The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-27
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST 81.
Lesson Text: "Entering the King.
dom," Luke xviii, 15-3O-Golden
Text: Luke xviii, IT,
Commentary.

fants, that BE would touch them; but when
His disciples saw it, they rebuked Them"
The two incidents of this lesson-the little
children and the rich young ruler-are re-
corded also in Matt. xix. and Mark Z.
According to Mark and Luke the re-
quest was that He should touch them,
but according to Matthew He was asked to
put Els hands on them and pray. In our last
lesson we saw that the true elect, the chill
deep sense Of their sin and unworthiness;
here we shall see that they are such as bring
nothing but emptiness and helplessness and
dependence. How out Of sympathy with the
Lord were even the disciples. The world
hated Him, and so did the outwardiy reli-
gious Pharisees, but we might expect His
disciples to know His mind yet see verses 81
"a and John xiv, o. and then osk, is it any
better with me9 Am I walking with Him,
and understanding what the will OF the
Lord is?
16. "But Jesus called them unto Him, and
said: Suffer little children to ccme unto Me,
and forbid them not; for such is the King.
dom Of God" See how empty, helpless AMI
everything; and when we see that that Is our
condition before God, and come in our help
lessness to Him, we shall be accepted of Him,
and become children Of the Kingdom. As to
the safety Of little infants who die before
they come to the knowledge Of good and evil,
see Deut l., 80, and remember that God
knows how to make the precious blood OF
Christ avail for them. The streets Of the city
shall be full of them (zech. viii, s.:
II. "Verily say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the Kingdom as little
child, shall in no wise enter therein" What,
then, shall become Of such as will not accept
k,-,,k !, hat dSUa11oth
no good thing" and that "by the deeds Of
the. law (our very best doings) no flesh can
be justified in His sight" Rom. vii, 18; Ill.
2O, who persist in thinking that il they do
as near right as they can God will not cast
them out? There is only one thing for oil
such, and that is to be shut out from the
Kingdom, for Except your Righteousness
shall exceed the Righteousness Of the Scribes
and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into
tho Kingdom OF Heaven" Matt. ", 2O).
1S. "And certain ruler asked Him, say.
ing, Good Master. what shall do to inherit
eternal life?" Mark says that he came run
ming and kneeled to Him. Here is great ear
nestness, and in an all important matter.
Here is humility also. He had none Of the
proud. self righteous spirit Of the Pharisee in
our last lesson; but we shall also see that He
has neither the deep conviction Of sin OF the
publican, nor the empty condition OF the
little child. And another difficulty in ht
way is the idea Of doing something to obtain
eternal life he does not know that eterna'
life is the gift Of God from. vi, 29. He asks
a similar question to that asked by Others in
John vi, %, 90; to which Jesus replied,
tsThis is the work Of God that ye believe on
Him whom He hath sent.
10. "And Jesus said unto him, Why call
est thou Me good? None is good, save one,
49, T., 81 Iae,,o 1-porv i,1Ct how rnTch he
meant by 'sgood,n and would awaken him to
think. His question may have had this mean.
ing, Do you believe that l am God. and
therefore do you thus address Me? -.
90 s"Thou knowest the commandments. !"
When the lawyer who tempted Christ was
by Him referred back to the law he repeated
summary Of the whole (x., 21, and Jesus
said: srThis do and thou shalt live" He now
refers this ruler to five of the commands
which refer to our duty to man, seeking
thereby, as in the case OF the lawyer, to con-
vince Of sin, for by the law is the knowledge
of sin, and cursed is every one that contln:
ueth not in all things written in She book OF
the law to do them (Rom ill.,, 10; Gal. iii :,
81. "And he said, All these have I kept
from my youth up" He, no doubt, thought
he had. he was righteous in his own eyes.
BE had done all he knew and yet had not
eternal life, and his question was what else
is there for me to do? He seems to be in
dead earnest to obtain what he sought, but
being ignorant of Gods Righteousness he was
going about to establish his own righteous
ness. 49,.
22. Now when Jesus heard these things
He said unto him. Yet lackest thou one
thing" Mark says that beholdins him He
loved him. There must have been some
a. III oIo him that
mended him to Jesus, who read his heart.
''Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come, follow Me-" Mark adds
,rTake up the cross.n Jesus loved him well
enough to be frank with him, even though
he should lose him as follower.
g. "And when he heard this he was very
sorrowful, for he was very rich" Mark
says that he went away grieved. BE would
not follow Jesus at such q price. The cross
was too heavy. His own wealth was more
real to him than treasures in heaven. 1t
seems strange to the natural man and un-
for His followers, that to give away is to
keep forever, and to keep for ones self is to
lose forever.
"a. "And when Jesus saw that he was
very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the King
dom Of God" This young ruler made his
choice, and preferred his wealth to eternal
life and treasure in heaven. What con-
trast do we see in Moses, who esteemed the
reproach Of Christ greater riches than tho
treasures Of Egypt, for he had respect unto
the recompense OF the reward Heb, H. 2G
25. 'sFor il is easier for a camel to go
through a needles eye than for a rich man
to enter into the Kingdom OF God" 1t Is
said that the small gate for the foot passen-
gers might possibly be entered by camel, II
urloaded, but for q loaded camel to pass
through it would be an utter impoSSlbllity.
II this small gate within the larger ono was
called the needles eye, then the illustration
is clear. If this rich young ruler had been
willing to unload himself Of his riches as the
Saviour advised him to do, he might have
entered the Kingdom; but his burden, which
be preferred, kept him out.
sb. "And they that heard it said: Who
then can be saved?r Perhaps they did not
notice that Jesus spoke only Of such as, like
this man, clung to their riches. When we
look about us and see the race for wealth,
NAV we not we'll ask "Who can be saved?
But il is better to look within, or rather ask
the Lord to look within us, for His eyes are
sharper than ours, and see ii there is any idol
in our heart that is keeping us from being
saved or, if saved, that is keeping US from
being wholly Ills for MS service. -,
q. "And He said, The things which are
impossible with men are possible with God :,
Or, according to Marx, with God al
things are possible" and all things are pos
sible to him that believeth" (Markx., q; k,
23.
as.. ''Then Peter said, Lo we have left al
and followed Tlsee.n According to Matt
xix, 81, he asks, ''What shall we have there
fore:" 1t seemed to Peter that he and the
other disciples had done. in their measure,
what Jesus had asked the rich ruler to 40
But they were not rich; they had only Tor
saken boats, and nets, and occupation, an anT
home, and friends; yet it was tser ALL Will
23. 80. Manifold more in this present
time, and in the world to come Life Ever
iasting." Mark says San hundred fold now
IS this time but odds, with prosecutions.
Ma44La.u a ii, III at in the REGENERATION. wher