AN EASTER DEED BEFORE
EASTER DAY
The International Sunday School Lesson For April 8
• Is, "Jesus Raises Lazarus From the
Dead."—John 11:17-44
By William T. Ellis
It was a group of seventeenth cen
tury Spanish sepulchres, seen yester
day beneath bearded live oaks of Geor
gia, and made of "tappy," that curious
oyster-shell concrete, which set my
mind to ranging over the graves of
earth as , I have seen them. They are
everwhere:—the metal, bath-tub-like
sarcophogi which I saw the Arabs ex
cavating from ruins older than Baby
lon, at old Asshur, Assyria; the huge
stone graves of Phoenicia; the mighty
mausoleums of Egypt; the hill-tombs
which mortgage so much of China's
landscapes; the ancinent graveyards
of Europe—what a succession of them
Ihrong to mind! Each brought some
minds face to face with earth's old
est riddle; Does the highway of life
end hi a grave?
At some time or other this question
is of supremo interest to everybody.
The death notices in to-day's newspa
per mean more to some readers than
the most startling news on the first
page. This Easter is the most solemn
of all the days that ever dawned to a
multitude of human hearts, for it
brings them squarely up to the problem
of immfcrtality, interpreted in terms of
the dear dead. So with reverent sin
cerity we approach the Resurrection
theme, as it is set forth for us in the
raising of Lazarus from the dead, the
assigned Sunday school lesson.
A Home for a Lonely Heart
One of the few advantages of be
ing a stranger in a great city, which
is the completest form of loneliness,
is that thereby one enters somewhat
into an appreciation of what was the
normal lot of Jesus of Nazareth. The
lonely Christ moves our hearts. He
went about among uncomprehending
and unsympathetic people. Apparent
ly, the one refuge which he enjoyed
during his public ministry was the
home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus,
well-to-do friends who dwelt a short
distance out of Jerusalem, in the vil
lage of Bethany, on the Mount of
olives, just a little -vay beyond the
Garden of Gethsemane.
Some homes are like that, a haven
for heavy hearts. Always a woman
makes them so, and we know all that
it is necessary to learn concerning the
qualities of Martha and Mary, from
the simple fact that they made the
sort of home that Jesus loved, for its
rest and refreshment and sympathy.
To create such a home as that is a
greater career for a woman than to
achieve any public success thinkable,
it was the strong ties of friendship,
knit, as may always best be done, un
der a rooftree, that made possible this
great story of the Easter that preceded
Easter. There was a brother in the
family, and that all three must have
been the real "good society" of the
neighborhood is clear from the record
that Jesus loved them all.
Wlu'u t*ie Bread Telegram Comes
Some homes never receive a tele
gram without dread that it may con
tain the message which comes so often
by wire that every day hundreds of
them are handled by the telegraph
companies. One day the ancient ori
ental equivalent of a telegram, a swift
messenger, sought out Jesus beyond
the Jordan, to tell Him that His friend
T.azarus was sick unto death. Yes,
"friend of the heavy heart, who saw
life's brightness seem t disappear in
a yellow telegram, Jesus went through
that experience also. He was "touched
with a feeling of our infirmities."
Yet the prayer of the sorrowing sis
ters was not answered as they ex
pected. The Friend did not mount the
fastest speed in Perea and make all
possible haste over the hilly road to
Jerusalem. He deliberately waited, to
the surprise of His disciples, who knew
the depth of the Master's affection for
that Bethany family. He had larger
plans for them all than they could
know. Dimly, we now perceive how
the raising of Lazarus was an essential
part of the plan of Christ, being the
antecedent cause of the Triumphal
Entry, and the ocasion for precipitat
ing the climax that led to Calvary.
But.all this was unknown to the fam
ily and to the disciples. To us it is
not given to see the heaven side of the
divine designs.
"This sickness is * * * for the
glory of God." said Jesus. So Laza
rus had a part, all unrealized by him
self and those closest to him, in work
ing out the inscrutable will of God.
And this is the last word that can be
said in comfort to all who grieve be
low. We cannot explain, we cannot
understand, but we know that the Fa
ther whose wisdom is equaled by His
love, is carrying out purposes which
ore born in a Father heart. Some time
we shall understand. Meanwhile, we
rest upon the word of Jesus, that sick
ness and sorrow and rven death may
be for the glory of God; and to glorify
God is the chief end of man. Our at
titude may wisely be that which Is in
scribed on the tomb of a distinguished
soldier and citizen of Wellsboro, Pa.
—"Awaiting further orders."
The Doubter Who Was a Hero
Up in Jerusalem stones awaited
Jesus, should He comply with the re
quest of the sisters, as His disciples
were quick to remind him. Yet, after
waiting two days, He announced that,
although Lazarus was now dead. He
would go to him. Thereupon Thomas,
whom history has written down as the
doubter, spoke up like a brave and
loyal soul, "Let us also go, that We
may die with him." Why should we
not remember Thomas always as at
his best, ready to make the supreme
proof of friendship?
First Martha and then Mary met
Jesus on the way, as he drew near to
Bethany. Both accosted Him with a
remark that was a rebuke: "If thou
hadst been here our brother had not
died." Ah, the "tfs" and the "buts"
that we hurl at God! Consider what
God bears from mortals, of impati
ence, querulousness, chiding and un
belief. Even such an exquisite saint
as Mary could not let the Master be
master. We worship God. arid then re
fuse to Him the least of the perquisites
of God. Calling Christ Lord, we deny
Him the right to be lord of our lives.
Tlic Shortest Verse's IAHIJT Meaning
Spurgeon used to say that he could
forgive the translators of the King
James version all the ill they had done
to the sacred text by butchering it up
into text-paragraphs, because they had
left the one sentence standing alone,
"Jesus wept." Children learn this as
Pj the shortest verce in the Bible. It
■stands alone, not only on the page of
Scripture, but also in all literature.
Where else-will you find any religious
teacher, from Zoroaster to Moham
med, weeping in human sympathy and
love, over the sorrows of his friends?
The greatest truth in the Bible is
wrapped up in this shortest verse. It
visualizes the Man of Sorrows in the
completeness of His compreheding,
compassionate lov efor man. Before
ever we come to the great central
truth of Easter, we have this picture
of the Lord of life as a -comrade of
hearts that mourn. Despite all that
He knew about death, and the need
lessness of grief, He did not disdain
the tears of earth, even as a mother
shares the infant sorrows of her chfld,
although she knows full well their
needlessness and futility. By every
Christian grave, Christ, the bringer of
joy and victory out of death, yet
stands weeping with those who need
FRIDAY EVENING, HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH APRII 6, 1917.
moet of all the comfort of compan
ionship which fully understands.
Even the bystanders, orientals as
they were, and accustomed to extrav
agant display of emotions, exclaimed,
as they saw Jesus groaning within
himself, and stirred by a convulsion
of affection and felowship, "Behold,
how He loved him!" That is the spec
tacle of the ages: tho love of Christ.
Our day makes much of His wisdom
and His leadership and His lordship;
let us not forget, though, that first of
all, and over all, Jesus reveals him
self in a love so great that it breaks
these stubborn hearts of ours. When
ever we are tempted to think harsh
thoughts about God, we have but to
recall the shortest text of all, "Jesus
wept." For there is nothing true of
Christ that is not a revelation of the
Father who sent .Him.
"Too Good To Be True" •
Close ae they were to His spirit,
Mary and Martha could not credit the
full import of His plan for them and
for Lazarus. When He would be di
rected to the tomb, they tried to dis
suade Him. They could have trusted
their Lord up to a certain extent to
do wonders for their brother while he
was ill. But, as we have all been do
ing ever since, they put metes and
bounds to His power. That life should
come out of death seemed altogether
"too good to be true," to quote the in
fidel phrase of our day. Why do scep
tics and cynics question immortality?
Because it seems to a mind too proud
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to accept God In all Ills declared good
ness as "too good to be true."
Then Jesus opened the grave with
prayer. He knew the dramatic char
acter of that hour. Not a single hand's
span of the gathering clouds of hate
was hidden from His eyes. This crown
ing miracle, which He contemplated,
was to bring to ft climax all the plots
of His foes. None het less, with a
simple, son-llfte prayer to the Father
in heaven. He stooped down and cried,
"Lazarus, come forth!"
Yes, the dead obey Him. Christ
is lord of 'ife and death. His voice
reached across the mysterious boun
daries, and brought back the spirit of
His friend once more into its earthly
habitation. There are no words that
can make-the wonder simple. At the
command of Jesus the gates of death
swung open, outward. Lazarus, an in
instant before a corpse, came back to
walk once more with his loved ones
the familiar haunts. He was to sit
again at the breaking of bread with
his Lord.
Christendom has heard this tale of
Lazarus so often that the edge of
the marvel has gone from it. To all
who beheld it, this was the supreme
act of the ministry of Jesus. Even
though some disbelieved, —for seeing
is not believing, for the perverse heart
—the raising of Lazarus meant noth
ing less than the complete vindication
of the claims of Jesus to the Messiah
ship. He plainly shared God's prerog
ative of controlling life.
What Did Luzarus Know?
Browning has a poem about Laz
arus, back from the realths beyond
tho grave. The idea is an alluring one.
What secrets were hidden in this
man's soul, as he returned for a time
to be as other men? We cannot know,
of course. Nobody has ever imagined
heaven. Countless poets have tried. I
like that modern and daring bit of
poetry by Nicholas Yashel Lindsay,
"General Booth Enters Heaven:"
Booth led boldly with his big bass
drum,
"Are you washed In the blood of the
Umb?"
The saints smiled gravely, and they
said, "He's come."
"Are you washed in tho blood of
tho Lamb?"
Walking lepers followed, rank on rank,
Lurching bravos from the ditches
dank; ,
Drabs from the alleyways, and drug
fiends pale,—
Minds still passion-ridden—soul pow
ers frail! i
Vermin-eaten saints, with moldy
breath, — •
"Are you washed in the blood of
the Lamb?"
Every slum had sent its half a score
Tho round world o'er —Booth had 1
groaned for more.
Every banner that the wide world
flies
Bloomed with glory and transcendent
dyes;
Big-voiced lassies made their banjos
bang!
I Pranked, fanatical, they shrieked and
sang,
"Are you washed in tho blood of
Lamb?"
Hallelujas! It was queer to see
Bull-necked convicts with that land
make free!
Loons with bazoos blowing blare,
blare, blare,
On, on, upward through the golden
air.
"Are you washed in the blood of
Lamb?"
Booth died blind, and still by faith
he trod.
Eyes still dazzled by the ways of
I God.
Booth led boldly, and he looked the
1 chief;
1 Eagle countenance in sharp relief,
, Beard a-flying, air of high command,
Unabated in that holy land.
' Jesus came from out the Court House
door.
Stretched His hands above the passing
poor;
1 Booth saw not, but led his queer ones
there,
i Round and round the mighty Court
House Square.
Yet in an instant all that blear re
view v
Marched on spotless, clad in raiment
ne.w.
The lame were straightened, withered
limbs uncurled
And blind eyes opened on a new, sweet
world.
Drabs and vixens in a flash made
whole! •
Gone was the weasel-head, the snout,
the jowl:
Sages and sibyls now, and athletes
clean.
Rulers of empires and of forests'*
green.
The hosts were sandaled and their
wings were fire—
"Are you washed in the blood of
Lamb?"
But their noise played' havoc with the
angel choir!
"Are you washed in the blood of
Ijamb?"
Oh, shout salvation! It was good to
see *
Kings and princes by the Lamb set
free.
Tho banjoes rattled, and the tam
bourines
Jing-jing-jingled in the hands of
queens!
And when Booth halted by the curb
for prayer .
He saw his Master through the flag
filled air.
Christ runic gently, with a robe and
crown
Forl'oth the soldier, while the throng
knelt down.
He saw King Jesus—they were face
to face.
And he knelt a-weeplng in that holy
place.
"Are you washed in the blood of
Lamb?"
Lazarus was one of the few on earth
to whom it was not left to imagine
the nature of the life beyond the grave.
There Is room witliln the theme, since
John set us the example, for the exer
cise of all our gifts of imagination,
sure that the reality far transcends
our most daring thought.
After all, the uttermost that we
know concerning the mystery of life
and death Is told us by Jesus. What
Inspired Paul wrote in the majestic
fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians,
should also be read in any considera
tion of this theme. We know that
Jesus gave definite, unequivocal assur
ance of personal immortality. Ills word
to Martha comprehends all that we
have been trying to say upon the sub
ject: "I am the resurrection, and the
life: he that belleveth on me, though
he die, yet shall ho live; and whoso
ever liveth and believeth on me shall
never die."
There is but one sure and adequate
warrant for the Easter message of
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7
hope, and that is in the word and life
of Jesus Christ, who lived and died
und rose again.
MAY INTERNE' AMERICANS
The Hague, April 6. —A frontier cor
respondent asserts that he understands
General von Bisslng, the German Gov
ernor General in Belgium, intends to
order the internment of all Americans
between the ages of 17 and 45 living
In Belgium. The correspondent adds
that they will be sent to Western Ger
many, probably to Aix-la-Chapelle,