The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-10-31
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR NOVEMBER q.


1-13 - Golden Text: Luke xvi, IS -
on the Days Lesson.
l. "Unto His disciples" This parable
was spoken primarily to His disciples" /"
but the Pharisees were present listening
carefully, and when lie was through they
derided Him. V. IA. The disciples to
whom this parable was addressed were not
merely the apostles, but those publicans
and sinners whom Jesus had received, to
the great .displeasure OF the Pharisees.
"a certain rich man." This rich man can
all things. "a steward" All the chill
they have in this world. "Was ac-
cused." The rich man had put confidence
in his steward before this. and h;S al
lowed him great liberty in managing his
affairs Had wasted."' Was wasting R.
V. He was either dishonest or careless
and suffered his masters goods to be lost.
2. Give an account" Bring your ac-
counts for inspection. Produce books and
vouchers. mo longer steward" The
steward did not deny the charges against
him, and was told plainly that he could
not retain his position. The time is COM
ing when we will be required to give an
accounC OIL our stewardship, anu IL We
have wasted that which has been COM
mitted to our trust we will receive no
more favor than did this steward.
8. "What shall l do?" The steward
began to consider the course he had bet.
ter pursue so that when he was dismissed
from the stewardship he could still main
tain livelihood. II cannot dig" He
could not work at manual labor for lack
of strength. See R. V.
4. 81 am resolved what to do" An
idea comes to him by which he will make
many friends, so that when he is put out
of the stewardship they will invite him
into their houses.
S. "Of his lords debtors" His plan
was yet steward, to show favor to all who
owed his master, so that when he was
dismissed they would show favor to him.,
unto the first" Two specimen cases
are given here, but so he went through
the whole list, making reductions to all.
6. "a hundred measures of OIL A hun
dred baths. Each bath was Equivalent
to seven or eight gallons. "Sit down
quickly" Evidently secret and hurried
arrangement; the debtors, too, seem to
have been dealt with separately and pri::
vately. "And write fifty" The steward
made this debtor a present of about 40o
gallons Of oil. .[l;,.
7, "a hundred measures of wheat" A
hundreds cors or homers. The cor con-
tanned ten baths. The original debt was
Making him a present of about 200 bush
els. --- il,4 y =
8. "And his lord. commended" (R. W
The rich man commended the shrewd.
ness of his wicked steward. What he had
done; was dishonest in ithe extreme.
"The children of this. world" Those who
seek earthly things as their chief good.
care for their own generation" (R. w.
That is, in looking after their worldly in.
terests,, WISER. More skilful in the
application, of3means to obtain temporal
good, than Christians are to obtain eter-
8. Il say unto you" The truthstto be
learned from this parable are focused in
the teachings of this verse. Jesus draws
q lesson for us from the course pursued
by this dishonest steward. Make to
yourselves friends" Not merely acquaint
ances in this world, but make friends"
in that deeper sense referred to by Jesus
in John Is: IA, Is. That is, do all you
can to- lead people to Christ and thus
make true friends" or Christians. by
means of the mammon of unrighteous-
ness" (R. V.)-The word "mammon" is
a Chaldee word signifying riches. 1t is
here called the mammon of unrighteous-
ness, as being with unrighteous men the
great object Of pursuit, and too commonly
sought, moreover, by unrighteous means.
eousness has reference to whatever of
earthly goods we may possess, "be they,
as Edersheim says, "of money, of knowl.
edge, of strength, or of opportunities"
We are, then, to 80 use whatever God
has put in our hands that these earthly
possessions will be the means of making
Friends" or Of brining people to Christ
and heaven. "That when ye fail" That
when it shall fail (R. W; when your
stewardship in this world shall end
''They may receive you" That is, the
friends you have made, by bestowing your
earthly goods in deeds of love and mercy
the eternal tabernacles."I (R. W - Into
; TO- Faithful" As Gods steward. "In
that which is least" Our Saviour teaches
that it is not the quantity committed to
us that God will regard, but our fidelity
in using it; we are as thoroughly tried by
a small as by large amount of property
or influence. Character is as really tested
by little things as by great things: HE
that is unjust in the least; Little acts
of wrong show that we have unholy
hearts. To Intentionally cheat another
out of FIVE cents would as really prove
man dishonest. as though it were thou
sand dollars. We need not think to excuse
our sins because they are small, or few:
Poison enough can be put on the point Of
q needle to kill a man. It is the little
foxes that spoil the vines.
IL. "Have not been faithful" If we
have not carefully. and properly used the
things of this world with which God has
entrusted us, we need not expect that He
will give us the true riches of grace and
glory and heavenly treasures.
II. (Which is another mans Our
earthly possessions are called "another's"
(R. W because, l.. They belong to God.
g. They are continually changing their
possessors. and going from one to an
other. "That which is your own" Spir-
itual and eternal riches are our own. They
enter into the soul that becomes pos.
sessed of them. If we make Christ and
the promises and heaven ours, we have
that which we may truly call our own, -
l3. 1.-TWO masters" The heart will be
either wholly taken up with God or wholly
engrossed with the world. A man cannot
be in perfect indifference between two OBJ.
jects which are Incompatible; he will be
inclined to despise and hate whatever he
does not love supremely, when the neces-
sity of choice presents itself. Eye can.
not serve God and mammon." So divided
are their interests that their services can
never be joined. If we decide to serve
the Lord we must forsake the service of
the world. There is no concord between
Christ and Belial When the Christian
undertakes to live the life. of the world
ling he sinks to the level of the worldling