The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-13
Sunday School
Lesson
BY WILLIAM E. GyLROY. d.

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The ministry of Jesus began
where all ministries ought to be-
gin-with himself. That is the first
fact. No man is fitted or worthy
to minister, who has not first
found the preparation and fulfilled
the conditions in. his own soul.
For Jesus this meant first of all
fulfilment of the outward rite of
baptism. 1t was a part of His hum
bling Himself, an d identifying
Himself with His fellowmen. He
was to save men by sharing their
human life, and not by standing
apart from men, even from sinful
men. John the Baptist felt the in
congruity Of baptizing one greater
than himself, II have need to be
baptized of Thee, and contest Thou
to me?' But the ministry of priests
and prophets is greater than them
selves. John was the instrument
of a public act, identifying Jesus
with the sincere and repentant
souls seeking baptism as an act
of public confession and consecra-
ton. In the case of Jesus it was
the first step in the beginning Of
His public ministry
The next step was less public,
but no less identifying the Mas
ter with man. Temptation is lone
and Individual thing, whether it be
in the desert, or in the crowded
city. It is the battle in the soul
that every man must fight for him
self. But no man is fitted to min
lister who does not know its mean
ing, or who has not conquered.
The three-fold temptation was a
part Of the preparation of Jesus.
AS the author of Hebrews tells us,
He was Gin all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sim Gle
brews 4:15), and sin that He Him.
self hath suffered being tempted,
He is able to- succor them that
are tempted"
Following the initiation of bap-
tism, and the testing Of tempta-
ton, Jesus began His public min
istry where all true ministries
sough to begin-at home. He re-
turned to Galilee, and shortly to
His own home town Of Nazareth.
His fame spread throughout t h
whole region, and His townsmen
marvelled at His words. rs not
this the carpenters son?'' they
asked in wonderment. But wonder
ment turned to derision, and an
ger, and violence, when He de-
clared that the democratic reali-
ties of religion that the Prophet
Isaiah had declared were being
fulfilled in Himself. These fellow
townsnen led Him to the brow OF
hill, and would have cast Him
down, if He had not escaped from
their midst.
Here was the first in the sad
prosecutions and betrayals that He
was to endure; and the instabili-
ty and bias Of these Nazarenes
was to be repeated later by the
throngs in Jerusalem, who hailed
tllC clltly VI JcSuS Will I1OSdIludS,
only few days later to be crying,
Cruelty Him"
But if the throng, even in His
own town, failed Him, there were
nobler souls who responded to His
teaching and call. Some Of these,
too, were among His neighbors
and friends - Ga1ilean fishermen,
whom He called from their nets
to become fishers of men. And
these were to carry on the work,
and perpetuate the ministry of
Jesus on earth. 1t is to them that
we owe our knowledge of Him,
and Of His teaching, and through
them have come the blessings of
salvation, and the ministry Of the
Christian Church.
But every age needs its helpers
and workers to carry on that min
istry. Who will respond to the call
of Jesus, and be his disciples to-
day?