Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-03-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.

Text of tho Lesson, Mark X. 1871 Mem
DRY Verses, FL. sa--Golden Text Math.
vi, 33-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
IL And when He was gone forth into
the way there came one running and
kneeled to Him and asked Him, Good
Master, what shall l do that | may inherit
eternal lifes" This event is also recorded
by both Matthew and Luke. 1t is in each
Immediately preceded by the saying OF
Christ that we must become as little chill
dren in order to enter the kingdom, and it
is followed by Peters remarks about their
having left all. and the question as to
what they should have, and the Sayiour's
reply. By comparing the three accounts
we find that this earnest, anxious soul
was a young man, ruler and very rich.
These facts, coupled with that OF his run
ming after Jesus and kneeling down before
Him in the street, seem to indicate very
great earnestnsss ON his part in reference
to this great matter of eternal life.
Is. And Jesus said unto him: Why
callest thou me goods There Is none good
but one Ihat is God As If He said,
In calling me good, do you confess that
L
heartily receive the young man, saying,
Il am so glad you have asked me. Sit
down with me quietly, and will show
you in few minutes, for it is very easy"
I He does not think in His heart: Now, here
is a splendid catch. l must get him by all
means Think what his social position
his money will do for us We must have
him.
49, "Thau knowest the eomman imsnts.
/ Do not commit adultery, Do not kill. Do
not steal, Do not bear false witness, De
4 fraud not, Honor thy father and mother F."
/ Thus in answer TO His question He takes
Him, as he did the lawyer, at once TO the
I law, and to what we call the second table,
4 his duty to man, for we can only prove our
/ love to God by our love to our fellows. Be
/ fore we can know the way to life eternal we
4 must have our eyes opened to see our guilt
1 and inability TO do anything TO obtain this
/ eternal life.
/ 90. And he answered and said unto
1 Him, Master, all these have l observed
( from my youth" We will suppose that
1 he was thoroughly honest in this reply
1 and actually thought he had not failed in
any Of these commands, but 1t is evident
4 that he neither knew his own heart nor
/ the spirit Of the law as Jesus had taught
j it tMath. V, 21-2Sl or he would not thus
/ have justified himself Paul speaks OF
4 this kind of righteousness which this
4 young man had MS mere own righteous
ness which is Of the law" hut he learned
/ to count it all as dross when he saw the
righteousness which is of God by faith
/ (Phil iii, %.
/ 81 "Then Jesus, beholding him, loved
/ him and said unto him, One thing thou
lackest, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven, and come, take
up the cross and follow me" There is no
one whom Jesus does not love. He loves
those who are dead in sins (Eph. ii, 4, 81,
but His heart went out with special love
to this young man. The one thing he
lacked was just this knowledge of the love
of Christ
go And he was sad at that saying and
went away grieved for he had great pos
sessions" Jesus had now put His hand
upon the sore spot rs when He said to the
woman of Samaria Go call thy hus-
band" Empty and dependent as "a little
child we must come if we would know
Him and His love and grace and fullness.
30. And Jesus looked round about and
saith unto His disciples, How hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the king
dom of God. " The Kingdom Of God meant
more to Jesus than it meant TO His dis
ciples or than it means to many Chris
tians now. this day listened toa sermon
preached to about 1000 people in st.
Giles cathedral, where once the voice Of
John Knox rang out the truth, in which
the real kingdom which Jesus and all the
prophets preached was wholly set aside.
"a And the disciples were astonishcd
at His words, but Jesus answereth again
and saith unto them, Children, how hard
is it for them that trust in riches to enter
into the kingdom Of God 4" There Is not
necessarily any sin in money. 1t is the
love of money Il Tim. vi, l0), or, as Jesus
here puts 1t, the trust in or reliance upon
riches, instead Of upon the giver Of every
good gift, who giveth us richly all things
to enjoy. Abraham was rich, and David
and Zaccheus and many others whom the
Lord saved. 1t is not said that mot any
mighty or noble is called" but mot
many mighty, not many noble Il Cor I,
26). One has well said, Thank God for
the letter NJ.
25 ''It is easier for a camel to 20
through the eye of needle than for rich
man W bittE lilo INT kiuRupiil vi bou- u
is simply impossible for any man, rich or
poor to enter the kingdom without being
born from above John iii, o, 5, ~, but
that is not probably the truth taught here
If there was in large city gate a small gate
which only u camel could 20 through with
difficulty by unloading and If this small
gate was called "a needles eye, " Ii would
help us to understand these words Of the
gfraff ion a., nd IN,
mind, it is plain that He teaches us that it
is next to impossible for one who is rich to
enter the kingdom Of heaven, but God,
who is love, has made full provision for
whosoever will receive His love (Rey. xii,
! ~.
20. ''And they were astonished out of
measure, saying among themselves, Who
then, can be savedy" 1t would seem that
to the minds Of the disciples Jesus had
spoken, not Of o bare possibility, but Of
an impossibility, at least as far as all the
rich were concerned. This, with many
other passages Of Scripture, such as Tim.
vi, ., II; Zeph /, IS; Ps. xix, 8, z,
should certainly teach us not TO coret
riches, except as they may be used for
Him and His kingdom. 1t is possible to
be poor, yet make many rich, to seemingly
have nothing and yet possess all things
| III Cor. II, l0). Think Of Him who,
though He was rich, yet for our snkes be
came poor and let Him be cur durable
| riches as well as righteousness I'll Cor
| viii, Q; Prov. viii, 49,.
81 And Jesus, looking upon them,
saith With men it is impossible, but not
! with God. for with God all things arc pos
sible There is nothing too hard or too
I wonderful for the Lord, for His name Is
| wonderful tGen. xviii, IA; Jer xxi, n;
Judg. xiii, IS, margin; lisa. TX, %. When
1 simple faith receives the wonderful Saw
4 iour and Lord, the most commonplace life
will become wonderful by His indwelling
/ and outworking The great thing on our
1 part Is to know our nothineness that We
J may not seek to bring Him anything, but
our poor worthless selves Then He will