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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1902)
Uj "W '". . .V I ON THE, - ASCENSION 1 K " r: S " J A S I widows "V X. WATCH WAS TURNED INTO WNE liy CHRIST. 1TP (By Rev. Dr. Robert Stuart Macarthur.) ATMTrns ami ntintnarnnhers have PI a distinct educational mission. I Tha vIoiidI annrnorh tn t h P mind IltD I U L 1 b..S ... Is often more factitive than tbe auricular. Caricatures of boodle politicians have often done more to sup press them than the philippics of the most eloquent reformers. More and more are we learning through the eye, ana edu cators are not slow to recognize tbe ad vantages of this method of instruction. It " may be made of especial value In the study of the bible and particularly bo in the life of our Lord. The accompanying pictures bring to the reader scenes hallowed In song and story. The words and the pic tures will Illustrate and explain one an other. Turning Water Into Wine. Let us begin with tbe miracles of turning water Into wine at Cana of Galilee. Leav ing Nazareth early in the morning we soon come to tbe traditional Cana, about four miles east of Nazareth, on the road to Tiberias. Some travelers, and among them Drs. Robinson and Porter, object to tbe traditional Cana as tbe site of tbe ancient Cana. They locate it at Kana-El Jelll, near Sepphoris and about nine miles north of Nazareth. It is by no means certain which la tbe true site. There Is in tbe vicinity a large spring en closed by a wall, and If this Is tbe true Cana, as I think It is, the water used at the marriage feast at the time of our Lord's visit was almost certainly drawn from this spring. Water pots of compact limestone are still used In the neighbor hood. There la a small Greek church, and It is declared that one of the very water pots used at the marriage feast may be seen here. This miracle at Cana was, as we are here informed, "tbe beginning of miracles." It is a remarkable thing that Christ did not perform miracles until now. Tbe apocry phal gospels represent Him as having per formed many miracles during His boyhood and early manhood. One has only to com pare the accounts of those miracles with tbe true to see tbe difference between In spired and uninspired writings. They are frivolous, puerile and often ludicrous. They lack the majesty, dignity and divinity of the gospel narratives. Christ bided His time. This mliacle began the series. This in auguration was as significant in its pro phetic meaning regarding His eartbly min istry as was His first parable. Tbe first parable was that of the sower. It sug gests the whole worlt of our Lord in His public ministry. He came to sow "the good seed of the kingdom." Not less prophetic Is this first miracle. It suggests the whole purpose of Christ's eartbly life. He came to ennoble, to transmute, to glorify, to divi nize. As He now turned water into wine, so His entire ministry was to be the turn ing of tbe water of earth Into the wine of heaven. Nature is always changing water into the Juice of the grape, and all (bat Christ did on this occasion was to hasten the process. ' This remark will apply to all of Christ's miracles. Health is tbe normal condition of tbe human body; sickness Is abnormal. Christ came to restore physical and spir itual normality. Religion is the restora tion of spiritual normality. It is tbe most Interesting to see that, in one Bense, mir acles are not miraculous. Christ introduced in the performance of a miracle a higher law, which for the time being held tbe lower law In check. Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Most deeply interesting was the ride from the Mount of Beatitudes to the Sea of Galilee. There Is not a sheet of water on the globe which I so greatly desired to see as the Sea of Galilee. Tbe hope of seeing It was in my thoughts for years, and it now gave zeet and charm to this trip over the bills of Judea, Samaria and Galilee. And yet, as I knew I was approaching It, there was a sort of unwillingness to have the sight for which I had long waited. I re fused to look up until a spot was reached where the view would.be the finest. "Look now," said Abdallah, my excellent drago man. At his words I looked, with strangely commligling emotions, and had the mag nificent view of the sea and Its surround ings which all travelers in tbe Holy Land get who approach it by this road. In Isaiah ix, 1, the Sea of Galilee is re ferred to simply as "the sea." Its local name now is "ttahr Tabariyeb." It Ib about thirty-five miles south of Mount Herinon, twenty-seven miles east of tbe Mediter ranean and sixty-five In a straight line north of tbe Dead sea. I saw it at noonday, sunset, sunrise and In the moonlight. In tbe morning the sur rounding hills were brilliant in color; in the evening the shadows deepened until sea, hills and sky were seen In the softest, sweetest tones and In the night all tbe in equalities were harmonized and the peace of God rested on tbe mountain and sea. Once I saw it ruffled in a slight storm, and all tbe memories of Christ and Ills dis ciples filled my soul. Perhaps the best views are at Tiberias, looking toward Capernaum. This view I had for hours In tbe soft evening light as I sat alone by the shore near the center of the town of Tiberias. Tbe lake Is pear shaped, the broad end being toward the north, or we may say that it Is harp shaped with tbe bulge to the northwest. It Is be tween twelve and thirteen miles long and between six and seven miles wide and Is almost embosomed among the bills. Tbe Jordan flows Into it on the north a muddy stream, coloring the lake for a mile from Its mouth and out of it on the south, being then pure and bright. It has been called "a sparkling diamond suspended by a thread." Its depth is 160 to 230 feet; Its level varies at different seasons, but its depression below tbe surface of tbe Med iterranean sea may be put at 682 feet, al though often It U said to be TOO feet. Memories Glorify Surrounding. gome describe the view in terms of great t xlravagance; others equally deprecate It The truth lies between the extremes. Many, having in mind only the deserted waste, tbe barren bills and tbe extent of the water, will tell you that lakes in Eng. land, Scotland, Ireland and Switzerland far surpass this view. In several respects they are quite right. But tbe thought of Christ's presence glorifies mountains, snore and sea and makes this tbe most Interesting and transcendently beautiful place on this globe. The lake was really tbe center of the trade of tbe province. Here, then, was the touch with the commerce, the Industry and tbe powerful Greek Influences of the time. Near Tiberias the water Is polluted with sewage, but elsewhere It is entirely fit. for drinking purposes, although It is somewhat brackish, which brackishness Is due to the salt springs on the shore. A bath tn the lake is very enjoyable, as In It are many warm springs. The depression of tbe lakes causes the tropical beat here experienced; It also accounts for the seml-trop'lcal vegetation on tbe shores. Excellent fish abound in tbe lake, including several tropical species, which now, as in ChriBt's day (Luke v:6) are seen In large shoals. Great interest at taches to chromis, as they are called, the male of which carries the eggs and tbe young in its mouth and also to the coraenlus of Josephus and tbe barbur of tbe Arabs, which gives out a sound. Boats abound on the lake. Many trav elers, partly because of tbe sacred asso ciations, prefer to go by boat from Tiberias to Capernaum. Boats can be bad large enough to hold from ten to twelve passen gers. In addition to the rowers. Both sides of the lake can, of course, be best seen from a boat, and in this way the gospel scenes also can be made more real than when one rides or walks on the shore. But a careful bargain ought to be made, as the charges are apt to be exorbitant. In Christ's time the ships and boats on the lake were very numerous. Josephus used the phrase "climbing up Into their ships," Indicating that some cf the veoeels were large. At that time there were nine considerable towns on the shores of thi lake. Among these were Bethealda, Caper naum, Chorazin, Tiberias and Magdula. These towns contained a large and busy population. Dr. Selah Merrill Indorses tbe strong statements of Josephus regarding the great size of the population of Galilee as a whole, and also the statement mentioned above, that many vessels then enlivened tbe lake. tluee Populous Towns In Hulns. Tiberias is now the only town visible and there are only three or four small villages on the coast. Dr. Merrill also indorses what Josephus says of the beauty and fruitfulness of the plain of Gennesaret. J gephus gives Galilee 204 towns and vil lages, tbe smallest of which had 15,000 In habitants. But nearly all these towns are new ind stinguii-habie ma-sea ef ruins. Galilee was only from fifty to sixty mile long and from thirty to forty miles wide, but it is believed that at least 3,000,101 people lived there. The lake then was white with sails and was ploughed with thousands of keels. The shores of this sea were vastly different in Christ's day. Then there were i;reat woods on the banks; now there is not a tree. Then there were noble gardens; now there ars only marshes. Then there were prosperous towns and cities; now there are only nameless ruins. This beautiful lake charms every Bense. It is at once food, drink and air, rest to the eye, coolness in the beat, an escape from tbe crowd and a means of travel very wel come In bo exhausting a climate. Even those who do not share its memories of Christ feel an enthusiasm for It. Tbe rab bis said: "Jehovah hath created seven seas, but tbe sea of Gennesaret Is His de light." Christ's presence hallows the sea and its shores, lie looked on Its quiet beauty; He stilled its wild waves; He glorified its rocky shores. On Its bosom several apostles were called to be "fishers of men." In its waters l'eter sank until Christ saved him from a watery grave, and on its shores Christ met His disciples after His resurrection, in tbe gruy dawn of the morning, while a miracu lous meal was prepared on the shore. Most refreshing was our halt at Shunem, with its beautiful grove, its musical and delicious streams and its tender memories of Elisha and tbe family In which he found a hospltab'.o welcome. We resumed our Journey and, turning tbe western part of Little Hermon, as this part of the mount baa been called since the time of Jerome and which is probably identical with the bill Moveh, we were in less than an hour at Naln. The word Naln, according to some, means green pasture, but according to others and with better reason, fair or graceful. ItaUlnif tbe Widow's Bon. The name is mentioned nowhere In tbe old testament and not elsewhere in the new, except In connection with tbe raising of the widow's Bon. The name has always bt-cu preserved and it was often tenderly men tioned in tbe time of tbe crusaders and the place Is frequently visited by travelers of the present time. It Is near Eudor and about four miles southwest of Tabor. It is picturesquely situated on a low mountain spur, Ihe northwest edge of Little Hermon, where the bill descends Into the plain of Esdraelon. It commands a fine view of the bills of Galilee. Once It was a town of considerable ex tent, but now It Is a poor village of wretched mud hutB, with heaps of rubblsb and many old ruins. Its dwellings are few, only about twenty In number, and the pop ulation Is correspondingly small. Its mod ern name, Neln, is identical with the an cient name, Naln. Its foundation has done much to perpetuate its existence. As the traveler approaches the village be observes that above the town there are boles In the face of the hills. These are doubtless rock tombs and this was the old burial place. This fact gives remarkable interest lo tbe tender, beautiful and divine incident in our Lord's life which occurred here. That Incident has made the place memorable forever and that Incident Ib recorded with sweet simplicity and tender suggestion by the evangelist Luke, the only evangelist who does record this miracle. There la now no doubt as to the Identity of the lo cation, with tbe tombs a short distance east of tbe village. It was In this direc tion that our Lord approached and it was probably to one of these tombs that tbe mournful procession which He met at this gate of tbe town was Journeying with tbe bier on which lay the young man who was "the only son of bis mother, and she was a widow." Let us look for a little time at the ac count of the raising of the widow's son, as given in Luke, vll, 11-15. Our Lord now was probably going to Jerusalem to keep the second passovcr of His ministry. It was a beautiful coincidence that our Lord should have met the funeral procession as It was going out of tbe town, and yet It was quite In harmony with the custom of the Jews, who did not bury within the walls of towns and cities. "Much people" fol lowed the bier. Tbe case called forth gen eral sympathy. Dean Trench calls atten tion to the fact that sorrow for an only son has passed Into a proverb. In Jere miah, vi, 26, we read, "Make thee mourn ing as for an only son, most bitter lamenta tion," and in Zccharlah, xil, 10, "They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for bis only bou." Her case Instantly aroused our Lord's compassion. He said to her, "Weep not." She must have wondered at such words from a stranger, but the tones of His vole and tbe glance of His eye must have re vealed the pity at His heart. Christ's words are not empty exhortations. He can even now anticipate the time when God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Behold Him arresting the progress of those who carried tbe bier. Hear His words, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." Tben we read that "be that was dead sat up and began to speak." There are three cases of raising from the dead in connection with our Lord's earthly life. It Ib sb easy for Christ to raise up men from tbe bier as for us to arouse men from the bed. In the case of Elijah and Elisha much labor and prayer must precede the miracle. Christ spoke the word and tbe miracle was wrought. Blessed moment was that when Christ delivered him to bis mother! Think of her joy! This act was prophetic of the time when He shall de liver those who have fallen asleep In Him to their beloved friends, and when fellow ship shall be renewed and joy shall be uni versal and eternal. The effect on the peo ple was marked. They experienced a de gree of fear; they recognized a great prophet had come and they glorified the Lord, saying that "God hath visited His people." Ills Itent in lletliany. Few places tn the New Testament his tory are more suggestive of tender mem ories than is Bethany. Groups of people may still be seen at the eventide return ing to this quiet village from the busier scenes of the neighboring city. Bethany Is not "wholly in the busy world nor quite beyond it." One can readily imagine that here our Lord found the restful seclusion which made Bethany a place of frequent resort. Mary's act in anointing the precious body of Jesus with the contents of her alabaster box makes the place fragrant to this hour with the memory of her loving act. The odor (Continued on Fourteenth Page.)