The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-04
SABBATH SCl0y
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JUNE 8.
Lesson Text: :"Teaching to Pray, Luke
XII, 1-13 Golden Text: Luxe
1i, documentary.

Structve incident or Jesus Ill Cne mouse OF
Martha CHAP 2, 3-i?. / have no doubt but
that both women were true disciples Of Jesus
(see John XII, 5, ~ and that Mary was as
willing to do housewo-k as Martha: but the
attitude OF soul which Jesus commends in
Mary, and which was lacking in Martha, was
the greater interest III the things unseen than
in the things Of this life. Mary was increas-
ing in riches which she would never lose;:
while Martha, though just as safe as Mary,
was more careful about the many things OF
this life which sooner o. later must all be left
behind.
J. And it came to pass, that as He was
praying in a certain place" Luke records
more instances of the Saviour's praying than
either Of the others. In Luke alone DO we
find that He prayed at His baptism, at bis
TRANSPORTATION, after He cleansed the ieper,
and before He chose the twelve tii., q; ix.,s
s9: ". Is: vi, II, lsl. The incident OF our
lesson also is found only in Luke. .
Lord, teach us to. pray, as John also
taught his disciples" In the sermon on the
mount Jesus had already taught how to pray
Matt vi, 9-13, but as it was after that the
twelve were chosen, it is prooable that the
disciple who asked this question was not pres
ent at that time. We would not have known
that John taught his disciples to pray but for
this statement, and we are glad that this dis
ciple has mentioned the fact.
2. "And He said unto them. When Ye3
pray, say Our Father which art in Heaven:
In His sermon on the Mount Jesus said:s
sYour Father which is in heaven" or your
Heavenly Father" eight times, Thy OF
your Father seven times, MY Father
which is in heaven" once, and ''Our Father
which art in heaven" once. To Mary after
His resurrection He said: "Go to my brett
rem and say urto them, l ascend unto MY
Father and you- father; and to my God and
your God" John X, ~. II we moro fully
realized our relationship to God as His chill
dren by faith in Christ Jesus, and His rela-
tionship to us as Our Father who art IN
heaven, how happy We would be and what
delight we would take in prayer, either pub;
lie or private.
ssHallowed be Thy name" In His last
PRAYER with His disciples Jesus said to His
Father. Il have manifested Thy name" u
declared unto them Thy Name" At another
time He prayed, Father. giorify Thy
Name" John xvii, 6, 26; xii, go.
Thy kingdom coma" The God Of Heaven
shall set up kingdom which shall break in
pieces and consume all the Kingdoms OF this
world and it shall stand forever:
Thy will be done. as in Heaven, 80 in
earth" When this petition shall have been
manifestly answered, then the Kingdom
shall have come. But until GODS will is
done on earth as it is in Heaven let no one.
say that the kingdom has come.
3. ''Give us day by day our daily bread"
Sus:enance for body and soul as
each day shall require: but one day at q
time. "A daily rate fo- every day all the
days of his life was what certain king
gave to one who was his captive Il. Xii
XIV. 3N. How much more will our Father
in Heaven made good His promises to each
OF His children.
+. "And forgive US our sins; fOT we also
forgive every one that is indebted to u.s."
When He taught them this prayer in the ser
mon on the mount, He added: If ye for.
give not men their treSpasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses." Aud
the same teaching He reoeated on yet an
o her occasion. as recorded in Marx XII, %,
and again in Matt. xviii, 81; in the last place
emphasizing the point that the fH:sivenessof.
others must be from the heart.
And lead.us not into temptation, but de-
liverus from evil" God did tempt or try,
or prove Abraham, and James says,
Blessed is the man that endureth tempta-
ton but he also adds, Sod cannot be
tempted with evil, neither tempteth He
man" (Cfen. xii. !: Jas. l., l.-l5). IemPta,
tionS, in the sense OF trials, are our greatesG
blessings JAS. l., 2; ]. Pet. iv., II, 13l; and
tempted above that W. are able Il. Cor. =. lS).
81. Friend, lend me three loayes; for
rland Of mine in his journey is come to me
and have nothing to set before him" Jesus
aow uses the illustration Of Il friend coming
to frienl, Oh behalf of another friend, and
ut a very unreasonable hour, but with very
Urgent request: and the request is denied,
or the man OF whom toe request is made
thinks more OF tha comfort OF his cnlidren:
Yho are in bed with him, than OF the need or 2
us friend. On the one side is a father caring
OF his chi dren, and on the other man seek
ng food for friend. He hal just taught
.hem how how to approach their Father In
,eaven, and now He will encourage them by
Illustrations from daily life among man, ev1.
emily making point Of the greater love Oh
/ man for his children than TO" his friend.
s. Because Of his Importantly he will rise
md give him as many as he needeth:" The
word for importantly is used only this
,rce in the Bible. and signifies literally
'shamelessness'' or ''impudencs" OF rough
sarnestness." Here is all earnestnesS, not
:ery seemiy but which acconplishes its end,
wen at the expense Of the caidren's comfort.
He seems to teach us that there Is taxing
hold of God in prayer as Jacob did when IN
MS helplessness he c!ung to the ange! saying:
Il will not let thee go. except thou bless
me-"
O. And say unto YOU Asi: and it shall
be given you" "All things whatsoever ye
shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall re-
csive." Whatsoever We SHALL ask in Ny
name. that will do, that the Father may be
sloritied in the Som II ye shall ask any
thing in My name, will do it." IF ye !;
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye :,
shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done
unto you Matt. xxi: %; John xiv, 13, IA;
XIV, i. These are few of the many plain,
emphatic words Of our Lord upon asking
and receiving, but believes them? who
thus asks and receives?
Seek ami ;e shall find" .'Ye shall s
Ne and find Me when ye shall search for
with all your heart" Those that seek Ne
diligently shall find Me" tJer. xxx, l3; Prov.
the mind Of God and with the whole heart,
when we seek spiritual good as men sesk sill
YER or hidden treasures Pr. H., ~, then we
may expect to find.
10. 'For every one that asketh receiveth,"
etc. And these promises and statements
about asking, seeking knocking, are preHxed
by His emphatic Il say unto you How
comforting are the words OF |. John ", Ia, 10;
And this is the confidence that we have in
Him, that if we as; anything according to
His will, He heareth Us; aud If we know that
He hears us, whatsoever We ask, We know
that we have the petitions that We desired OF
Him.
II, u. If son snail ask bread OF any Of
you that is father. will he give him stoneY'
In the previous illustration He encourages to
ask, and now He encourages to expect what
we ask for.
13. How much more shall your Heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
Him. If father will give to friend, how
much more will father give to his son!
And if earthly parents love to give good
things to their children, now muca more
will our Heavenly Father give good things
Matt. vii III to them that ask Him? The
fact that Matthew says good things" and
Luke says 1.-The Holy Spirit" seems to indi-
cate that the Holy Spirit is the sum Of all