Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-02-26
for the Noll1e Cirtle.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 8.

LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 8.
Text of the Lesson, Luke Z, 25-37-Mem.
ory Verses, 25-27-Golden Text, Luke
T. a7-Commentary by the Rev. d. M
stearns.
25. "And, behold, certain lawye,
stood up and tempted Him, saying, Mas.
ter what shall I do to inherit eternal lifeP''
Throughout the whole Bible we see on the
one hand the love and grace Of God, and
on the other the perverseness and sinful
ness Of man. In the intervening verses be-
tween this lesson and the last one we see
Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, stead.
fastly setting His face toward Jerusalem
to die, sending messengers before Him to
preach the kingdom and to heal the sick,
rejoicing In spirit that babes see what wise
men cannot, and ever bearing with the sell
life that remains even in His disciples. We
see, on the other hand, the unsaved resist
ling Him and the saved following Him SC
imperfectly. And now we have In the
lawyer q sample OF the wise and prudent,
and in Mary a sample of the babes OF verse
81.
26. "He said unto him, What Is written
In the law? how readest thouS" One OF
the earliest recorded utterances OF Christ
Is that threefold "it Is written" Of Math.
iv, 4, 2, 10, each time from the fifth book
of the law. There is no light on things
spiritual, heavenly and eternal apart
from Him who Is the Word Of God, and
the written word which speaks of Him
(Isa will. 20 R. "; Luke Z, 2S).
! 81. "And he answering said, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart" etc. Jesus did not ask "What
thinkest thoup" or How do you explain?''
but simply asked for a quotation from
Scripture, and the lawyer gave Hin
promptly correct quotation from Deut.
vi, s, and Lev. xix, Is, and In these words
a correct and concise summary of the law,
for love ID the fulfilling Of the law (Rom.
xiii, 10Y. This must mean whole hearted
love to God and to man such as was never
fully seen on earth except in the Lord
Jesus Christ himself. He Is the end of the
law for righteousness to every believer.
90. "And He said unto him, Thou hast
answered right; this do, and thou shalt
live." Ee wanted to do something to In
herit eternal life, and here is his task, this
and nothing short Of it, perfect love to
God and to his neighbor. There must be
no failure in any point or at any time, for
"whosoever shall keep the whole law and
yet offend in one point, he Is guilty OF all
(Jas. ii, 10Y. It must be God first and
whole heartedly in every detail Of life, and
your neighbor as yourself all the time, OF
else all is failure. =.
90. "But he, willing to justify himself,
said unto Jesus, And who Is my neigh.
borp" We are either justifying self and
condemning God, or justifying God and
condemning self all the time. Most people
are willing to do the former, because to
do the latter is very humiliating to self,
and self is apt to be very proud. See chap
ter xvi, 15.
80. "And Jesus answering said, A GER
tain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho" From the city Of peace to the
city of palm trees (Heb. vii, 2; Deut. x1xiy;
81, from the city OF crucilxion (Rev.
Ii, 81 to the city of earthly comfort and
rebellion against God, is surely spiritual
down grade and will bring ones soul into
the hands Of thieves, who, II they do not
actually take ones life, will surely take
away much that ought to be given to our
rightful King and Redeemer.
81. "And by chance there came down q
certain priest that way, and when he saw
him hs passed by on the other side." Ap.
ply John iii, 16, II, to this priest and
then to yourself If necessary and answer
to God the question. See also Nal IL, z,
and consider what strange messenger OF
the Lord of Hosts this priest was. Are
you better one9 More after the Lords
own hearth 1t is easier to the flesh not to
see trouble. or IL seen to pass by on the
other side, but it is not loving your neigh
Dor as yourself.
80. "And likewise a Levite passed by
on the other side" The Levites were sep.
arated to stand before the Lord, minister
unto Him and bless III His name (Deut.
Z, 81. Consider this Levite in the light oi
that fact. In Nal. ii, 6, the Lord says OF
Levi, "Hs walked with me-" If this
Levite had been walking with God that
day he would have had compassion upon
the poor man in trouble.
SO. "But O certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was, and when
he saw him he had compassion" The
priest and Levite were on the downward
road, like the one who fell among the
thieves. He was half dead as 20 his body,
but they appear to be who'll. dead as to
any heart of compassion. This Samaritan
may have been Oh his way up to Jerusa-
lem, for his conduct certainly indicates an
upward tendency. How like Christ in bis
coming to the one in trouble and having
compassion upon him.
"a. brought him to an ian and took
care Of him." See how he gave his time,
skill, oil and wine, beast, care, money and
his promise. Well has one said, "What
seven hued rainbow Of mercy" Jesus Is
surely showing to this lawyer the love OF
God as manifested in His own life, that
the lawyer may see what real love Is and
how and to whom it Is to he manifested.
Blessed despised One! Oh, to know Thee
better and be more like Thee.
35. "Take care of him, and whatsoever
thou spendest more, when 1 come again ]
will repay thee" If He would have peo-
pie take care Of people, how much more
will He take care of His own. o fearful
heart, do believe that "He careth for you
Il Pet. v, y. If He by you would care for
others, cheerfully let Him use you, and
your time and your skill, If He has given
you any, and your money and be content
to wait till He comes again for your full re-
ward, of which all present Joy Is but a