The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-01-26
Lesson for January 70. 1862

sOsy svss
Lesson for January 28, 1862
In ancient times. and among
primitive people to this day.
the name of a person was
closely connected with the per-
son himself. Actors and writer's
not to mention immigrants
with names that sound strange
to American ears-change their
names easily and think nothing
of it. But among the ancient He
brews. if a person changed his
name it was supposed to be
only if some radical change had
come over the man himself.
So when the Bible speaks Of
reverence for Gods name, .
what is chiefly in mind is not
a sound in the air or marks on
paper. but reverence for what
the name stands for God him
self.
Irreverence
Americans are VIGOROUSLY ir.
revernt. At least. such is our
reputation in Europe. and Ia
some extent we deserve it. Our
trouble is that it is a kind Of
tradition in this country that
everybody is as good as every
body else if not a little better
Reverence seems like kow-tow'
ing. groveling, being an "Uncle
Tom." boot-licking we have
| all sorts Of contemptuous words
for the attitude of humility. We
feel (even if we do not come
out and say sol that to be rev
erent is sissyfied. it's a sign Of
weakness, an admission of in.
ferlOrlty.
What we forget is that God is
not only not a man. He is inf
nitely higher than man. He is
in the presence Of another hui
man being may well be uncall
cd for and bemeaning (sic): but
reverence in the presence OIL
Almighty God is at the very
least - a simple honest admis
sion of the fact that the one
God is infinitly higher anc
holier than any of us or all o.
us together. To treat God light
ly. with indifference or con
tempt. is irreverence. in any
form. Profanity, dragging il
Gods sacred name eithr casu
ally or in anger, Is irreverence
Jesus on Irreverence
Our Lord never used thu
/ words "irreverence' or 'irrev
erent:;" but he spoke of certain
acts which he described or re
ferred to in way that leave.
us in no doubt what he wa.
driving at. He spoke Matt. S
about harmless" oaths Of tina
time swearing by heaven. Of
by Jerusalem, and condemned
them all. What good would al
oath do even if it were not ir
reverent? If a man cannot bt
trusted when he says Yes" Of
NO." putting him under oatl
will not make him more truth
full. tJesus himself did not re
fuse to testify when the Higl
Priest "adjured Him by the lv
ing God" That was a cas-
where refusal to speak at al
would have been considerably
worse than speaking out. Jesu.
poured a drop or two of scorl
on people who pray long pray
ers. even repeating themselve.
over and over. fancying tina
God approves our prayers &C
cording to their length. He ais,
warned against praying fol
show. You would hardly thinl
anybody would be 50 foolish a.
to pray in order to make a,
impression on anybody but Cox
and yet people will sometime:
pray in public and wonder, thel
or afterward. what So-and-S,
thought of your effort?
The Worst Offenders
The woyst offenders agains
reverence are sometimes relgi
GUS people. They are worse be
cause they should know better
Now there were people in Cali
lee who had no use for Jesus
and they did not treat him will
decent respect. Indeed. some O
them actually plotted his death
But they were open and above
board. or some of them were
Jesus raises a question with hi.
intimate friends who had such {
high regard for him that the,
called him Lord" But-said-
JeSus-'Why do you call m,
Lord. Lord. and do not do VIVA
I tell you?" luke 6:46). 70,
see it is not question of words
The word Lord" is a goot
word. it was no doubt used re
specially. but 1t was . hollow
word as some people used It
because they did not mean it
THE man who goes to churcl
and sings Jesus. I my eros,
have taken-" and drops int,
the collection plate only half O
what his Sunday dinner ic ~