The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29
LESSON STORY.

LESSON OlOhI'
During the interim between this les-
son and our last, Jesus has left Galllee,
it may be finally; although some
scholars believe that he subsequently
made brief visit to the northern prov
ince. On his way southwark he was in
Hospitality treated in Samaritan vii
lage; this awakened his disciples wrath,
but not his own. Arriving in Jerusalem
he asserted his claim in the temple; and
found such favor with the people that
the authorities were overawed in their
enmity against him.
He also at this period sent out seventy
messengers to the villages OF Judea, on
the same essential errand which had
been fulfilled by the Twelve in Galilee.
Knowing that the time left to him was
short, he had sent these messengers with
the assurance to their hearers that
heaven, for such as chose it, was at
hand. The natural result of this minis
try of the seventy we shall behold later
when, at the approaching Passover. we
shall find that the whole population of
Judea has become ready, however mis-
takenly, to hail the Prophet of Nazareth
as the son of David.
Luke has preserved from this period,
during which Jesus remained in Judea
and Perea, group of parallels which
bear especially on the central fact that
Jesus is the Son of Man, the spiritual
Brother Of all men, the Teacher of the
Religion of Humanity. This group of
parallels is known as the Perean Para
bles; the name Distinguishing them from
the Galilean PARALLELS to which he gave
utterance in the earlier period of his
ministry.
Our lesson today is the first of these
parallels. No other parable in the
worlds literature, excepting that of the
Prodigal Son. is so widely known and
SO often quoted.
L. The Lawyers Test CUES
tions,-vs. 1919.
A certain larger stood up and
bly,, in synagogue or in the open air,
rabbi, acknowledged to be an authority
in the Mosaic law, stood up and avowed-
ly purposed to question Jesus, to test
him as to his theological soundness.
He voiced the official doubt of the or
thodoxy of thesnew Teacher. He had
doubtless heard of the teaching of Jesus.
He may, for instance. have heard of the
remark Jesus made in the synagogue at
Capernaum, when he was asked what it
was to do the work of God, and he had
replied John 6: 29): This is the acork of
God, that ye believe on him aUhom he
hath sent This substitution of faith in
him as person for obedience to the
Law, would naturally seem to the law
yer to be the rankest heresy. AS COM
missioned officer of the Jewish Council
he purposed now to exhibit what he
conceives to be shallow heresy in the
new Teacher.
Master Whdt shall do to inherit
eternal hfeg The lawyer aske, What
must one do to enter heaven on earth?
Jeeus replied. What is aoritten IN the
laac ? ho,c reddest thou? Jesus asks him,
as lawyer, to give the answer of the
Law. And the champion of the Law is
so confident of his own righteousness
that he proceeds at once to answer:
Thou shalt loUe the Lord thy God Nth
all ting heart. and aoith all thy soul. and
acith all thy strength. and acith all thy
mind; and ting neighbor as thyseT.
This is a summary of human duty given
by the Law itself (Deut. 6: 5 and Lev.
10; 49,
Jesus said. Thou hast answered right;
do this, and thou shalt live This was
according to the common teaching of
Jesus. He came not TO destroy, but to
fulfil the Law. He had never taught
otherwise than that loving God with the
supreme love and loving man purely
and unselfshly, is eternal life. With
the emphasis of his uniform teaching he
declared to the lawyer that such a di-
vine and human love is life in the soul.
The lawyer was discounted. He had
unexpectedly found the reputed hereto
sound at the vital point.
But he has heard of Jesus associating
with sinners and outcasis; he has been
told that he has even chosen a Roman
publican as one of his Twelve; he has
heard intimations that the new Teacher
has neighborly regard for the whole
race of man. All this is contrary to the
traditional Interpretation Of the Mosaic
Law. The Pharisees have added to the
old law. Thou shalt love thy neighbOr,
the modifying words Matt. 5: 49,, But