The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-21
The Nativity

ruled Dy Rome III luoSo uo' whisper of the emperor was sufficiently nowerful to secure the carrying out of his orders and decrees even in the re- motest corners of the civilized world. This census was carried out so far as Judea was concerned. by the people go- ing to the town where the family orlsi' nally belonged. Who knows but that if Augustus Ceaser had not issued thls decree Jesus would have been born at Nazareth, and the prophecies that ne should be born at Bethlehem would not have been fulfilled.
 His Boyhood It is significant that there are so few of the incidents and events of the early life of Christ told in his biography.
 The first to worship him were the shepherds. They brought him the things peculiar to their vocation, mllK' cheese, wool and a lamb.
 Next came the wise men. Dr. Henry Van Dyke says they came from Ecoa- , tana. They came to bow down before king. They found, according to their wisdom, nursing babe, hidden within stable. These wise men brought gold which this king was to tread under foot. They brought frankincense. Ihls was not to relieve the stinch of the stable. They brought myrrh this press, aged the time when Nicodemus would send his servants with a hundred pounds of spices early on the Saturday morning after the crucifixion.
 His Baptism
 The baptism of Jesus is like others superficially, but is justified in other ways. We went to John that the pro phesy of the forerunner might be full filled.
 The Temptation
 The young carpenter came to be baptised. The designated Messiah went directly to the desert. This temptation was not only to use his miracles to supply his own physical needs, but to put his entire ministry and mission on the lower material plane. But he came not as patron of physical thrift; nor to teach invention, nor to multiply har- vests, nor to cover the world with ln- dustry and wealth, nor even to cause villages to grow into cities, but rather to establish his kingdom on earth.
 The First Disciples
 The beginning of Christianity his- torically, commenced with John the Baptist. Two of Johns followers, An drew and John were the first to follow the real Master. Andrew brought his brother, Simon. John brought his brother, James. Next came Philip. Then there was Nathaniel. These were the first six.
 The First Miracle
 The beginning of Christ's miracles in changing the water into wine was in full harmony with the whole character of his life and spirit of his mission. Christianity is the religon of common life, religion for the market places, for the dinner table, for funerals, for weddings-not merely a religion to be found in churches and on Sundays.
 He CleanseS the Temple
 Here was an issue. On the one hand were Christ's ideals, on the other was the entrenched power of the Jewish waxed hotter and hotter. It was in- tensified by the Masters overt act in cleansing the temple. It became so fierce that these same rulers, three years af- terward, succeeded in putting him to death.
 NicOdemus
 Here was the fellow who had been shaken by the stories of the miracles miracles by the very man who had chal- lenged the group to which Nicodemus belonged. Nicodemus was very like folks. He wondered whether he could afford to be known as disciple of Jesus. Perhaps it was this, and maybe for other reasons besides. that impelled him to go under the cloak of night and privately say that he believed that Jesus was sent by Jehovah.
 The Samaratin Woman
 The Jews and Samaratins despised each other. To the Jews, the Sanara tins were faithless traitors. They were little better, if any, than the Gentiles, because they would not worship at Jerusalem. This was provincilism.
 Both the Jews and Samaratins were provincials. They knew not democracy. Democracy is not natural; it is ac- quired. Primitive man could not grasp it. The ancient forefathers of each race on earth had their kings and their casts. The natural state of mankind is conflict and class hate. The only remedy for this is intelligence. The development of team play, and co-opera- tion. Getting together has to be learned
 He Heals a NObleman's Son
 It must have been interesting news to the neighbors and fellowtownsmen of Christ when they heard that he was back in the community of Galilee. All sorts of theories, conjectures and argu- ments were set afloat about whether he was, in fact, a prohpet; much more, whether he was the Messiah for whom ] the Jews had been waiting two thousand years.
 But there was one man who cared little for small town gossip. This of ficial of the Roman government, in the province, was greatly interested in the fact that the Master was near. This man lived at Capernaum, 9 miles from Cana. It was uphill most of the way from his coast town to the village on the highlands. It was late in the afternoon when he heard the news. Immediately he set out and rode all night. In the morning when he found the Master he asked him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son who was desperately III. '1 know if you will come, he will live"
 Driven From Nazareth
 It was an epoch aking day when the Master returned to his native village. He well knew what was in the minds of his former fellowtowns people He knows that they are still dreaming of an earthly Messiah, an armed king, a second David, a warrior who would shed the blood of thousands, who would rebuild the palaces of Solomon and the temple, to inaugurate and set up an earthly kindom. He knows he cannot give them what they seek. His king dom is not of this earh. He will be able to offer only little bread, all his own blood, and all his love.
 His Missionary Tour
 Here IS reached the chapter in the great biography which makes very defi- nite and very real, a thing which has always been hampered and hedged about