Show i I A Daily Lenten Thought I. I By F. F H. H KNUBEL President of the United Lutheran Church in America All 11 recognize that there are aro mysteries Only years of oC stud study solved sol tho the mysteries of oC tho thora ray X-ray ra the wireless wireless wireless wire wire- less and tho the radio Yet few seem to re regard ard God and sin as mysteries Both the ordinary and learned man seem content with witha a few hasty hast con conclusions as to God Sin they regard as a mere merc weakness or as a brain deformity which an operation in childhood can correct or at most as a condition which legislation and united determInation determination deter deter- can set right Tho The Biblo holds tho mystery of or God and ani the mystery mys mrs tory ten oC of iniquity as alone allne great h tv o 0 meet at attlio tho cross o of Jesus Christ He lie who thinks ho has hns understood tho passion of or Christ has not nol even cven begun to lo know it H. Tho tragedy of oC Caha Calvary seems scorns at nt first to be the outcome oC of common human sins our ours Envy r political duplicity love lo o of high place Ilace avarIciousness fear lies etc entered Into the result Sin SIlL wishes to dethrone God to destroy Him Thus wo we seo SeQ eo that man till did his worst vorst at al Calvary C. and so revealed re the tho character o of sin Its degradation its miserable mis mis- erable purpose xiii Is a a. m mysterious thing thinS Even Kven to our OUi discerning discerning- thou thought ht there were however how how- C ever CZ CI other than human influences behind tho the cross Christ distinctly saw them lb Ho moved Nl toward the thc event ent with dread and yet determination as aM be beg l ig a avery avery very cr sink of or iniquity lie Ilo mentioned that h by it the human world would bo ho jud judged ed but also that thal tho the Prince o of this world would ho bo cast out It Il was not lIol only an act of man but hut also a a. deed of or hell hells hell's wo worst t And Dante Danle describes that thai a great grent cleft was produced uce in hell as a a. result When h n hell did its worst it undid Itself So wo eo eo tho the folly foll of this mystery l' l of or sin It forever ore r negatives Itself From tho the cross crol's tho the great force Coree has arisen lIsen in tho world whereby iniquity 1 is overcome In Iii addition to man ait and hell God was wa active in ill that tragedy So ChrI Christ t wholly believed ed J His Is Fathers Father's will was waa in It it According to lo Iho tho prophet Gods God's Jod mightiest t d deed e was performed there That t prophet uses a n. powerful figure fiure The Ix Lol rd hath bath made mado hare bare I Ilia Hili hol holy arm in tho eyes ces of all the tha nations It Is Isa a a. i 0 of oC God with Ills His sleeves rolled up UI C Calvary l alj reveals re God doing tho best which even en God can do It took almighty power lower at tho tim limit to overcome o this m mysterious iniquity Thus we the power of oC sin |