Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-12-28
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Friends and Foes of the King
dom Matthew 13:54-5S; 14:1-14;
15:29-31, for Sunday, Dec. 81
1899:
The selected passages from Matth.
ew make clear the division of men
into mt the two sides. There is no mid
v. 81. "And when he was come
into his own country, he taught
them in their synagogue, insomuch
as they were astonished, and said
Whence has this man this wisdom
and these mighty works. Regard
less of his cold reception on a for
aside his home town These home
folks were skeptical of him as seen
in the question asked. Such ques-
tions of doubt have a tendency to
direct the questioner away from
VS.. 55, Sc. us not this the car
penter's SON? Is not his mother
James and md Joses anu and n'S Simon. neslnae" and
Judas? And his sisters, are they
not all with us Whence then hath
this man all these things" In
stead of addressing Jesus by his
right name, they said this man. -
Respect and courtesy for others are
seen in the way people are address,
0u Aio qucSLlOu was SIODD1Sn.
Jesus said men should be judged by
their fruits, these people wanted to
judge by his ancestors, common
people. In the third question there
was the element of envy. Envy eats
the heart like an acid
v. 81. "And they were offended
in him. But Jesus said unto them.
prophet is not without honour
save IN his own country, and in his
own home Jesus was not disturb
ed by offenses He answered their
questions by a statement revealing
their character. Those who can not
rejoice in neighbor's superiority
when 1t is revealed put themselves
IN the class with the mean-spirited
men of Nazareth.
"; So. "And he did not many
mighty works these because of un-
belief The people of Nazareth
placed the barrier of unbeiief of
Christ doing mighty works he had
done elsewhere. Men need not COM
NIT crime to be foes of Christ: good
people who will not believe in
Christ are his foes.
wv. l. "And at that time. Herod
the tetrarch heard the fame of Je-
sus. and said unto his servants, This
is John the Baptist; he is risen
from the dead; and therefore nigh
ty works do show forth themselves
in him" The miracles of Jesus
were so genuine that even Herod
acknowledged them. even if his
home folks-good folks-did not
Herod was recognized by Christian
leaders as wicked man but his
conscience was verv active. Con-
science will not die and now and
then in the lives of wicked men it
VS.. 3, 4. For Herod had laid
hold on John, and bound him, and
put him in prison for Herodias'
sake, his brother Phillips wife. For
John said unto him, it is not lawful
for thee to have her" This much
of Herod's story is recorded here to
show how wicked this man was. In
this background of wickedness
shines the life Of that good man
who baptized Jesus and by his de-
nunciation of sin at the peril of his /
life immortalized himself.
V. 20. "And Jesus departed from
thence. and came nigh unto the Sea
of Galilee; and went up into a /
mountain, and sat down there" Je-
sus' going up on the mountain sug-
gests the plan we have to adopt in
that our faith must be tested by eff
forts to rise and walk on higher
levels.
V. 80. "And great multitudes
came unto him, having with them,