The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-03-08
THE CHlLDLIKE SPIRIT.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.

LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.
Text of the Lesson, A1arls lx, 3342-Com-
init to Memory Verses 80. 37-Golden
Text, Mark <. l5-Commentary by Rev.
d. NJ. Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by Der.
mission of II. S. Hoffman. publisher. Philadel-
phia
33. "And He came to Capernaum." He
had shown them His power and glory on the
mount of TRANSPORTATION, thus assuring the
three who were with Him that, though now
despised and rejected, He was not merely the
lowly man He appeared to be, but also the
true3Son of God as well as Son of Man, Israel's
Messiah; and if they would be content to
bear the cross with Him now, they would in
due time share His glory. When they de-
scended from the mount, they found the man
with the demon possessed son whom the other
disciples had tried in vain to heal, and as
Jesus cast out the demon He told the disci-
pies that their failure was due to unbe.
lief, but at the same time added that .sthis
kind goeth not out but by prayer and fast
ing" Matt. xvii, 2D He then passed
through Gaiilee teaching tho disciples
by the way and for the second time
plainly foretold His sufferugs, death
and resurrection (verses S0-S2), but they un-
derstood not, for they had other thoughts in
their minds and looked for different re-
suit. How many Christians are even now in
the dark concerning things that are coming,
because they have other thoughts than Gods
IN their minds, and are not simply and be-
ievingly subject to His word. One result of
their unbelief was that instead Of being in
Fellowship and sympathy with Him as He
Journeyed to the cross, they were thinking
and talking of their own individual inter-
ests and reasoning among themselves as to
who should be the greatest in the kingdom
which they thought was then close at hand.
Muke tx, 46.)
81 "By the way they had disputed among
themselves who should be tho greatest.n
They had not talked SO He could hear, but He
had perceived the thought Of their hearts
luke tx, 40;as we journey on in our church
and Sunday school work, and ordinary daily
life He is always perceiving the thoughts of
our hearts, and it is not true that instead of
seeing there whole hearted sympathy with
Him in His great aim to have the Gospel
preached to every creature, He often sees our
aim to be that we may have the finest church
building, or largest congregation, most sue
cessful Sunday school, or in some way the
praise Of men rather than His approval.
Why cannot our aim be that Of Paul "that
Christ may be magnified in our bodies,
whether by life or by death; making our
selves all tnings to all men that we may by
all means save some" PhilIi, 90; Cor ix,
2sD To this end let US seek Him with the
whole heart, remembering that He searcheth
all hearts and understandeth all the imagina.
tions of the thoughts. QChron xviii, 9.)
IS. "lf any man desire to be first, the
same shall be last of all and servant Of
ALL" So again in Chap <, 1916 where
He repeats the same teaching, adding
that He Himself US Son Of Man came
not to be lninistered unto but to minister,
and to give His life ransom for many. Tho
word of tho Lord to Baruch through Jere-
miah was ''Seekest thou great things for thy
selfs Seek them not" tJer. xiv, 5.) And
the word of the Lord to US today does not
vary from that, for if the Lord Jesus sought
not His own glory while here in his humilia-
tion, surely no true follower of His should
seek honor or glory for its own sake in a
world that is at enmity with God. One
reason why the disciples were disputing as to
who should be the greatest, was their not un-
derstandins the object of Christ's first coming
to suffer, the just for the unjust, to be cut off
and have nothing lisa. lii, s; Dan, tx, 26); and
one reason why there is so much emula-
tion and strife among churches and Chris
tians now is because they do not see clearly
their position in this world and their relation
to it and to Christ, and have not enough Of
His spirit who was meek and lowly in heart
oy,F n him 1o6
&c. "He took child and set him in the
midst of them" In our last lesson, which
was much later than this in point Of time,
He took infants in His arms and taught that
the kingdom must be received as a little
child, for otherwise it could not be entered;
and that to come to Him we must come in
entire helplessness and dependence, simply
believing His word; bringing nothing Of our
own, but receiving all from Him as an un-
merited gift.
81. sWhosoever shall receive one of such
children in My name, receiveth Me, and
whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not
Me, but Him that sent Me-" Not many
workers for Christ think it so great or impor-
tant to work among the children and gather
them in as to reach the older ones; and not
many think it as great a work to reach the
poor Of this world who cannot do much to
support the church and have apparently
nothing but souls to be saved, as to reach tho
more well to do people who can be of some
service to the church and help in SO many
ways; nice families 70 with whom we can
associate, you know, and who are really in
fuential 70 people,
IS. ;NNe forbade him, because he followeth
not u.s. What wretched, God dishonoring
firm this I'VE, Us & Co." certainly is,
and because this one who cast out devils in
Jesus maze was not of the company of the
apostles lie must therefore stop his good
work if John knows anything about it; and
he thinks be does.
50 Jesus said, Forbid him not" Blessed
Master, Great Head of the church, we thank
The, that in reference to the little children
Thou didst say, "Forbid them not;;" and in
reference to this worker outside the apostolic
company Thou didst say, "Forbid him not. !"
40. "He that. is not against US is on our
part" This word looked at in the light of
that previous word, "He that is not with Me
is against Ne. and he that gathereth not with
Me scattereth abroad" M1att. Xii, SO, cer-
tainly cannot be held to teach that if q man
Is not openly against Christ therefore he is
for Him. The case in question was that of a
man actually working and doing good in the
Name Of Christ, and Jesus says Of him, he is
not against us, even II he is not in our COM
pany, therefore, forbid him not
Al "Whosoever shall give you cup of
water to drink in My name, because ye be.
long to Christ, verify say unto you, he
shall not lose his reward" Eternal life is the
gift of God, and must be received us q help.
less child receives what i4given to 1t; saliva
tion is in every case ito him that worl,etl
not, but beieveth" Rom. iv, o. then being
saved, we are patiently, meekly and lovingly
to work out in our daily life the salvation
which we have thus freely received, not re-
but seeking with the whole heart the saliva