The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL
PUPILS STUDY
BOOK OF JOHN
This Weeks Lesson Gives
One Definite Idea
of Jesus.
The International Uniform Sunday
school lesson for Jan. 10. The Ministry
of John the Baptist. Luke 3: s-15.
BY VIM. E. GILROY. ID. d.
Editor OF The Congregationalist

Editor OF The COngregationaIist
The ministry of John the Baptist
is known to us chiefly through his
preaching, and perhaps this consti-
tutes something OF its contrast with
what VIC know OF the ministry of
Jesus It is true that we have in
the New Testament the record of
much OF the preaching of Jesus, or
perhaps We should more properly
say that much Of the New Tesla
ment record is concerned with his
preaching.
The gospel story, however, even
IN its/ brevity and incompleteness,
affords us a rather definite picture
of Jesus in the ministry of his daily
life and relationships. We see him
not only sitting on the hillside
preaching the wonderful Sermon on
the Mount to the little group OF
disciples who had followed him, and
not only in the telling of the richly
suggestive and beautiful parallels,
but also in the ministry to the needy
and distressed, to the troubled in
body and in spirit.
No doubt there was much of such
ministry in the brief period of john
the Baptist's public activity, but his
special place was as one preparing
the way for the Master, who, he
said, would be mightier than ne.
And this preparation came largely
through message of conviction o.
sin and a call to repentance.
Love and Righteousne~
1t might be said that both in its
individual and all its social asEs5te
religion proceeds from the lower to
the higher plane. Love begins in
righteousness, and when it departs
from Righteousness, it ceases to be
love, and needs to go back to the
place Of publication in righteous
ness, honor and truth.
The preaching of John has in it a
note that, for the most part, is not
emphasized in the preaching Of
Jesus, though it is great mistake
to think of Jesus as combining his
teaching to the appeal of love with
out any stern denunciation of sin or
injustice man with man. One need
only turn to the pronouncement Of
woes in the twenty third chapter of
st. Matthews Gospel to see how
sternly and even bitterly Jesus could
speak about human wrong. But in
the main, the teaching of Jesus
emphasized grace and mercy. There
was in it note of appeal to men
from the standpoint of a higher life
and higher love.
John evidently sensed the fact
that there was higher stage than
that of his own work and preaching.
In calling men to repentance he
indicated to them that repentance
was only beginning, that the one
who came after him would teach
them higher way and give them
strength to follow it. He spoke of
his own work as essentially a be-
ginning and preparation, which
the Master was to complete in the
refining power of his love and in the
rich influences of his presence.
Describes Baptism
His own baptism he described as
a baptism of water, but the bap-
tism that Christ was to give would
be baptism in the spirit Of holiness
and with fire. Fire was itself the
symbol Of refining and of power.
1t was the precious thing in the
ancient world that man took care
to preserve.
But no conception of the higher
glories of Christian living should
blind us in any way to the great
ness of the appeal of John. When
religion lacks in justice and consid-
Grafton for others, in plain ele-
mental honesty and in the simple
fundamental virtues, no element OF
ecstasy, no senblance of orthodoxy
in doctrine, and no profession OF
holiness in living, can save it from
being inherently unreal and sham.
The highest religion must be built
upon the most substantial founda-
ton IN right attitude and in right
living. The way of the Lord must
be prepared in every heart The
way of the Lord must be laid in
society, and there is only one way in
which that can be done-it is in
the way of repentance and of deep
concern for the realities Of truth
and righteousness.
The lesson of this all might well
be taken to ourselves today. We are
engaged in vast schemes of social
amelioration, while too often we
neglect the elemental virtues and
the chief virtue of honesty. We
talk, plan and spend for social well
fare. while we allow gangdom and
thuggery to thrive through political
corruption. Modern America needs
a Savior, but it likewise needs its
John the Baptist to prepare the
way.
nHAMf EOn IIHCMni OVEN