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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1923)
upon this one to teach a very import ant lesson—a lesson that the world j sorely needs at this very hour. “Martha, IVfartha, said Christ, ! “thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is need ful: and Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.” A SOCIAL BURDEN If in that day Martha was so en grossed in the preparation of a tempt'ng meal as to complain of Mary’s devotion to the Master, what shall we say of present day society? The kindly rebuke administered to Martha might well be administered to all hosts who in our time put the aecent upon the food rather than upon the spirit of hospitality that lies back of the gathering. The entertainment of friends has become a s'oc'al burden, because the true spirit of friendship has been quenched by worldliness. If hospi tality means 'anything, the food should be incidental to fellowship, and not the principal thing to be thought of. Of what real value is a social gathering if, for days before its oc currence, the hostess must spend her time in hunting up new dishes and making the house radiant with flowers, and, for days afterward, de vote herself to putting the house in order, all the time wondering if the affair was a success? RIVALRY THAT KILLS PLEASURE Rivalry in sumptuousness and ex travagance has robbed entertainment of its pleasure and inspiration. If each dinner must be morq costly and more attractive than the one of which it is a return; if new dresses must be prepared because every one else is making special preparation, the whole purpose of these inter changes of courtesy is defeated. Formality crowds out the real and the sincere. Many young married people live beyond their means in their effort to keep up appearances; they try to repay social courtesies with entertainments as lavish or more lavish. Each new display of wealth and vanity sets a new mark and compels a mo-re exhausting ef fort. About 20 years ago, Charles Wag ner gave to the world a little book entitled “The Simple Life.” It was an eloquent protest against the ma terialism that is making man the 1 servant o-f his possessions—it was a plea for the resurrection of manhood and womanhood, for the supremacy of the individual over his surround ings. THE DEPENDENTLY RICH Just as life is infinitely more im portant than all the inanimate world about us, so the independence of the individual is more important than the giving of pleasure to the sensual and to worshippers of the god of fashion. How much money fean one honest ly earn? Only so much as fairly measures the value of the service that he renders. How much should l^e desire to collect? No more than he can wisely spend. We speak of , people being “in dependently rich.” It is a misleading phase; they are often dependently rich. They are dependent on a mul- ! titude of the things which they make j essential to their happiness; depend- J ent upon a multitude for personal service and attention which they^ have made necessary to their enjoy-^ ment, and dependent upon new and morbid excitements to break the monotony of + existence. Their thoughts are absorbed in the vanities of life and their time is wasted upon frivolities. THE MIRE OF MATERIAL THINGS The teachings of Christ, if they will but give heed, will lift them out of the mire of material^things up to the keights where they can-'survey the • * 1 things worth while. Mary chose the good part” in her devotion—the part that cannot be taken from one. Society would experience a real re an^ Iske a long step in advance if it would permit the Master to fashion the intercourse between friends so that the coming together of neighbors and acquaintances in stead of giving rise to heart burning and envy, would be remembered for the glow of congenial companionship and the communion of kindred spirits. The second part of our text shows another side of Christ’s life. He was as tender as a woman when He dealt with minor sins and the errors that grow out of ignorance, but H.'s rebukes were masculine in their strength when He was brought face to face writh gross inconsistency and false pretense! FORGETTING GOD FOR FORM “Woe unto you, Pharisees!”—the words cannot be uttered with mild ness. Gentle persuasion was not suf ficient for these habitual offenders— they needed a rod. “Ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God.” Christ often employed antithesis. He here contrasted the observing of things insignificant with the Ignoring of things of supreme importance. He exposed the littleness of the tinsel philosophy of those who think to please God with formality and ob servance of the letter of the law; He compared this with the righteousness of those who are true to the spirit, i What are mint and herbs when put in the scale against justice and the love of God? Christ did not counsel the abolition of all formality. Formality has its place if it is the outward form oi real inward worship. “These (the great things) ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” These are significant words. A WORD TO NON-CHURCHGOERS Sometimes one is heard to say that he does not regard going to church as necessary; that he worships in the woods; that he does not pray at cer tain times, but prays all the time. Those who in such language condejffrn formality and boast of a superior de votion should read the words above quoted. While the mere attendance at church may be of no value, if one does not enter into the spirit of wor ship, there is no reason wljy one should substitute worship outside for worship in God’s house. Christianity teaches addition rather than substitution. Worship is possible at any time and anywhere; but those who wor ship inside of the church usually wor ship outside also, while those who claim to substitute outside worship for church worship often neglect to worship anywhere. CHRIST’S REBUKE OF THE VAIN< And so those who attempt to sub stitute occasional prayer for prayer at stated periods are apt to grow into the habit of not praying at all. We ought to do both the formal things and the things informal; we should not pass over either the smalfc things or the great things; a Chris tian life is large enough to include both. Christ next rebuked the vain— those who love the chief seats in'the syp4,gog£es and salutations in the market places^r In the course of His ministry Christ applied his philosophy In many different directions. The rebuke administered to the Pharisees Is di rected at a -very permanent sin— vizv self-importance. It could noi but* be offensive to Christ, who though supreme in merit, set His follower^ and an example in humil ity. Pride has no place in Christianity. One who desires the prominence # •s Don't Send Me One Penny fl I Am Going Yo Mall You a Pair of ths V Latest-Style, Extra-Large, Round* \ Eye, Sight-improving Spectacles Absolutely Free of Charge On ten days [trial v . *.wanJ,y°a to taka » good look at tha spectaclee In tha above m reading. Notice their a lie and shape. Compare them with the gleases % yon or yonr friends may be wearing right now. Notice the extra-large round ayes In these latest-style eight-improving spectaclea. The arUssas are aa large and aa mn round aa a silver dollar, as you can sea In the above picture; and completely cover every part of tha \ 1 human aye so you don’t have to look over tha tope of them or squint your ayea under the bottome m of them like you have te do when wearing tho old-stylo smau-eye specialise for Bale at storee. m These Latest-Style, Sight-Improving Spectacles Have Taken the Country by Storm 1 Thousands of spectacle-wearers from Maine to California have quit using the 1 ©Id-style small-eye egg-shaped glasses and are now wearing the latest-style extra* 1 large round-eye sight-improving spectacles—which have practically taken the 1 country by storm—and I are going to send you a pair of tb*?se up-to-date glasses 1 , In a very neat and handsome 10-karat gold-filled Spectacle frame with extra long \ comfortable ear hooks, to try fully ten days on your own eyes in poor own home without a cent In advance or even a reference. r'S iSttK' As soon as you get them I want yoa to pot them on yoar eyos—no matter now ■ nr weak they may be from age—and yoo will tie agreeably sorpnaed todiaeorer that I you can again raad the finest print inyoor newspaper or magazine; yoo will be able to 1 'Mr/— thread the smallest-eyed needle and do the finest kind of embroidery aad crocheting with I ify' them on and do it all night long if yoo lika without any headaches or aye pelnfl aad wtth at 1 " much ease and comfort aa yoo ev^y did in yoar Ufa. You tan Use Thom When Out Hunting, Driving or to the Movies If You So Desire If yon Uka to go hunting occasionally, pat on these latest-style aigM* Impriivlnf apectblM, go oat Into tbs wooda some bright sunny morning and you will baaclightod to find how greatly they help yon in sighting I your eon and taking aim at yoor game. Or, if yon go to tba nesdaa ones m a while, yoa can Uka a east away in tba back and of the theatre —to avoid the glimmer of the lights—and yon will be pleased to notice that even tha amallcat words ana picture* on the ecraan look JastM clear and as plain to yon aa though you were sitting right la th* front row. With the aid of thee* Utest-etyl*. eight-improving spectacle*. seeing is Believing Now I realize that It may ho hard for you to believe that these la test-style ,elght-linpraaH*g gpoetadM will again bring back to yon the absolute perfect sight of your younger day*. Bot yon know tha old earing "seeing la believing” and 1 positively will not accept one single solitary penny from yoa Until you have Bean these latest-style spectacles and have found them store eight IsuH-ovlag to your own eyeo thnn any spectacles you have ever bought anywhere at any price before. That Is the reason why I am only asking 1 Sou to fill out and mail me the coupon below, and 1 will immediately send you a handaooae 10-karat gold** J Usd pair of the latest-style, extra-large, round-eye, eight-improving spectacle*, by mail, all charge* pry M paid to try fully 10 day* on your own aye* in your own homo without a cunt m advance or even a referm.-*. M Genuine Leather Coin Purse and Spectacle Wiper Absolutely Free of Charge M. I want to gat aa many spectacle wear ere ae possible to send for my BpjM eight-improving spectacles on the above 10-day free trial offer at once and 1 am therefore going to feclodt a genoine leather coin parse !• Sfc i which Is enclosed a "magic” spectacle wiper — which will keep the glasses from getting scratched Dp and blurred — absolutely free of LTfc charge with every pair of spectacles I send out on free trial if yon order fyj ,. them et once. This coin purse comes with a strong metal snap-button K® fastener and ia nearly three times as big as the ptf-tur# alongside beroof. ly> Cot out thie coupon and mall it right now—this very minute before yoa forget It—and I will include this genuine leather eoin parse and magic spectacle wiper absolutely free or charge which yoo may keep without w Mtnnai Cut Out this Coupon on thlo Line ibiuiuui i . AMERICAN SPECTACLE HOUSE, Room 8 55th & Dorchester Ave^ Chicago, ILL. Gentlemen:—I have read year liberal offer and want you to send me by mail ail charge pTeoaidobnnd some 10-karat goid-Aliad pair of your l»teet-*ty)e, extra-large, roond-eye, slg*u-l^^e»ln« spec *r!ee complete svith an op-to-date leatherette spring-back pocket-book speetaelo-case whh:h j?*t on ten day* abaolute free trial. lam going to try than out forreadinfr «* jsobjNrswfr for far or near, indoor* or outdoor*, anywhere everywhere and If Him) them all >ou claim> thorn 1to bo after a ten days trial, I will pay you your advertising price of three dollars and ninety-three eentoJS •*) .nd»omore lwanty«>,ho*mr, to distinctly unSemtandI that If they do not MthrMeMl gr fect vision of my younger days, I will return them to you without a eent of pay ••J them unless they are mueh better than any apeetadesl have ever used before and #U1 havs to *f*J! my word as Anal in this matter. Also be sure and inclade the genuine leather coin pare* end «M*e^ anectacle winer which I am going to keep absolutely free of charge tor my trooble in answering this advertisement Regardless of whether I keep *nd IflwinllT-Tr*1* ** *"* **** promised in the aoove annouoeetneat. Bo Sure t* Assear tHo FsHawng Qusslisnii v ( Heu> many years have you Bow old are youf Ant.... ( used glasses (if any)? Ant....<••••••«• jRi...... 1 < Poet Of - County .. flee Town.— 5 Rural Routt } Erl!!!* Stale . \ No. (if any)...< <lf •**}—*..*. ( Street and . ^... VlStY VmBORT ANTi " You * wi il" ’notiee In' tteaboyooif erUuU * « coin pom end i "mtric" ipeettdt wiper cbcojotcly free of VOQ to order an ffitrA send out on free trial for. short time only and for this reason ± pair of apectaclea under the same free trial offer tor any other menaber JjffJLJ _Ir,d t wilt also send tor whom this extra pair is being ordered on this Une. ( . . ..MMIH, (iM.« * ilfsabro/priliuiifm*,, 4 _ 1 -. i„ .) haebeen using oiateesuf any)? Ane........:. 2LaiiiiiiiiTrr!l . o^jaUMWCMg— jrhich the Pharisees so much loved has yet to learn the spirit of the Master. He put the emphasis upon service to others rather than upon the attracting of attention. PROOF OF CHRIST’S DIETY No wonder the Pharisees were ir ritated by His rebukes; no wonder that they “began to urge him vehe mently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things; laying wait #for him and seeking to catch something out * of His mouth.” But the more ques tions they put to Him, the more completely were they reut#d. And yet we have some, calling themhelves Christians, who say that Christ was but a man. Strange that they should think one able to con found all the wise men among the Jews—even all the sages of all the ages—strange that they should think such a one merely a man!* We find proof of Christ’s diety in what He said and did and was, and