Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-12-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, FOURTH QUARTER. ~
TERNATlonAl SERIES. DEC. is.
Text Of the Lesson. Math. &. 5-fo-s-e4a-
DRY Verses. 40 Golden Text. Mash.
Z. documentary by the Rev. ID. N.
Stearns.


I. 7-co.nmcntary by the Rev. u. N.
Stearns.
| 6. These twelve Jesus sent forth and
commanded them, saying, Go not into the
way of the gcntiles, and into any city OF 10
| Sainaritans enter ye not " In previous
lesson VIC saw that after continuing all
night in prayer to God He called y unto
Him that they should b. with Him ana
that He might send them forth to preach
and to heel tLuke vi. IL, A;.rk i'll, 1870.
This limitation OF their mission, restrain
1 ing them from gentiles and Samaritans,
is peculiar TO Matthew'S gospel and il
understood only when We remember that
this is the gospel of the kingdom, and
that Jesus came primarily as the king of
the Jews, the son Of David, son of AhTa-
ham, to sit on Dayid's throne and restore
the Kingdom to Israel that through them
all nations might DO blessed tMath j, /;
1 ii, 2; Luke |, 30, 80; Acts iii, 1921; Jer
| iii, III.
g. ..But 90 rather TO the lost sheep cs
the house of Israel . He Himself said in
chapter XIV, "a, Il am not sent but unto
the lost sheep OF the house OF Israel y Tie
showers OF blessing of which wo sing
and CT which we read in Eek. xxxiv 20,
will come to all nations after Israel has
been gathered under one Shepherd (Ezek
xxxiv, 1920, for He that scattered Israel
will gather him and keep him, as a shc3-
herd doth his flock tier XXI, 10) Tho
receiving of them as a nation by God, CON
seqnent upon their reception of Jesus as
their Messiah, shall Ike TO the world like
life from the dead from. xi, 10y
Z. .And as yc go preach, saying, Tho
kingdom Of heaven is at hand So
preached John the Baptist and Jesus
tchapters iii, ?; iv, ~. The key to tho
titles kingdom of God" and Kingdom
of heaven, the last OF which Is found
only in the gospel by Matthew, Is in Dan
ii, "A, where it is written that tho God of
heaven shall set up Kingdom which shall
never be destroyed 1t win be Kingdom
under the whole heavens (Dan. vii, go or
on the whole earth, God, its author and
fnisher, and hcayon its characteristic
kingdom for which we pray when we say,
Thy Will be done ON earth as in heaven. -
s. Heal the sick; cleanse tho lepers:
raise the dend; cast out devils. Freely We
have received; freely give" Supernatural
or nothing, here are somo features of 10
kingdom. After He announced the laws Of
the kingdom in chapters to vii sec tho
characteristics of it in chapters viii and
tx. Lcp,osy, disease evil spirits, winds
and waves and even death itself are all
subject to Him.
8. Provide neither gold nor silver nor
brass in your purses. Take nothing for
your journey Mark vi, 81. Go without
care; be anxious for nothing. He who fed
Elijah by Cherith by means of the ravens
was sending them, the same God who
multiplied the Widows meal and oil; He
who said that il we would make His king
dom and righteousness our first business
the food and railnent would surely be add
cd Math. vi, 33).
10. "Nor scrip for your journey, neither
two coats, neither shoes, nor yet slaves,
fer the workman is worthy of his meat"
Tho r. v says wallet" instead of scrip"
Tic purse or girdle was for money, the
scrip or wallet for food but they were to
mako no provision fer the way Olsen
tangled and free, not coniiding in external
equipments they were to lean wholly ON
the Lord. The Spirit, through Paul, when
repeating that the laboror is worthy Of his
reward, quotes also from Deut XIV, 4,
''Thou Shalt not muzzlo the OK that tread
9th out the corn" Il Tim. v, 1Sl.
Al. And into whatsoever city or town
ye shall enter inquire who in it is worthy,
and there abide till yo go hence" Tho
word worthy" is found seven times in
verses 10, II, 10, 81, IS, and is the same
wCrd that is used of Christ as the Lamb
that is worthy i'll Rev iv, IL; " o, L.
They were not to seek help from any who
were not the Lords. Jesus had been
through all Galilee preaching and heal
ing (Math. iv, 23), and there would be
some everywhere who had accepted Him
and through Him had become worthy, for
there is no real worthiness apart from
Him.
IL. "AnG when ye come into an house
salute it, He said to the 20, Into what
soever house ye enter first say, Peace be
to this house" duke x, 81. 1t was tho
angels message, "On earth peace" 1t is
often on His lips in His last days ON earth
John xiv, 81; xvi, 80; Xxx, 10, 81, 26). He
made peace, and we are to proclaim it
(Col. i, 20; Acts X, 36). 1t is an old fash
toned greeting Gen. xiii, 23; Elk. iv, Is;
Dcut. Xxx 10; Judg. vi, 90; l Sam. XIV, g.
13 And if the house be worthy let
your peace come upon it, but If it be not
worthy let your peace return unto you"
We can proclaim forgiveness of sins and
peace through the blood of Christ but we
tOiiptl W btlItNb IL Ut 10
accept Him Our responsibility ends with
the faithful proclamation. The word to
Ezekiel was to proclaim the message Of
the Lord whether people would hear or
forbear (Ezek. iii, 10, ~
IA. "And whatsoever shall not receive
you nor hear your words when ye depart
out of that house or city shake off tho
dust of yol feet Mark and Luke add,
For testimony against them" We find
Paul and Basnabas doing this very thing
at Antioch in Pisidia fActs xiii, 5l), and
with Silas and Timothy something very
like it Mt Corinth (Aets xviii 8, 81. AS
people treat the messengers of God, so
they treat God, who sends His messengers,
and He will sec to it. The word of Jesus
to every messenger is: Peace be unto you
AS my Father hath sent Nc, even so send
YOU (.Jolin Xxx, 21).
ID. Verify | say unto you, II shall be
more tolerablo for the land of Sodom ard
Gomorrah in the day OF Judgment than
for that city" For if the mighty weeks
of Christ had been done in Sodom and
other cities hey had repented and remain
cd to this day (Math. XII, 20-24) Notice
that privilege increases responsibility, for
to whom much is given of them much is
required. Notice also that there is
time of Judgment yet to come, and tho
time and the judge are all appointed (Aets
xvii, 80. believers, living nations and
the ungodly dead shall all come to judg
ment each at the proper time.
10. "Eehold, l send you forth as sheep
in tho m DIST Of wolves BE ye therefore
wise as serpents and harmless as doves. -
The 30 received the same warning (Luke |
x, -. In no place do we find that in this !
age all will receive the message, and in no
place are We authorized to convert the |
world. In no place are we taught to break |
up the Kingdoms of this world. All that is
for the age 10 follow this one Our com
mission is to preach the word, and endure |
hardness, and suffer and die with Him |
(lI Tim ii, .. Il, 12; iv. %
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