The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-07-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS:
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR AUG. I,
1866--LESSON FIFTH.

Hono"cd."-JOAn xIi, l-lG.
It is intended that we should see how diff
fcrcnt parties looked on Jcsus-somc in adj
miration and gratitude, some in scorn and
hate. This is strange, but no more so than
the way isgoSpel Is regarded, some counting
it the very word of life and resting on it, and
some treating it with sconing and contempt
and planning by books and talks to destroy
it. In a sense Christ, with His gospel of
peace sends n sword on the earth. He unites
believers, but He divides them widely from
unbeevcrs.
We have here honor done to Christ in two
ways-in private house and in public; the
former by an individual, the latter by the
multitude Each makes picture the like of
which we have nowhere else in the world, and
each has a dark background. Study the pic
lures in their order.
|. In the private house, II was in Beth
any, Of which we know 50 much that we need
not 90 back TO it. One great object of attcn-
ton fcrc at this time was Lalarus That this
suDper-thc main meal of the day-was in an
other house than that of Lazarus may be in
forrcd from Lazarus being mentioned as sit
tnr at the table, That Martha served was
like her-capable, practical and neighborly
Very often friends and ueighhors in the SIM
pier forms of life do the like of this still, at
village entertainments. The time was six
days before the Passover mentioned to eX
plain Y. :, and to show the relation of all
these occurrences to the CruciliXion 50 near at
hand. SO Lazarus is mentioned as throwing
light on the facts of vs.. l0-ll, which see
in this connection.
We have nothing in our habits that would
help us TO understand the amounting even Of
the feet Of Christ with precious ointment, but
it was not difficult according to eastern ways.
The guests rcclmed, their feet not under the
table as with us, but outside, They wore san
dais easy Cfrcmoval, and the washing of the
fset on arriving at house was common, rem
dcrcd necessary by the dry dust on their feet,
only kept from the ground by sandals. The
poculiartics OF this are three: a. That Mary
di il. She is not to be COMPOUNDED with another
who did the like, but who is described as n
Sinner" There is not II particle of evidence
that any stain rested on the character of Mary
or Martha, or indeed of Mary Magdalene, to
whom tradition, and the habit it produced of
calling certain institutions "Magdalen asy
lums' has done great injustice. Mary was
loving, grateful and devoted to Jesus, and she
wished to show this. Her brothers return to
her was too great blessing to be soon forgot
ten.
CO The value of the spikcnard there is no
use in perplcxing pupils about the nature OF
it. 1t was q liquid perfume, nnrd, probably
called so from the place of its manufacture,
like eau dc Cologne, some well known and
costly perfume, of which She, from her means
Though the family appears to have been com
fortablcD, would not have been expected to
expend so much. Good women often sur
prise the world by their deeds.
3 The wipng with her hair of the Saviour's
feet His body was according to the other
evangelstS, also anointed. This Of his feet
John cmphasi2es) The apostle Paul, who
was obsclNdhi and practical, says of a woman
that long hair is a glory to hcr-a fitting and
beautiful ornament Notice the use to which
this woman puts her hair. Let us give our
best to Christ. Often sermons have been
preached ON the 'housc filled with the odor;'
the fragrance of piety, unsciishnesS sef-sacri-
flee, devotion, fills the place. Alas! how
many dad odors' there are in many dwell
mgs-sclli5hncss, jealousy, quarreIing and
hate-or, to change the figure, skeletons i'll
the closets!
Now for the dark background. Listen 10
Judas, the traitor, lamenting that SO much
money was wasted that might have beer
given to the poorl He was treasurer of tbs
little company's little means (see Revision
hcre) ". Gl. He was not sincere any more
than those who dcplore money spent on mis-
sionS at home and abroad while there are SO
many poor at our own door. As u rule they
do little for the poor. As a rule those who
Al. u. bn host friends nf tha
poor at home And what is the whole amount
spent on missions, churches and the like,
to what goes to pleasure and sin'
Hear our Lords defense of her Tvs, 1-S):
81 ct her alone" etc He knew she had pre-
pared for this, kept it tsee the RcviSion), de-
Mod herself IN other ways, perhaps to do 1t.
And there was more fitness in it than she
knew. He knew it; it was as if she did it for
his burial. (Sce John xix, D-iO) She
"builtlcd better than she knew" So many
Christian worker obcys a noble impulse, with
no idea of all that God sees in it and all that
will come of it. Jesus mildly puts the case of
the poor. They will always he within reach
Of n kindly hand As for him he is soon to be
away from them. 1t is calm, dignited and
like what one would say when consciously
near the end, when passion seems signally out
of place.
Then we have two or three explanatory
% The crowd is accounted for
v. 81. They knew he was there, and they
wished to sec Lazarus. The love OF the sensa-
tional is deep and widespread. cl The plan
of the chief priests to put Christ to death was
going forward though against difficulties, for
his hour was not yet come. The also OF
V. 10 shows this CS They meant to get
Lazarus also out of the way. He was a stand
ing living witness to Jesus power, and so far
to his Mcssanic claims. $50 in V. H. He
was remember, the third case of restoring to
life by Jesus, but the first so near them.
ii. The public demonstration ". l2-l5).
Bethany was suburb Of Jerusalem. Jesus was
known to be there. His fame was now wide
spread. The hope was rife that at length the
coming King was near them. They wished
to show their feeling, and, rs the manner of
the Jews was, took branches of palms-not
signs of victory, but such as were used at the
feast of tabernacles-put them on his path,
waved them with accompanying acclama-
tons from the Psalms. See Ps. cxviii, 1913
and study V. ~, which refers to suffer-
ing "Hosanna' is the Hebrew Save, we
pray, in Greek form.) AS we learn from
Matt. xxi, 10, Jesus knew their intention,
fell in with it, secured an ass on which to
ride--a common steed in those days-and not
regarded as with us. Horses We're for heather