The Ohio Independent Baptist, January 1955

I a \ll" PER UME POlJRED OUT 111 ~1:1 \ l ,llHJltl'r 11 . ,\ l' tlltl\'l' ill t H l l : l t l l It l, J l 11 (> t'(' () f 1 l' l' l l \ t' Ill l () l 1" illt \ l ,t , ·. l 'lll'ts1 \\ a, \ •t'l \ liltlS(' t O • • ( .ll \ ell' \ lll ,,· Hlltl t llt' }1 en1 t, l) r • 111a 11,· ,, l~l't' l1t\ i 11 !..! rt'\"t\:1 l t'l 1. \, · (' st'\\ 111 1111, Jl,1rtit·t1lar , t't'll<' thl' l'l'Hft ) 1 ·1,,,t, a11<l tilt' , 1. rtllt',. ,, itl1 l1ntrl'l l I) lilitl!!' 111 tl1e11· l lt'cl t'1, \\ l' SP(' ,,. 'f•t 7\lar\" t>f I et llc\11 , ,, itl1 )1 (• 1· • • llP<lrt l1rt)l,;.t'll lil,e a11 cll,tlln~tt'r ll <l f< r l1r1,t l lPrt' ,1l,ll ,, n, "( 1 lfisl1 . l~r tll, t'll. criti eiz i11g .J t1<.ln~ ll <'rr~ tlO. ' ' l'l'l' l) t)Ol'. ,,t .. ,ll~. fePl >lt. 111i~– lt><.l tli, ei1,ll~~- ..\11ll i11 tl1t' 111illst ,f. t lll'lll <l l I ,, ,l~ t 11 ' J)erf <.'l't 8,1, - . })ll l'. 1 .. l .. t 11, 1 t) l" fi rst of ,111 al tl1e 1·r – Jit:io11~ 11olitiri,l11 . ,,·110 ,,·er e 110,,· 011t f01· lllootl. )J arl\ tell. 11s tl1P,.. • ,Yere 1 l,11111i110· 1>,. eraft to tc1l,e t"" ._ I I i111: ,111tl if c111~,. 1)1·oof i~· 11Pecl r d t l1at tl1e l111111c111 l1eart i. 1111 ·lea11, ·ertai11l,· l1er e it i._ . Tl1r faet tl1at • 111e11 ta11 l1ate ({ocl. tl1at 111e11 ea11 (les1i,e 1 l11·i t. the faet tl1c1t (}ocl 1I i111. elf l1a e11e111ie. . 1·e, ·c,1l. the ti 1)1·a·r·it)'" of J111n1c111 11at11re. Tl1e. e 11,.e11 ,,·a11tell to he rid of .J e. tl. ; 0111,.. tl1e 1111 ·lea11 co11lcl ,,·i ·h it . o. ~ 111)~ the 1111clea11 ,,·011ld Ol)PO P I I i111 a11d atte1n1)t to get Ili111 ot1t of the "Ta~·. in orde1 .. to l(ee1) 011 bei11g· a 1111clea11 a tl1e, · l1ad lJee11 ' i11 the 11a. t. Tl1e 1111re. like :\Iar:v· of Bet11a11~ ,,·011lcl clie f 01-- 1 h1 .. i t. ~ he. 11101·e t ha11 an~- otl1e1 ... had c1I·1111lc cleep]y of the fol111tai11 called ( 1 l1ri. t a11cl . he een1ecl to 1111cle1· tancl ,,·hat Ilr "·a h adeel f 01" a 1 1·0 ,. ! Tl1 e fact that l1e 1111clcr.·toocl '" ..l1e11 11ol)od~- el. e dicl i. ,,..l1at l)ro11gl1t forth the , ,. a,,.io111· · l1igh p1·ai e. ·\\''l1at p1·0111pte l ]1e1· . l)le11di cl cleetl ? \\"11~ .. clicl )la r}" of Betl1 a11y <.:ove1· 1 hri. t " ·it l1 s11eh exJJe11 i,Te }Je1·f11111e 1 "'\\""h~- clicl :l1e la,·i.11111)- 011 IIi111 . 11ch extra,·ag:ant cle,·o– tio11 . Bee a11 e IIe ,, ..a. l1ec1clecl f 01· the gra,·e a11cl he lr11e,,· it a11cl ·he lo,·ecl I-I i111. Thi ,,·a · tl1e p:ift of her l1ea1·t. •'l,e lot'ecl (17,r i:t! That t ell 11. a great cl ra l a1)011 Jlar,.. of Betl1a11,T i11cleecl. "\"\That ' ~ J'Oll reall~- lo,·e alwa~· t ell. tl1e ,,·l1ole ,,-orlcl ,,-l1at ~-011 1· all,- a1·e. • 'I'he1·e i a clo e l~i11 hiJ> bet,,·ee11 ~-011 a11cl tl1 t hi11g ~·011 cle i1~e. lr Oll ,va11t wl1at ~·011 ,,·a11t a11cl :}.,.011 lo,·e ,,·l1at ,·011 lo,·e lJecal1 e ,,.Oll . ' a re ,,·l1c1 t , ·oll a1"e. I f ,-011 lo,·e ._ .. di1·t it · lJe a 11 e J"Oll ·re clirt~... If ,·011 lo,· tl1e ,v1~011~ ero,,rcl a11cl tl1e • ,,·roug a t1no 1 here it', lJeca11 ·e ~·011 ·re ,,-ro11()" t()O: ~·0111· aJ)I)etitr · re,·eal ,·011. ,\... 11 tl1i ,,·0111a 11 .. J oll 1i G. Balyo lo,.,ecl J e 11 ·. he lo,,ecl Hi111 be– ra11. e . he ,va wl1at l1e ,va . The l111g·ocll)· love llll f?:oc1li11e a11cl tl1e l)llre al ,va3". lo,Te tl1e 1)111·e .._ a,tiot1 r. Xo" thi: ,vo111au, of col1r e hac1 11ot al ,,Ta3... l1ee11 1)11re. Lil<e all of ll 11e 11ee le l the clea11 i11g that 0111}.. 1 hri t •a11 g·i,Te ~ and it " ra, 1111de1· Ili · 111i11i. tr~y .. ~ 1111de1.. Hi t1·a11. for111i11 g· to11cl1 tl1 at thi. wo1n– a11 hacl l)eco1ne p11re a11d lJecomi11g pl1re co11ld lo,re Chri t a11d lo,Te Ilim extra,Taga11tl}... . 11d th11 it ,,Ta that in the 111id t of loneli11e and ho:tilit)" of 111i. 1.111der~ ta11di11g: a11d treacl1e1"')' , the lo11el) ... ,. avio11r fo1111cl 011e ,,,.0111a11 ,vl10 lo,Ted Ili1n \Yho 1111cler. toocl Ili1n ancl fe 11 i11 :tep " -itl1 IIi1n 011 th road to al,.,a1 ..,,.. • Ila,,e ,,·e forgott e11 that tl1e fir. t a11 cl g1·eat e t con1111a11d1ne11t i. 11ot to 'be lie, re ,,,ith all thi11e hea1~t 1111t to ·' lo,·e TOd ,,,.ith all tl1i11e l1ea1~t · a11d }ocl lt110,, of co111" e. tl1at 0111}" tl1e gocll3r can clo it. Tl1r 1L11g·ocll~.. l1a,re 110 real rapacity fo1· (iocl · the, .. . ee 110 lJeautv i11 .. . l1ri ·t that the,, houlcl de. ire .. lii1n (.ec I . aial1 r--:3::... ) . It i. a n1all matte1-- to the 1111clea11 that 'h1--i ·t i 1<110,,11 t o 111111titl1clr a. 'the ehief a111011g· te11 tho11 a11cl ' ancl 'tl1e b1·ig·l1t a11d 11101--11i11g· tar ' a11cl · · tl1e alto~l:ether-- lo,,ely 011e : tl1e1·e i 11othi11g· i11 ~Je 11. to a1Jpeal to ,,hat i · i11 tlJ e111. The).,. . i1111)l}., c,11111ot apr)1·eciate :pirit11 al attraeti' "e11e:.. ... ,..o,, .. 1)e1·l1a1) ,,,.e ca11 l111 l er ta11cl ,,,.11,T J11cla · did 11ot lo,·e the Sa,,.- .. io11r. ... ~ othi11g i11 .. J 11da · co1--re - / 1 > <) 11 < l <' cl t < > ct 11.,• f h i 11 !!. i 11 ( 1 I 1 r is 1. ( 1 Jirist H11cl .. Jt!<IHs l1a cl ,1l>s<>lt11 I, • Jl<) tl1i11!,! i11 ('()Jllfll{)ll. 'I1J1nl is ,,,h,r • .. J , t < l ct s <·a 11 <' ( l ~ I rl l'.)• 's g· i t' t ' ' a ,r,t'itP. '· ( 1 J1rist <1 icl Jl<>t ·al] i1 t h,11 ! I IP <'cllle1rl it cl g"<><><l (lPP<l. J~11t ,J ,1cl,18 ,,·as <'011tc1111)t 1t<>11s <>f 111<1 J>rrf11n1r ' ,,·<1strcl '<)11 ('l1rist . II P clicl 11ot tl1i11l, th,1t ( 1 hrist ,,a~ ,,·c> rtll}' of .:\ f,lr!' Hextr,1,·ctg·,111c·r 11<1- c: a 118 e 11 e c 1 i cl 11 <) t 1 o,,e Hin 1 1 r o t h- . . i11!.r i11sicl e of .. J t1c1as ,,,as dra,,·11 1 o ( 1 hri.1t l1ec,l11. (l 011 tt1 e i11si cl ~ he \\'as r,· i 1 C'ovet Oll. . Per l1a IJ, it ,,:0111 cl 1-- r ,,·e 11 to 1"e111e1nlJer that ,J ohr1 tell. 11 · i11 hi: go. pel, ehapter 12 a 11 cl ,·er. e 6 that ,J 11cla: \\'a:n 't eon– ce r11ecl alJ011t the poor at all. He ·aicl ,,,J1at he did 'beca11. e he ,va. a thief a11cl had the bag a11d bare ,,..hat ,,·a. put t11er ei11. II e had the lJag· l1e " ..a the trea. urer of the ba11cl a11d he covetecl the mo11e),. ! .Juda actt1allv ,vanted "'hat vva. .. g'i\'en to hri. t: he ,, ..a. co, 1 etou: to,vard 1oc1 Ili111 elf. A11d if he clicl 11ot get it it ,va. to hin1 ' ,,ra. t ed. Thl1 hi lo,,.e for g·olrl 1·e,· aled hi g·reed and hi . elf– lo,re. A for hi ·011cer11 for t l1 e l)Oor ,,·hat a mon tr·o11 prete11 e that wa ! 11d a lot of our 1nocler11-da}T ocial er·vice i of the a111e 11atl1re too. o ma11,, • 1Jr ete11d to be ju t too too co11- ce1 ..11ecl abol1t all the 1111de1'pri,,.– ileged a11d the poor IJeople of thr ,,..01--ld. That wot1ld be a11 aLl- 111irable tl1i11g· if it were 1·eal b11t 111a113 1 lil{e J 11da are j11 t co,,.eri11Q t1p theiI· laclt of lo,:e to God a11cl th11 their laclt of l"'eal lo,..e towar--t1 the poor a '"ell. W ell , h er e "·a. J llc1a · a11cl her e ,,,e1·e tl1e cribe a11cl the p1·ie. t a11d he1"'e ,,·a Iar,~ of Betha11,-. ._ . Tl1e . c1·ibe a11d tl1 e prie t . cle- . pi eel J e. ll ,J llda. had 110 lo, 1 P for IIin1 anc1 :\Iar,, loved I-Ii111 ' c1evotecll,·. But ,,hat alJot1t. the c1ther di. ci1)le ? Tl1i.. to 111e i al- 1110 t 1111believal)le. The,,. ,,~e1·e o ' ,,·eal~, their· lo,·e . o feeble, th ! .. actt1ally joi11ed ,,·itl1 .J11cla. i11 c1~iti– cizi110' :\Iar~}r. They ,,·ere 011 the '"·ro11g i le. Tl1e~,.. . i l ecl ,,·ith i11 ~ I m afraid that i · ofte11 tr11e that tho e 1' 1 }10 are ,,·ealtl,.. i11 lo, 1 e ,,·itl1 .. fh1·i~t ,,~ill ofte11 l)e f 01111d 011 tl1e ,,·ro11g . ide aaai11 t tho e deepl)· i11 lo,..e ,,ritl1 tl1e Lord ,J e 11 . The. e cli. ciple WeI"'e t1·agical}Jr llli }e<.1. \.,-es tl1e,T lo,Ted l1ri t; b11t the,, ~ . l1acl . 11ch little , pirit11al ki11 hi11 ,,,.ith I-Ii1n tl1ey .. ,,,ere o . mall i11 • thei1~ hri. tlil(e11e . Tl1ev Io,·e 1 •