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Show I The Pharisee and The Publican IB x H 33 JVDCE UEffRV H. HOLA.TP l"K B Tho ra03t unique features of tho parables of Christ are their finished B brevity, and their fitting application fl to nvei- present conditions. Nowhere fl else in llteraturo do so few words at fl ouco I ells au easily remembered n'.ciy B and at the same timo so lastingly fl ttuprcsB an nlwnys needed moral. No fl other stories bo aptly roveal the- con- fl stant sameness of human sltuatl'ins B among all generations and In nil B climes. No other narrative so reuul.y H changes history of past events into fl reflections upon existing incidents. fl Wo read of yesterday, but think of fl today. At ench recital tho oriental act- fl ting and the local actors of the par- fl ,ables are quickly obscured by an n- H tultlvo suggestion to havo them sub- R stituted with men and uf fairs of our fM own. Tho circumstances and persons VM whom tho Master mentions affect us N& but slightly, but wo meditate much fcS "P(in their .striking resemblanco to 'gjF our own Burroundtngs, and ponder S earnestly whether thoy would suggest fl tho snmo comments. Existing defects, jfl heretoforo Indulgently accepted, sud- jfl donly appear lu a much more Borlous m, aspect; and attainments, formerly but 3B lightly rogurded, now seem of Infinlto- On ly greater Importance. Our vlow point Hj Ik changed and ill considered notions Bjjn of right und wrong are modified. Tlio flj Judgment of mero popular approval Is H discarded, and mankind divided Into sK two new clnsscs: ono embracing tlioso H tho Master would love, and tho other Am those he would crltlclzo. Tho simple yra story of long ago has dono its work. HjS, Hocordcd truth Is transmuted Into ac- k tlvo life. The seed of the past linn become tho bloom of the present. A most Impressive Illustration of this power of parablo truth is found In the story of the Pharisee and tho Publican. It is recorded that upon a certain occasion, tho Master met somo Individuals who had convinced themselves of their own superior piety and who by reason of this Imaginary sanctity, had becomo blinded to tho posslblo merits of other people. They regarded their neighbors as tho embodiments em-bodiments of sin und iniworthlness, and themselves as exclusively entitled to heavenly fnvor. Such men always uct that .way. They create for themselves a standard of morality, which tholr own Inclination Inclina-tion and environments mnko easy of attainment, and then demand that tho rest of mankind must conform thereto, or perish under Divine disapproval. disap-proval. But not satisfied with having mado a law for the conduct of others, thoy nlso invest themselves with authority au-thority to promptly inflict tho threatened threat-ened punishment in Its humnn form, if anybody fulls to udopt their sclr-created sclr-created standards of holiness, thoy forstall tho expected colcstlal disfavor by visiting .tho offender with their personal censuro and comtempt. In this uttltudo, commou to all races and all ages, Christ' recognized an opportunity to teach an everlasting moral lesson, and so related this simple sim-ple little story: Two men went up to tho tomplo to pray. Ono was a Pharlseo and tho other a Publican. Now, a Pharlseo wns a typo of person whom tho Savior Continued on Page 3, THE PHARISEE AND THEJPUBLIGAN Coininucd rrom 1'age 1. upon another occasion, described ns one who paid tithes on mints and herbs, and observed tho small outward out-ward virtues of life, but who failed to distinguish a human falling from n wilful sin, and wholly overlook the y love of God. A Publican, upon tho Ny')m other hand, was a personality who did L ' Mr not always comply strictly with Jew 4f lsh requirements, and whoso environ- mentfl gave opportunities for doln? wrong. These facts afforded his self-' self-' righteous neighbors an excuse, for emphasizing em-phasizing and contrasting their own merits, and furnished a desired pretext pre-text for condemning the Savior because be-cause of his association with social outcasts. Such types wero not pecullnr to the Savior's nge. They are as mini-, mini-, erous today as they were In ancient times: nor has society changed Its attitude towards them. Although the world has produced Innumerable llltia tratlons of tho frequency with which insincerity and sometimes Immorality, Is associated with sanctimonious appearances, ap-pearances, yet tho exhibition of i few vlslblo merits still proves the most successful cloak for Inward depravity. Although experience has amply demonstrated dem-onstrated that petty human fallings are not usually Incompatible with the steadfast faith and a loyal heart, et tho world still criticizes a wilful liar less than It does an occasional transgressor trans-gressor of temperance. It contlpucs to reward the pretender with reverend greetings In tho market places; and, persists In preventing the small, but open offender from being valued for even the virtues he doe3 possess. Tho thoughtless masses want no Inquiry Into causes or motives. They Judge from the surface nnd condemn from appearances. It was doubtless for the purpose of directing tho attention to precisely this error, that Jesus chose to rcmovo theso prototypes from the arena of human projudlce. His story places 2 Rolapp , ' them In tho Temple, engaged In per- tonA supplication before tlw Throuo of Grace. That situation presented the best means for disclosing their real natures. Before an all-knowing Father there could be no advautnge In JiA concealment; and before an admitted- V ly righteous Judge, each character & Jr would naturally present his 'own ,Jp" strongest appeal for divine conbtdenv Itlon. And so, each Is permitted to stale his own case. , Says the Pharisee: "God, I thank thee that I nm not as other men ate, extortionate, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice In tho week, and give tithes on all I possess." How characteristic that prayer Is of tho Pharisaical nature, which the Mtntci dcslrcl to portray. Although expressed In form of gratitude, It Is merely the avowal of a superior claim to Divine favor, based upon a few win-, win-, or virtues effected, and a few extreme sins avoided. That Is the peculiar distinguishing dis-tinguishing exhibition of self-righteousness. It nover ackndwledges greater excellence In others, but habitually contrasts Itself with extreme wicked-nest, wicked-nest, and thn glories at Its own preeminence pre-eminence In such comparisons. The self-righteous recognizes only a single division of mankind. One part in himself, him-self, and tho other la composed ot those mortals who, In a vanishing do-' do-' gre'o, dlffor from his own selected vlrtuos. He Is therefore, over thankful thank-ful not to llko other men, Uocnune tltoy isre simply useful as pointed Illustrations Il-lustrations of his own arrogatpd sanctity. sanc-tity. 'And then, again, how repeatedly self-glorification boastsjts potty vlr tues,' Dpubtless every neighbor) of o Pharisee could have testif'cd to tys ahowicompllnncq with trivial iell-glous iell-glous requirements. So publicly had hj paid his, tithes, and so frequuully had he,) talked about his f actings, that rone but' tho deaf nn hie, blind caujd. Imvq fulled to takf notlco. VM for vlmi jHirprxo? To him tli3U s-u-11-flees were novor privileged oppni (unities (uni-ties to uilse Iho soul ub'ovo the body, rnd tho spiritual above tho oarlhlv. Thoy wero mere advances In a bargain bar-gain the l re ills of which lie OM!' 'cd Ot to re. by way of increasea rcimnB KvSjv from i ml, una plensurablo noto-tety fJ5rf before men y-sW Such men aro a great hindrance to tho ni'u'nppnient of unselflsn worth Ifcoy Imbue Iholr companions with on unconscious notion thot more conform-It conform-It to rpliltual requirements Is nil-sufficient, nil-sufficient, and that an equivalent compensation com-pensation will Inovltably follow That the more deed Ib tho test, and tho powor to act or the inspiring niotlvo is of minor Importance Surely nothing noth-ing In reason or revealed truth wor-rants wor-rants such conclusion. Good decda will unquestionably bo our witnesses be-for be-for 9 Uie Judgment seat of God, but good niotltes and tho opportunity fo'r doing good will be the crlterlons by IL. which wo will bo Judged. Hfet. It was upon this theory that Christ Justified, or rather requltted, tho Pub- I llcan In this parable. In mere numbers of praiseworthy actions, the Pharisee probably outranked tho Publican. These the Master did not undervalue nor did he approve tho wrongs ot the Publican. With equnl sincerity of purpose pur-pose and equa"l humility of spirit, tho verdict would have been wholly different. dif-ferent. But the Pharisee Ignored tho very foundation of righteousness tho love of God nnd the love of neighbor. These twin commandments cmbrnco the whole law of God, and comprehend the entire message ot salvation, in their absence, all other demonstrations demonstra-tions of piety become mero empty ceremony. The Publican, however, had thoroughly thor-oughly absorbed the spirit of these bu-prenic bu-prenic mandates. His pleading words evidenced a most Intense desire for the love of God, nnd his humble self designation attested IiIb lovo for neighbor. nei-ghbor. Whatever- frailties others I might possess, he confessed himself n pinner. He didn't accuse his l)inthcri by comparlHon, nor attempt to offset his own faults by whatever .good ho nilghi have done.Hc offered no ichbo for his Infirmities, and nsked no lm-' munlty from tho Just consequences ot his own wrongs. All his thoughts centered in tho hope that God would not continue a deserved displeasure, nor withdraw divine assistance, in whatever trials might yet beset him. And so, In the hopeful nngulsh of his heart, ho could only cxclnlm, "God, bo merciful to me, a sinner." i Tho much-embracing adequacy and tho continually unfolding expansive-ness expansive-ness of this concise prayer, was doubtless doubt-less Intended to Illustrate ono of the many valuable lessons taught In this parable. Superfluity of words for devotional de-votional purposes have never recclv-ed recclv-ed divine sanction. All of Christ's say- j lngs were f-so and pithy; but nevertheless, never-theless, stimulating and soul arousing. Long prayers and long sermons nover Incite action, thoy weary the mind and tiro the body Whenever the soul Is truly stirred, words aro whojly Inefficient. In-efficient. Ileal Joy, or real grief, Is neither verboso nor noisy. "Tho soul's 3 Itolapp sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed," unexpres-sed," or even "the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God Is near Is certainly more Inspiring to tho human hu-man soul, wd must bo more acceptable accept-able to our Heavenly Parent than the ( formal reading from n prayer book, or the prolonged, though extemporaneous, extempor-aneous, attempt at public eloquence One is substance, the other form. One Is a wish of the soul referred to God, tho other a thought of tho mind submitted to men. The contrasted prayera of this parable clearly Indicate Indi-cate their effective difference. Ono emanated from tho prldo of self-rlght-tousness, and therefore diffused' itself it-self In Its expected reward of temporal tem-poral applause, while the other arose from tho depth of a penitent heart, and therefore mounted to tho throno of God. 1 tell you this man went down to his houso Justified rather than tho other, oth-er, for ovcry one that cxalteth himself him-self shall bo abased, and ho that humbleth himself shall bo exalted." |