayer is answered. He is most
hIest."
THE WISE CHRIST.
The fourth day brought even the
most pessimistic disciple into the per-
ilous reach of the stones and the news
of their coming filtered into the COM
pany at Bethany and reached the ear
Of Martha, who hastened to meet him.
1t was a sad hour Of utter hopeless
ness and of vain regret that must in
some fashion be lifted from the mind
Of the volcanic Martha. "Your broth
er shall rise again." was the repeti-
ton of common phrase that had al
ready dinned Martha's ears during
the heartbreakinng days are brought
no relief with it's Ss--off promise,
yet it was the step over which Jesus
walked in the soul-stirring, mind
! awakening statement, "The resurrec-
ton is already here in Me and he that
believes in Me tho he shall have died
shall live. Do you believe it," And
the surprising thing is that the eyes
of Martha's mind no longer saw the
face of her brother, dead, but the
face of life in Jesus. Her phrase holds
nothing but her Lord and was seeing
dimly the STRINGS of a new idea to
which her feet responded as she hur-
ried to bring the solece to her sis
ter. And later beside the grave it
was to her stirred mind that Jesus
continued His appeal until at her or
der or as likely at the touch of her
hands the stone was rolled back for
whatever Jesus intended to do. Small
wonder that her word was "The
| Teacher has come"
THE SYMPATHETIC CHRIST.
1t is an entirely different scene that
Mary brings into view as she meets
this Friend of all of them, for with
utter abandon and shaking sobs she
filings herself upon the grass and
clasps the feet that have carried Je-
sus to her. Her first word is that
which Martha had spoken except the
order places the emphasis upon her.
self, that upon me" could have fall
len such a tragedy. He groaned in
spirit and was troubled has about as
many explanations as there are in
terpreters for the word holds the
meaning of blame or chiding of al
| most indignant remonStrance; may it