The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-04-18
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$ NAY SCHOOL.
INt.kNATToNsL LESSON FOR
APRIL 20
Le, son Text: "TorEiveness and love
Luke vii, SO 5O-Goiden Text:
tJohn iv. 10 documentary on
the Lesson

tJohn iv, 10 documentary on
the Lesson.
&C. "And ono of the Pharisees desired Him
| that lie would eat with him. And He went
| into the Pharsee's house and sat down t
| 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 10y 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 rehukel the people because OF their
treatment of John and of Himself, saying
| that John had devil and that Jesus was a
! glutton and wine bibber and friend Of publ
cans and sinners. We should not be sur
Rrssa / the %Sss rnHiNd s1s untrue thing
ID; XIV. 1920: xvi. 39t.-aIn this gospel We
see much OF Jesus as n man among men, n
social man, and yet always an unearthIy,
hoiy. separate and heart-sesrching man.
| Luke records four different occasions on
which lie went in TO cat with Pharsees and
! rubiicans which are not mentioned in any of
| the ether gospels Xxi, 81; XIV, /; xix, n,
and on each occasion lie has most heart
searching 'sords for the Pharisees. Wbilc
| lie accepts their hospitality He does not al
low their tavors to blind His eys or close His
mouth.
81 And, behold, woman in the city.
u w
name. This is the only place where tho
record is found and her name is not given.
The only name given to her is sinner" aud
| that fits us all
When she knew that Jesus sat at meat in
/ the Iharisees house, brought an alabaster
| box OF ointment IL would seem as if light
| had already dispclled the darkness from her
| soul and revealed to her n Savior. Just ask
| yourself it you would be asquick TO hear OF
Jesus and come to Him: would you bring
| him the best YOU had, and get to Him even
| though you had 10 enter the house Of ono
whom you knew would despise you? 1t may
| he that as we consider this penitent sinner our
| hearts are led with shame to confess that
her promptness and courage and gift exceed
. RhKdf Kdfl st55hi AesRh IN at HIS Ieet pcnnu n,m
weeping" etc. Reclining as they did nt
table, as she came behind Him, sho could
! easily stand nt His feet, and bending over
| them, wash them with her tears. See her as
! she wipes them with her hair then kisses
them, and anoints them with the ointment
! she had brought. If we have not been put
to shame by her promptness and courage
| and gift, surely we are now as we see her
! love.
80. 'Now when the Pharisee which had
hidden Him saw it, he spake within himself"
! He might Us we'll have said it out, for Jesus
| knew his thoughts. He knows ours, too (Ps.
cSxxix, 2; Eek. XII, s., and we need con-
stanty to pray that He would cleanse the
thoughts of our hearts.
20. And Jesus, answering. said unto him.
Simon, have somewhat to say unto thee"
Our very thoughts need answering, and the
Word of God is equal TO it. Vain thoughts
lodge within us, and waste our time and
hinder our service. but there is a remedy,
''Thc Word of God" (Jer. iv., IA; xxx, IL;
Luke xiv, 3S). There are seven OF eight
different Simons in the New Testament his
tory besides Simon Peter, but this is the
only mention of this one. Tho name, like
S mon i'm the Old Testament, signifies hear
ing, and was the name given by Leah to her
second son, because, as she said. "the Lord
had hcard' Gen. xxx, 38. How helpful
il would be if we always remembered that
the Lord heard, and that He has somewhat
to say to us about these thoughts of ours
Al, ~ "Whcn they had nothing to pay, he
frankly forgavc them both Tell me, there
fore which of them will love him mosty' In
this story of tile creditor and two debtors
Jesus would teach Simon somewhat of the
relations in which he and the women 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. Hc might he willing to
acknowledge that he was not rs good ms he
ought 10 be. but here was a woman whom
everybody knew to be a great sinner jesus
put the matter from Simon's standpoint and
asked the question: (Which will love mostT'
Ii would be profitable to consider here our
Indebtedness to God for life, health, privi-
lcges, protecting care, in fact all things, for
what have we that we have not received?
~. "Simon answered and said suppose
that he TO whom he forgave most And Ho
said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged"
Any one could see that the ono who was con-
scious of owing five hundred being freely v
forgiven, would feel under much greater Oh
legation TO the creditor than the one owing
only fifty; and thus Simon answered rightly.
44-ii. And He tnrned to the woman. and
said unto Simon. Seest thou this woman?'
Simon was no doubt surprised to have the
thoughts of his heart revealed. The poor
woman is no doubt surprised to have Jesus
turn i'll compassion to her. To be allowed To
careSs and anoint His feet was great joy,
, but to have Him turn His face to her, and
notice her. and commend her, mentioning
every loving act before all the people, and
, placing her III His estimation above Simon
himself, surely now her heart was full. What
, condemnation for Simon; what glory fol
her.
AZ. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins,
which are many, are forgiven" Good for
the poor woman, but what about Simon and
his sins? In his own estinla ton he had none
worth mentioning, none that needed specla
pardon, and Jesus came not TO call the right
eous but sinners to repentance. 1t Simor
could have had glimpse of his own hear
as jesus saw it, he too would have had
broken heart and have meekly sought for
giveness. But he was blind, aud with saliva
ton within his reach, even in his own house
he sees not his need and goes without. littl
thinking that the man who now sat at hi
table, ready and able TO save him, was in
. | ueel lSfdel > MeSSldu anu WOulu One uity u
his iu'.ge.
AZ ''And He said unto her. Thy sins ar
, forgiven thee" She heard Him say it +
q Simon, and if her heart was full before
was surely overhowing now; but could it b
true, did she hear Alright? He turns again +
r her. looks into her face, and says directly t
n herself: THY sins are forgiven" Now sh
, is sure; He has looked upon her; He Ina
. spoken to her. she believes that He is Israel
I Messiah, and now He has become her Saviou
! and her soul can say: "Thne anger INC
Z with her. but with the SIM is turned away
c and Thou comfortest me, for Thou art bt
: come my salvation" lisa. xii, IN.
= 40. "And they that sat at meat with Hin
r began TO say within themselves, Who is thi
e that forgveth sins alsoY' They knew Hir
g not; they, too, were blind like Simon; ther
& was no forgiveness for them either, atlhoug
it was within their reach. A reasoning
questioning spirit draws no blessing froI
I Him, but only broken and contrite and b.
d y, lieviug spirit, and this they had not. The
e were well satisfied with themselves. What
mystery this is! God manifest in the fest
;, healing the sick, raising the dead, ful6llir
g the prophecies concerning the Messiah, sue
', as lisa. xxxv., 8, q, as we'll as those In refe
Is encc to His birth and place Of birth lsa. vi
!? Il; Mic. ", q, yet they know Him not. III
NJ ! hungry lie fills with good things, but q