The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-06
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL. LESSON FOR
MAY 10.
Lesson Text: .'Lessons on Prayer"
Luke xviii, 9-11 - Golden
Text: Luke xviii, 1o
commentary.


This is called lesson on prayer, but il
n,icht he better called lesson on how &c
| enter the kingdom Of God. The kingdom
is mentioned at least seven or eight times in
| this cifapter and the last part OF the preced
| ing one The Pharisees were told that it wa.
among them or in their midst. not within
them (chapter xviii, 81. margin or R. W
for it could not in any sense be in such
Christ haters as they were. but it was in
their very midst, in the person OF the King
/ whom they were watching their opportunity
to kill. Chapter xviii. in which our lesson
is. tells us who can and who cannot enter
this kingdom, which is yet to be set up on
this earth. Self righteous Pharisees and
rich idolaters. however moral, and all who
love this present world cannot enter this
kingdom, but helpless blind beggars and
such as have the spirit Of little child, they
can enter. The condition Of things on earth
will become more and more like the days OF
Noah and of Lot till the Son of Man shall
come.
g. And He spake this parable unto cer-
tain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous and despised Others" The
previous part Of the chapter speaks Of the
coming of the Son Of Man as time when
God shall avenge His own elect-that Is,
His elect Israel. for His elect church does
not cry for vengeance. but the redemption
of Israel Is always associated with venge-
ance upon her enemies Elsa. xxxiv., s; xxxv.,
4; xiii, A.. In verse He asks if there
shall be any faith on earth or the faith when
this time comes. The church having been
taken to meet her Lord before He comes to
avenge His elect Israel, it will be dark
time. There will BIZ many trusting in their
own righteousness. but there will also be an
afflicted and poor people who will trust in
the Lord (Zeph. ill. 12).
10. "Two men went up into the temple to
pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a
publican" The Pharisees trusted in their
own righteousness. 1t is written OF them in
Rom K, 8. that being ignorant OF Gods
righteousness. and going about to establish
their own righteousness they did not submit
themselves unto the Righteousness Of God.
Our Lord said to them that they would see
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all the prophets.
and many from the north, south, east and
west in the kingdom OF God, but they ey them
selves thrust out duke xiii, %, 29). He
also said that unless one had more right
eousness than that of the scribes and Phari-
sees it would be impossible to enter the king
dom (Math. ". 20).
II, H. This Is the record Of the Pharlsees
so called prayer, rs given by Him who reads
our hearts. whose eyes are as flame OF fire.
There Is not one petition in 1t. He did not
ask God for simple thing, but just told God
what good fellow he was in his own esti-
nation and how thankful he was for 1t. He
mentioned four things that he did not do
and two things that he did. There were
thus lust six things in his little talk with God
about himself, and six Is the number of man.
as 666 is the number Of the beast, the man
who will be satan incarnate. There was no
humility, no sense OF sin, no knowledge OF
God nor Of himself, yet he thought that he
prayed, and no doubt went away feeling well
pleased with himself. He Is a picture OF
multtudes of religious people to-day who
attend church regularly, but are no more
saved than he was. In their own estimation
thew are not sinners. never were. They were
born children of God by natural birth, or II
not then, they think 1t was all made sure by
infant baptism, and now they can tell you OF
what they are glad they are not. and of some
good things which they do, and Va1niy
think that all Is we'll. They are followers o.
Cain, who despised Gods way and loved his
own.
l3. "God be mercifuI to me sinner
This Is the substance OF the prayer OF ths
poor despised publican who would not li1t
up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote
upon a truly contrite breast, as he stood aiar
of and uttered these words from his heart.
He had no righteousness, and he knew It,
but he had plenty Of sin, and he knew thar
too. He needed mercy, and he asked for 1t,
and he pleaded nothing but his sin and
Gods redemption. His prayer might be rem
dered, "God be propitious to me-" or "be
reconciled to me because of atonement.' He
like righteous Abel, acknowledged his sin
and looked to a sacrifice. :,
IA. II tell you this man went down to his
house justified" The man who wanted
nothing and went back to his house q poor,
self righteous, lost soul, but the penitent
publican who confessed his sin and asked
for mercy received mercy and was instantly
justified from all things from which he could
not be justified by the law, for by the deeds
Of the law no one can be justified. But the
righteousness Of God, even Christ Himself
and all His merits, is freely given to every
penitent sinner who comes to Him Acts
Kill: ss, SO; Rom. ill.,, 1924; x, /; IL Cor.
v, 2D.
Is. WAnd they brought unto Him also in
fants that He would touch them, but when
the disciples saw it they rebukcd them.
The disciples did not know Him even though
they dwelt with Him. Even James and John
had 20 be reproved more than once, and the
night before He was crucifled He had to say
to another, "Rave been 80 long time With
YOU, and yet hast thou not known Me,
Philip" All OF them seemed 20 censure
Mary's apparent waste OF precious ointment,
but Jesus rebuked them and commendcd
her. We need fear no ones censure II only
we have His approval. Therefore let us
covet that above all things.
l6. "But Jesus called them unto Him and
said, Suffer little children TO come unto Me
and forbid them not, for of such is the king
dom OF God" 1t is not their innocence He
refers to. for all are born in sin, but they are
helpers, dependent. empty, self unconscious;
confding, clin2ing. They are not wise and
prudent. like the Pharsees, but they are
utterly helpless, like the publicans, and the
leper, and the blind men. The heirs OF the
kingdom are such rs these. Their need is
their strongest plea, and the great heart OF
compassion opens to them. Ste some OF the
precious words to all who. by faith in Christ
Jesus, have become Gods true lite chill.
dreu, in suck passages us 1 Johu H.. II. ..
II. Verify 1 say unto you. Wnosoeyel
shall not receive the king iom Of God as a
little child shall III no wise enter therein
Unquestioning confidence in the word thai
is spoken and complete emptiness and nee
these will open the door for the fullness 0
| God. The blind men in the en- | OF th'
chapter are the little children who eE'er in
but such asth rich young ruler "n" = '@
to overflowiDg OF his own possessionS. th!s''
cannot enter in-Ivsson Hei-,.,