Connecticut western news., 1890-04-16
FORGIVENESS AND LOVE.
LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, iN- TERNATloNAL SERIES, APRIL 20.

LESSON III, SECOND QUARTER, iN-
 TERNATloNAL SERIES, APRIL 20. Text of the Lesson, Luke vii, se-60-Com.
 init Verses 47-8o-Golden Text, John
 iv, 1e-Commentary by tho Rev. D. M.
 Stearns.
 [Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
 mission of H. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philade
 phia.]
 36 "And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat" The incident of this lesson. like that of the last one, is recorded only by Luke and seems to have occurred at the same place, the city of Main. The principal intervening events were the sending of messengers to JeSus by John the Baptist who was in prison; the miracles wrought by Jesus in their pres ence, and the testimony of Jesus concerning John after the messengers had departed. He also rebuked the people because of their treatment of John and of Himself, saying that John had a devil and that Jesus was a glutton and wine bibber and friend of publi- cans and sinners
 37. "And, behold, a woman in the city, which was sinner" We do not know her name. This is the only place where the rec ord Is found and her name is not given. Tho only name given to her is sinner" and that fits us all (Rom. iii, 23; V, l2. She may have been more openly sinner than others, and have wandered farther from the paths of virtue, but she was one of those whom Jesus came to save; and in some way she had been convicted of her sinfulness and filled with a spirit of true penitence.
 38 And stood at His feet behind Him weeping" etc. Reclining as they did at table, as she came behind Him, she could easily stand at His feet, and, bending over them, wash them with her tears.
 30. "Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake within himself" He might as well have said it out, for Jesus knew his thoughts. He knows ours. too (Ps. cxx1ix, 9; Ezek. xii, ), and we need constantly to pray that He would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts.
 40. And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, have somewhat to say unto thee. :" Our very thoughts need answering, and tho Word of God is equal to it. Vain thoughts lodge within us, and was to our time and hin- der our service, but there is remedy, 1.-The Word of God" (Jer. iv, 14; xix, II; Luke xiv, 3S. There are seven or eight different Simons in the New Testament history besides Simon Peter, but this is the only mention of this one Al, 42. "When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, there fore, which of them will love him mostT' In this story of the creditor and two debtors Jesus would teach Simon somewhat of the relations in which he and the woman stood to God. Not that the indebtedness of Simon and the woman was as fifty compared with five hundred, but that was about the way Simon looked at it. He might be willing to acknowledge that he was not as good as he ought to be, but hero was a woman whom everybody knew to be great sinner. 43 "Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged" :" Any one could see that the one who was con- scious of owing five hundred, being freely 1 forgiven, would feel under much greater ob- l Ggation to the creditor than the one owing ! only fifty; and thus Simon answered rightly. l A deep sense of sin, a consciousness of our | great indebtedness to God, is an invaluable | blessing. May not the lack of this be the I cause oE so little manifest love to God on tho l part of those who profess to be His!
 46 "And he turned to the woman, and l said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman f' | Simon was no doubt surprised to have the thoughts of his heart revealed. The poor woman is no doubt surprised to have Jesus | turn in compassion to her. To be allowed to caress and anoint His feet was a great joy, | but to have Him turn His face to her, and | notice her, and commend her, mentioning 1 every loving act before all the people, and | placing her in His estimation above Simon | himself, surely now her heart was full. What condemnation for Simon; what glory for her. 1 How great the contrast! The host who in- | vited Him did not treat Him with common l courtesy, much less with any degree of honor l no water, no kiss, no oil; no refreshing, no l welcome, no gladness from Simon. But this l poor sinner, broken hearted because of her sins, ministers to Him with penitential tears and the true oil of gladness from a loving heart. Here is foreshadowing of future l day when many self righteous one shall be confounded and many poor contrite | one gloriously rewarded.
 Al. "Wherefore say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven" Good for the poor woman, but what about Simon and his sins7 In his own estimation he had none l worth mentioning, none that needed special l pardon, and Jesus came not to call the right | eous but sinners to repentance. If Simon could have had glimpse of his own heart as
 Jesus saw it, he too would have had a broken heart and have meekly sought forgiveness.
 But he was blind, and with salvation within
 his reach, even in his own house, he sees not
 his need and goes without, little thinking that
 the man who now sat at his table, ready and
 able to save him, was indeed Israel's Messiah
 4S And He said unto her, Thy sins are
 forgiven" She heard Him say it to Simon,
 and If her heart was full before it was surely
 overflowing now; but could it be true, die
 she hear arighta He turns again to her. look
 into her face, and says directly to herself
 "Thy sins are forgiven" Now she is sure
 He has looked upon her; He has spoken tC
 her; she believes that He is Israers Messiah
 and now He has become her Saviour and bel
 soul can say, "Thine anger (not with her, but
 with her sim is turned away, and thou com
 fortest me, for Thou art become my saliva
 tion" usa xii, l, D. Has Hs spoken t' | you in such words as these, II write untt
 you because your sins ars forgiven you, fol
 His Names sakes" q John ii, l2j And ha
 your heart overaowed with love to Him be
 cause of His great salvation so freely be
 stoweda If not, come closer to him; heal
 His Come unto Me-" and hearing and com
 ing rejoice in His Mot cast out" Matt. xii
 28; John vi, 30.
 49 And they that sat at meat with Hin
 began to say within themselves, Who is thi
 that forgiveth sins alsor' They knew Hin not; they, too, were blind like Simon; ther
 was no forgiveness for them either, althougl it was within their reach A reasoning questioning spirit draws no blessing iron Him, but only broken and contrite and be ieving spirit, and this they had not The.
 were well satisfied with themselves. What
 mystery this isl God manifest in the fesh healing the sick, raising the dead, fultillin
 the prophecies concerning the Messiah, sue
 as Isa. xx1v, 5, 6, as we'll as those in refer
 ence to His birth and place of birth Qsa. vii IA; Mic. V, 9, yet they know Him not. Th