The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-06-10

with glad hears on the return
| journey, of their Overtaking and
arrangement by JoSeph's steward,
of the finding of the cup in Ben
jamin's sack. of the utter con-
Sternation and bewilderment Of
the company, of their immediate
return to the palace, and OF fac
ing their royal accuSerl What
must have been their anguish of
soul, Yet is not gold tried by
/ the fire? And where else can
Self-Sacrifice shine except in some
furnace of affliction?
A sublime brotherhnesS was
shown. And now PROSTATE Judah
exhibits Il character which his
royal brother had not seen before.
He who suggested the sale of
Joseph TO the lShmacliteS has
grown i'm heart since that regret
table day. Here he falls and
pleads for Benjamin who, for all
he knew, was guilty of the appar-
cnt crime laid against him. Judah
and the others could, when over
taken. have slain Benjamin for
theft or deserted him TO his fate
| in Egypt. On the contrary, see
how they came back, an unbrOken
! circle TO face their offended lord.
See the humility, the helpleSsnesS,
1 the confession or thai old inquiry
that had long haunted them. Hear
Sobbing Judah, standing honestly
by his agreement and standing un-
selfiShly by Benjamin, make his
plea for his aged father, for his
youngest brother, for his other
brethren, offering himself as
Eondman in their stead. What
pathoS there was in his interceS-
sion: and yet it was iuter-pene-
yrated with brothliness like dark
room shot through with shafts of
light.
4 sublime efficiency was at
tanned. Is Self-Sacrifice without
effect? Can the ministry of in
tercession be unavailing? Follow
the story a little further. In a
moment Joseph'S heart burst with
compassion for his breathren. He
now knew that the stony hearts
which sent him into Servitude had
been changed. He had heard of
| mis- fathers uncGaSing sorrow for
him during these years. He saw
before him his own mothers son,
conscious of innocence but rent
with anguish under the charge OF
crime. He felt upon his heart
strings the hot ycarning of penlt--
ent and pleading Supphants And
the sacrificial offer of Judah stir
red his soul to it's depths until
calm could come alone in self-re-
violation and reconciliation.
\ sublime virtue was display
ed. Review this stirring incident
and see if Self-sacrifice is not the
output and flower of many other
virtues. 1t is not a cod, isolated,
calculating trait; it must be fos-
tered and propelled by other prac-
as. So we find the former faults
and vices of Judah vanish in the
presence of this royal deed.
Think of his honesty and fair
dealing; of his loyalty to his word
TO Jacob i'm Canaan, to the stew
ard by the waySide, and to Joseph
in the palace; Of the transparency
that welcomed examination; and
the restitution spirit which cal1l-
ed him back to reckon with his
royal accuSer; of his confession
of past inquiry; of his humility,
and love. and patience, and the
evident faith that somehow all
would turn out for the best. How
| far he had travelled on the better
road since the sale of Joseph at
Dothan! Nor can any one scale
the summit of Self-abnegation eX-
ccpt by the approaching foothills
of contributing graceS.
A sublime example was fore
cast. We are moved by the story
of Judah'S Sacrificial spirit. Yet
! it was but Il finger-board point
ling onward to the infinitely great
er self-Sacrifice of him who gave
Ibis life a ransom for many Did
he not love us with love more
tender than that of Judah for
BENJAMIN? Did the willing bond
man at Joseph'S feet suffer angu-
ish comparable to that borne by
Jesus who endured the cross,
dies piSing he shame" Could
Judah be more successful in his
plea than our Advocate with the
| Father, Jesus Christ the righte-
ous?" And through him we can
secure riches surprising the gran
aries of Egypt and enter "a better
country" than the fertile valley
of the Nile.
4 sublime possibility beckons
upward today. Not Judah nor
the Goldman at the Place of the
Skull must be the only ones to
display the courage and herolsm
of self-sacrifice. The humble be-
Iliever in the humblest walk of life,
unknown and unhearlded, dweller
lin a narrow circle and destined
for a grave unmarked, can yet eX-
Ihibit this royal trait which will
outshine the stars and outlast the
ages. The little things of life
the daily pinpricks endured, the
smoothing of the choppy waves OF
fret and passion, the gentle eye
and smile of love and tear OF
sympathy, the turn of the hand to
the thousand tiny acts OF kind
ness one never thinks of recalling
the thoughtful foot alert and
Jealous on the unannounced ana
unrecorded errand of mercy, the
steady heartbeat of helpfulness
unflagging and unboasting-these
are the things which pave the
way for the browning virtue IN
! every life. Once in a while, in