"They said, He is beside Himself" Mark 3:21

"BESIDE HIMSELF"

"Th ey said" - There's a damning phrase for you. Many a person's character and good name has been torn to shreds by this intro­ductory phrase and what followed. Heminds us of words over gates of Glasgow University -"They say - What do they say? - Let t hem say"

t'They ·sal d" - Who said? Moffatt hazards the opinion that the personal pronoun refers to the general crowd - "For men were saying He is beside Himself". However, a close reading of authorized Version leaves impress­ion that the friends of Jesus, and perhaps His own relatives were suggesting that Jesus was beside Himself; that is, insane.

Was it James the Brother of Jesus spoke this damning phrase? Could have been. Next e eldest to Jesus. Disgusted that Jesus should be off on wild goose ch-ase, preaching.- And not only preaching, but outraging orthodox opinion by His strange views. If it were James, then perhaps we can read penitence in his w:>rds 1If his epistle.

adjudged Insane Let us not be too bard on those who hurled this in­dictment. After all, when

judged by the standard of those around Him, He did seem a little strange. ffriend who . preached on subject, "WHO IS THE QUEER DUCK?" Though He knew life and p eople, yet He lived apart from men - was beyond men in thinking.

A That is the price that has to be paid W' for assuming leadership. ·rhere is a loneli­

ness - there is the risk of misunderstanding and if one gets too far out in front, then someone will take a crack at you. And there will be those wh o declare you are "beside yourself" - "otf the beam" - "insane".

I v.onder what He charged for chairs at Nazareth.

And did men try to beat Him down, And boast about it in the town -"I bought it cheap for half-a-crown From that Made Carpenter?" ·

I wnder what He charged for chairs at Nazareth.

fUld did men try to beat .Him down , And boast about it in the town -"! bought it cheap for half-a-crown From that Made Carpenter?." ·

"They said, He is beside Himself" Mark 3:21

"BESIDE HIMSELF"

"Th ey said" - There's a damning phrase for you. Many a person's character and good name has been torn to shreds by this intro­ductory phrase and What followed. Heminds us of words over gates of Glasgow University -"They say - What do they say? - Let t hem say"

t'They said" - Who said? Moffatt hazards the opinion that the personal pronoun refers to the general crowd - "For men were saying He is beside !iimsel f". However, a close reading of authorized Version leaves impress­ion that the friends of Jesus, and perhaps His own relatives were suggesting that Jesus was beside Rims elf; that is, insane.

Was it James the Brother of Jesus spoke this damning phrase? Could bave been. Next e eldest to Jesus. Disgusted that Jesus should be off on wild goose chase, preaching.- And not only preaching, but outraging orthodox opinion by His strange views. If it were James, then perhaps we can read penitence in his words ii_l his epistle.

adjudged Insane Let us not be too bard on those who hurled this in­dictment. After all, when

judged by the standard of those around Him, He did seem a little strange. Friend who . preached on subject, "WHO IS THE QUEER DUCK?" Though He knew life and people, yet He lived apart from men - was beyond men in thinking.

a That is the price that has to be paid • for assuming leadership. 'fhere is a loneli­

ness - there is the risk of misunderstanding and if one gets too far out in front, then someone will take a crack at you. And there will be those who declare you are "beside yourself" - " otlf the beam" - "insane".

"If any man thinketh himself to be re­ligious mile he bridleth not his tongue ••• this man Is religion is vain. The tongue is also a little member. Behold how much wood is kindled by a small fire. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil; it is full of deadly poison. "

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Different Center Adjudged insane because Yet Balanced the center of His life

was different to that of those around Him. .tie was different and men sensed it. xet He was balanced and strong. Integrated! His emotional attitudes moved together in one direction. 'l'here were no flaws; no inconsistencies; no fractions; no conflicts. ·.rhere was a ma. stery in His life - He had a power that gave Rim poise and victory in every situation of His life.

Look at this mastery. He is twelve years old. On visit to Jerusalem. Lost~ Parents find Rim in the Temple. Allswering and asking questions. Nothing precocious. Who has the mastery here? Not his fluster­ed parents nor the puzzled and vender ing leaders in the 'l'emple.

un Sea of valilee. Without warning a storm arises; wind screams. !Vaters lashed into fury. aves high. ~oats almost unman­ageable. Terror. seizes disciples fishermen though they were. Hoats . buried. in foam and spray. Darkness. Jesus asleep. .vakened by the cry, "Master, save us, we perish!". He has the mastery bere. "0 ye of little faith "Peace be still". All is calm. Softly the boat rocks on the sobbing sea. Master~

At Gadara tle meets maniac. A menace to all. Long hair; eyes filled with frenzy. "What is thy name?" '1Legion" - 6000 demons. Story ends w1 th man sitting at feet of Jesus clothed and in right mind. Who the ma. ster?

Later He stands before Pilate. Behind Pilate all the pomp and power and prestige of Rom -mighty Rome. But who was confused in that dramatic situation? Not Jesus.

And even confronting the Cross Jesus could say, "I have power to lay down my lif and power to· take it again. I lay it down of m.yselt'. No man taketh it from me".

Though we crucified Him on a stick, He managed to get hold of the right end of it. And to day we cannot help but feel that the only hope of ever solving the problems of the world, is by applying to them the spirit in which He lived and the teachings He taught~ e

G. B. S.

Wanted! Fools for Yes, He was different Jesus Christ - gloriously differ-

ent. Trouble with most of us that we are afraid of being different. In certain fields we covet certain things because they are "different". But in field of character we are afraid to be different. Wear same st-yles, speak saiJ:e t arminology, revolve around same axis, travel same orbit, in a word, we follow the crowd.

And it takes courage to be different. To face crowd disapproval. To be nonconfor.m iat. We bate to be thought queer. Rather be dubbed sinful than queer. Paul on trial for his life was adjudged queer. Before Agrippa Paul heard· Festus say, "Paul thou ar:b be­side thyself much learning hath made thee mad'"· Said the same about Jane Addams when

she decided tc live her lii'e .in slums of Chicago and Qedicate hersel~ to poor people. Said the same of Father Damien when he went to live. among lepers. Came to point where he could say "we· lepers". Said the same or Albert Schweitzer of Lambarene.

The world said Jesus was mad! Incoher­ent~ Eccentric! Beside Himself! Even demon­possessed! But before ve can have a \\Urld of peace and sanity, ve will have to recog­nize that He was sane, coherent, god-possess ed. Even cynical George Bernard Shaw has to say this:

Shall never get a new world and a new society except as individuals become new. And right there is where we can take hold -people will label us "visionary", "mad", "im practical". But that is the only way this can be done. Are we willing to be judged a fool for the sake of Christ?

"A FOOL FOR CHRIST'S SAKE" "WHOSE FOOL ARE YOU?"

11}~ A.J-,u k r rea/ fP 1/,; d /~ ;,_./ -h #¢_- f't'~ $-,ie ~ t:fl~c.l' fP ~; .<?Aev~ /{ea-r h. :.# -c?/. ~ t.ll.!

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Jesus was not well understood. 'l'here was the dull incomprehension of disciples

a and friends. Jesus wanted to lead them into • depths of understanding; but they were con-. tent to paddle in shallows. Wanted them to

catch the deep music of His life and ·aod' s purpose, but they were content to listen to cheap, catchy tunes of personal ambition. He must mive been disappointed - s:> much was to depend upon their comprehension and loyalty.

~ut deepest disappointment was caused by misunderstanding of own folks. Can meet disappointment from without, bravely if you are assured of understanding of loved ones. Can meet "slings and arrows" of cold world, if know there is refuge to turn to at close of day. But Jesus oould find no refuge at home - listen! "Th birds of t he cdr have nest s, but t he Son of Man hat h not where to e lie His he d II . They thought Him queer! He disturbed them. ~ringing disgrace on them. Going off at a busy season on some fool er­rand of preaching. "Why did 'We have to have such a fanatic in the family'?".

vlimax of misunderstanding came family adjudged Him insane - beside Himself - suf­fering from hallucinations. His teaching re­garded as sheer madness. lmpracticalt Para­doxical! Heretical! "First shall be last and last first " - ,.He that savet h his lif e shall lose i t " - nr t hat h been said dn eye for dil ey •••• But I say unto you, love your enemies and pray for t hem hat despi t ef'ully use you" - "Blessed are the meek".

And His death was the crowning madness. A Believed that if He died on a cr:oss, a Gross ,_,mark you, in years to come men v.ould respond

to that dramatic event. He said, "It I be lift ed up f rom he ear t h I wi 11 draw •. " It was a strange insanity; sheer insanity. Yes, to most of His contemporar~es Jesus was al-together "be side Himself". He was the Mad

Carpenter of Nazareth.

-----­p,_T TllE uoOR •·Bevonci this door shall ne¥er go Tl~c burdens that are mine to know ;

The daY is done, and here 1 \ea'~e . The pettY things that ve-s. and gr_leve; What c\ings to me of \,ate. and ~~n To them 1 wi\l not carrY ·~; OnlY the good shall go w1th, !1\e For their devoted eyes to sec. }ie wiped his sboes be! ore his c\oor · But paused to do a \i~t\e n,ore,, He dusted off the sta1ns of stnte, The mud that's incident to life, The blemishes of careless thought. The traces of the nght \,e'd. fought, The selfish humors and the mean, . p.nd wh<" h< '"""d '" w>' c\<'"· -Ed<!•

The School of Vrayer

T EACH us to pray," requested the disciples. In response

Jesus taught them the Lord's Prayer, the perfect

prayer. Simple, yet profound . Brief, yet all-inclusive.

More used than any other, but probably also more misused.

By many frequently repeated but never prayed. With ease

we say the words , but our soul struggles to make real its

petitions. We, too, need instruction in prayer. All too often

our prayers are cold, indifferent and ineffective.

To enter the school of prayer is simple. There is no admis­

sion fee but a sincere heart i no requirement but the sense

of need i no rule but the guidance of the Spirit i no condition

but dependence on the grace of God i no patterns but those

of the Word of God.

The school of prayer is presided over by the Spirit of

Prayer. He is the Master Teacher. He guides, encourages,

disciplines and leads into the deeper mysteries of prayer. His

lessons in prayer are given to those who truly wish to learn

the fine art of praying, who exercise themselves in prayer,

and who make full use of the treasure house of prayer in the

Old and New Testaments. " Lord, teach us to pray."

A .P.H . No. 7104. l itho in U.S.A.

FREMONT STREET METHODIST CHURCH Gloversville, New York Fred Clarke, Minister

Minister of Music Janet Price Da~is

Minister's Assistant Alicejoy France

Church Secretary Grace L. Gifford

ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP

Enter in Silence -Wait in Reverence - Unite in Worship

ORGAN PRELUDE - "Andante Cantabile" Wider CHORAL INTROIT - "Almighty Father'' Mendelssohn INVOCATION - By the minister Hn m 18 - "For the beauty of the eo.rth" Dix S DRS tliVI CORDA:

Minister: Lift up your hearts. People! We lift them up unto the Lord.

Minister: 0 Lord, open thou our eyes. People: That we may behold wondrous things.

Minl.ster: 0 Lord, open thou our lips; People: And our mouth shall show forth thy pr~ise. ---

DOXOLOGY - To be sung by all

* RESPONSIVE READING - 42nd Sunday; page 609 GLORIA PATRI :: f>.POSTLES' CREED

* SCRIPTURE LESSON - 2 Corinthians 4 !J'JTHEM - "I Wa. i ted for the Lord" Mendelssohn PASTORAL PRAYER :: LORD'S PRAYER ORGAN OFFERTORY - "Moderato - Chorale in E M:c..jor"Fro.nck PR.ESENT,'\.TION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS HYMN 258 - "Jesus, and shall it ever bo" Federal Street

SERMON - "Beside Himself"

Hl"NJN 266 - "O young and fearless Prophet" · Blairgowrie BENEDICTION :: CHORAL AMEN ORGAN POSTLUDE - "Prelude and Fugue" Buxtehude * Interval for Ushering

10:30

11:00 11:55

6:00

7:30

Morning ','!orship and sermon - n l:lGs i ,~ r:J Hi.mse lt". Church-time Cherub Hour for sma J.l a il U ch erl, Junior Church with Miss France di r ecting . Church School with classes for all a ge groups. Men especially invited to the Men's Class. Youth Fellowship. Di!cussion on "India Yesterday and Today". Leaders, Douglass Guenther and Miss France. Worship leader, David Doble. Union Evening Service at St. James Lutheran Church with the Rev. Fred Clarke as the preacher.

Altar flowers are given by Mrs . Chris. Williams and Ruth in memory of husband and father; and by the Edwards fam­ily in memory of Keith Edwards.

MON. 11:00 7:30 7:30

·wED. 2:30 7:30 8:30

THURS. 6:30

8:00

FRI. 11:00 1:00

THROUGH THE WEEK AT FREMONT

Weekday SchQol; grade 10. Boy Scouts at the church. Second session of Leadership Training In­stitute at First Presbyterian Church. We ekday Scho.ol; grades 4, 5 o.nd 6 . The Mid-week Service; Mr e CJ.a rke l eading. Board of Education meeting . Cordial Class meets at the horee of Charles Veghte, 304 South Main Street. Werner ;Vorkers will meet at the home of Miss Margnrtet Perry, 24 E. Eighth Avenue. Weekday School; grade 9. Weekday School; grades 7 and 8.

ANNUAL RU1vlMAGE SALE on Friday and Saturday of this week under the auspices of the Woman's Society of Christian Service at Garlock's Garage. If you have articles for this sale pleas e call 3878-J or 2687-J.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC rehearses as follows: Hi r,h School Choir, Wednesday, 3:30; Fremont Choir, Thursd::\Y .r 7:30 ; Cr 1.pel Choir, Friday, 3:30; Carol Choir, S u. tw.·d~ . y , 9~ 30 .