The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FUR
MAY IL.
Lesson Text: 'ParabIe OF the Pounds,
Luke xix, 11-27-Go1den Text:
Luke xvi, 1O-Com-
mentary.

II. The topic is still "The Kingdom" for
It may be said to be the topic of the whole
Bible. He has passed through Jericho, hea =
ing three blind men and saving Yaccheus and
Is now on His way to Jerusalem to die
They think, however. that the kingdom is
now about to come, and they had some
grounds for thinking so, for John the Bap-
tist, and the twelve, and the seventy, and
Jesus Himself had all preached that the
kingdom was at hand, Why, then, should
1t not immediately appear? Why should He
not, as son Of David, do what the prophets
and Gabriel had said He would do, sit on the
throne Of David and reign over tie house OF
Jacob forever? Elsa. ix, 6, Z; Jer. ill.,. II, IL;
Luke l.. 80, 33.)
IL. He spoke of a nobleman going into a
iar country 10 receive a kingdom and to re-
turn. Well, the SoEs Of Herod may have
gone away to Rome TO receive the kingdom,
which then included Jerusalem, but what
had that 10 do with Jesus Christ. the Son OF
David? BE YVES then present. He had to th9
satisfaction CT His followers proved Himself
to be the Sen of David. Was He speaking oi
His going away and returning? Yes. even
so, for the Nation that He came to be King
over was about to kill Him. and this would
involve a postponement OF the kingdom till
His return in power and glory. Now was
His time to suffer and die. and the heavens
must receive Him until the times OF restora-
tion Of all things spoken by tue prophets
(Acts ILL.,, 10, 2D.
1S. Occupy till I come This is His
message to His servants. whom He called.
and to whom He gave each pound. This
parable differs somewhat from that OF the
talents in Math. XIV. for there the talents
are bestowed according 10 the ability OF
each. but the ground covered is virtually the
same. We know that every true servant OF
Christ, every true believer, has received the
Holy Spirit, has received salvation, and this
not for Himself alone. but that He may
Herewith bless others and gorfy His Lori.
The boundaries Of this age in which we live,
the time of the postpoLement Of the king
dom, the time of the formation OF His body,
the church, are His going away and His re-
turn.
H. This describes the attitude Of the Nation
that is. the rulers representing the Nation
toward Him. 1t became fully manifest
when they cried to PLATE. I've have no king
but Caesar" 1t was foresnadowed in the
hatred OF Joseph's brethren. but as truly as
they afterward saw Joseph on the throne and
bowed down to him, so shall those who cru
Gifted Christ yet see Him exalted rs King OF
the Jews, even King of Kin"s and Lord OF
Lords. The attitude OF the Jews here spoE.
en- of as His citizens is also the attitude oi
the vast majority of those who have heard ol
Him. But, sadder still. it seems 10 be- the
attitude of many who profess to be saved by
Him. They arc willing to let Him be to them
Jesus. their Saviour, but not willing to let
Him be their Lord and Master.
IT, He will return in due time. and He
will first reckon with His servants rs to their
faithfuness in His absence. The Judgment
rhs;e In
10, II Cor. ", 10, seems to be only for be lev.
ers, those whose judgment for sin was for.
ever settled in the sufferipcs Of their substi.
tute on Calvary. They will appear before
Him to receive their rewards for service and
their places in His kingdom. See Cor. lii.
Ills; Rev. XIII, II; Luke xiv, Il; II JUhu
viii. The first of these passages indicates the
possibility OF being saved and yet being un'
rewarded; the others incite to such service as
shall be rewarded. That the saints shall
share the kingdom with Him is seen In Dan
VIII, 27; Ps. exliz; John xviii, p; Cor
vi, 2.
I6, II. Here is faithful servant. and his
place in the kingdom will be to rule over the
cities Although he had not large sphere
he had been good servant. He had walked
uprightly before God and had lived unto
Him. He had been faithful servant and
had sought to please His master, and not
people.
Is, 10. Here Is another good servant who
Is to rule over five cities, for the pound in
his hands had gained five pounds. Perhaps
he had not such opportunities as the first
but he had been faithful, and the Lord finds
no fault with him, but rewards him accord.
ing 10 his labors. Observe that neither oi
these servants takes any credit to himself
They do not say gained ten pounds, or
gained five pounds. but they say to theil
Lord, THY pound hath gained ten pounds
or five pounds" Paul says, II labored more
abundantly than they all, yet not /, but the
grace of God which was with me" q Cor.
xy., 10), and again, at Is God who Worketh
in you both to will and to do of His good
pleasure" (Phil. H., 13. and Heb. xiii. 2l).
20. 21. Here is a wicked servant who doe:
not know his Lord, for he calls Him an aus.
tere man, hard and unjust master. He had
made no use of the pound intrusted TO him
He had not lived for his master and for his
masters benefit, but for himself He had
never enjoyed bis masters service, but rath.
or felt it bondage to belong to Him. How
many there are who talk just so! If not IN
words. their lives talk that way! Are they
saved? God only knows. The New Testn-
ment says that Lot was a righteous man,
but the Old Testament stoly would meyer
lead US to think so. We are not to judge be.
fore the time until the Lord come.
20, %. He should have had his Lords re.
turn ever before him, and the great fact OF
time of reckoning, and that would have
made him better servant. There Is no more
quickeninc, sanctifying, inspiring truth
than that Of the Lords return and its posi-
bility at any time. There Is no more dead
ening thing than to say: "A1y Lord delayeth
His coming. He will not come In my day
anyway"
24-26. Thus this unfaithful servant loses
his pound. The pound, therefore. could not
mean salvation, for God does not give saliva
ton and then take it away (John K. 27, 2S).
A child of God by faith In Christ Jesus can
never cease to be child of God, but child
of God may be a selfish disobedient child as
to his service and thus lose his rewards, but
he himself saved, yet so as by fire q Cor.
Ill. 15). :,
27. These were openly His enemies all
through, and their doom is fixed. The Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels in flaming fire, taking veng ge-
ance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel Of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall be punished with everlast-
ing destruction from the presence OF the
Lord and from the glory of His power (1I
Thess. l., 7-9). These shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into life eternal (Math. XIV, 46). ~Lessor
Helper.
Cycling Notes.