The Republican., 1924-09-18
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1924.
JESUS MAKES A MISSION
AIRY TOUR,

4:31; SIG.
Thou canst make me clean.-Mark 1 :16.
THE UNDEFEATABLE.
''It's easy to laugh when the skies
are blue
And the sun is shining bright;
Yes, easy to laugh when your friends
are true
And there's happiness in sight;
But when hope is fled and the skies
are gray,
And the friends of the past have
turned away,
All, then, indeed it's hero's feat
To conJure up smile in the face of
defeat"
Whoever wrote these lines knew
something of life's hard places and
expressed truth that applies strik-
ingly to Jesus. For He was one of
the undefeatables. He had failed in
Jerusalem and with the comfort of
Samaria in His heart had gone into
Galllee with hopes torch newly light
ed only to be cast out from that loved
spot where Mary dwelt and neighbors
lived. Driven out with ieers and
stones and mob rule-what desperate
greetings this Man had faced in His
attempts to follow the shining path
OF obedience to the Jordan call and
vision! Most men would have de-
cided that the voice had been moth
ing but the signing OF the wind or
the vagary of his own mind, but His
soul still heard the bugles blow and
dared no turning back If driven
from one city He would enter an
other, so Capernaum became the
headquarters for another attempt.
And it was no tentative feeling of His
way but the bold summons to others
TO walk with Him. Think of the au-
dacity of such an act. After being
denied in every attempt He called
Peter, James, John and Andrew to
leave a profitable business and be-
come followers Of Him. Or was there
whimsical smile on His face when
He said "Come We after Me and |
will make you fishers of men?" And
He caught them. Perhaps in that lay
the cheer of this new venture in evan
gelism that carried them thruout
Galilee That He knew their business
better than they themselves and
could teach them things they did not
understand appears to have been the
particular point of contact that de-
cided them to leave their old business
for an untried one. Surprising thing
He came out Of defeat with four
staunch followers and where He had
walked alone before there was now
company. Jesus can never be de-
feated nor can any man who links his
life with His.
THE TEST OF SUCCESS.
Sabbath stiffness settled over the
town and into the synagogue that
may have been built by the Roman
centurion, Jesus came with His will
ingness to speak that new God-spell-
ing, Father, that had made it the only
gospel of good news for all the world
That twas bornof experience andnOt
of books gave it welcome tone of
authority and it was reinforced by
the stilling of demonized man and
sending him out of their midst sane
and praiseful so that they marvelled
over that day and were all amazed
and questioned. Mental quickening is
a good result of any sermon, but if it
goes no farther than an interroga-
tion, it must take the road again. At
terward in the home of Andrew and
Peter, Jesus found sickness and
wrought its cure. When the sun had
closed the day and burdens might be
carried there was the crowding to the
door of many who could walk to the
place and more who had to he brought
by their friends an1 the compassion
Of Jesus swept Him .nto their midst.
Disease fled before His coming and
health followed His footsteps. 1t was
a never-to-be-forgotten Sabbath and
the whole city was stirred by the re-
ports Of what had been done by this
NOALCSt III IlSdlGI. Jesus walked INTO
the heart Of Capernaum that day and
never passed out of it, for it well
coined Him even when His face was
set toward the Cross. When morn
ing dawned He was the most talked
Of Person in town and the crowds be-
gan to press about the door as they
pad done on the preceding evening,
but there was no response, and when
Peter opened His door no one was
there. Swift feet carried the search
ers outside the city to find Jesus with
the dew still upon the grass serene
and confident, tho bearing the marks
Of struggle on His face 1t had been
the fierce return Of that earlier temp
tation. He had to determine what He
would do with this success. Should
He give Himself to being a wonder
worker or should He be a messenger.
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