The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-10-18


Coin, Luke XIV, 1-1O-Goiden Text:
Luke xv., 10 - Memory Verses, 4. -
Commentary on the Days Lesson.
l. Then drew near unto Him" They
"were drawing near unto Him TX. " to
hear Him. They came to His ministry
with an assurance that He would receive
them into His kingdom. "Publlcans and
sinners" The publcans were the tax
gatherers. They were odious to the whole
nation on account of their occupation and
their unscrupulousness in carrying 1t on,
and were persons from whom the religious
held aloof because of their gross and SEN
sual life. ITO hear Him They did not
come merely to see Him, or to so! !icit for
cures. but to hear His excellent doctrine
and the instruction He gave. They came
to see Jesus because they were penitent,
a fact which should have led the Pharisees
to rejoice rather than to murmur.
.. "The Pharisees" The leading party
among the Jews: ''the orthodox defenders
of the law" They were very strict out
wardly, but neglected the weightier mat
ters of the law, such as justice, mercy:
Scrbes." The teachers OF the law. also
called "lawyers" and doctors Of the law"
Many of them were Pharisees and also
members of the Sanhedrin. "Alurmured.
The proud murmur and condemn: the
humble hear and learn. They found fault
with Him C) because He allowed outcastss
and vicious persons to approach Him, and
(2) because He associated with them. Re
ceiveth sinners Yes, precious truth!
Christ receiveth sinful men. He takes
them in His arms. forgives and saves
them, and admits them into the circle of
disciples They kept far from other rell-
gious teachers, but were drawn to Christ.
"And eateth with them" This was con
sidered scandalous; it was contrary to the
tradition of the elders. Jesus was the
friend of the sinner, but not OF the SIN:
they hated the sinner. Jesus associated
with sinners for the purpose OF drawing
them away from their sins to Himself.
8. 'He spake this parable" In order to
Justify His course and show the true spirit
of the gospel to the lost He speaks the
parallels of this lesson. Something like
this parable We had in Matthew 1872,
There it was designed to show the care
God takes for the preservation OF SAINTS.
as a reason why we should not offend
them; here it is designed to show the
pleasure God takes in the conversion OF
sinners as reason why we should reJolce
in it.
4. "What man of you" The words arc
emphatic. He makes it personal and ap'
peals to their ordinary human feelings
IF they would pity lost sheep ought, He
to be criticised for showing pity to. los;
man? IF he lose one of them.' Tho
whole flock of mankind, both Jews and
Gentiles, belongs to the divine Shepherd.
The lost sheep is an emblem OF needless,
thoughtless sinner. one who follows the
corrupt dictates of his own heart. without
ever rejecting upon his conduct. No
creature is more defenseless. or more IN
danger of being devoured by dogs and
wild beasts than Il sheep. Who but
Pharisec or a devil would ind fault with
the shepherd who endeavors to rescue hi'
sheep from danger and ruin! Leave the
ninety and nine" Not that the shepherd
does not have care for the ninety and
nine-they are all precious to him. bu'
they are safe. 1t is the lost one that now
needs his attention. " In the wilderness.
The plains on which the sheep were pas
tured All uncultivatcd ground wa!
called Wilderness" GO after that which
is lost" Sinners are lost TO God, lost tl
holiness and heaven. Jesus goes, after
them, by His spirit, by His providences
through His written word, by His church.
He searches diligently with ''yearning,
active, tender sympathy with a hear5
filled with true love, bent on finding and
restoring the wanderer.
5. Hath found it." This is not to he
understood as teaching that Christ save,
men independent of any action on thelt
part. See on verse T. ''On His shoulders.
He bore our sins in His own body on the
tree. Pet. 2: "a; Isa. So: 4-6; Heb: 8:
%. Rejoicing" Love and pity explain
the pentleness with which the shepherd
treats the sheep when he finds it. Mercy
for the lost one and JOY within himself
are the shepherds feelings:
G. "He calleth together" The Joy is &c
great that it needs TO be impaired. Those
who are animated by the same compassi.ooIn!
the shepherd manifested will rejoice with
him. This sheep was of no greater value
than any one of the ninety and nine that
had not wandered away; it was the rescue
that caused the rejoicing.
7. Joy shall be in heaven" The angels
take an interest in the affairs OF thu:
world. They rejoice ". l0) when the lost
return. That repenteth." Sinners must
repent in order to be saved. The parable
represents the shepherd as finding the
sheep. taking it upon his shoulders and
carving it to the fold, the sheep having
no will in the matter; but in the appiIca-
ton let us remember that the sinner de-
cides whether he will accept or reject the
love and mercy OF Christ. This parable
teaches: !. That man is lost. u BY lg-
norance of the truth. (2l BY falling INTO
vice. (3) BY his own heedlessneSS =.
That he may be found and restored. %
Christ is sAeking him. (2) He must re-
6ent:. 5. That lis recovery occasions JOY.
N To himself. (2) To Chri,t. l3) To
friends and neighbors. a. To angels.
S. IF she lose one piece The same
as the Greek drachma and the Ropan de-
narius. In value about l6 cents. This par
able illustrates the preciousness OF the hu'
man soul. The loss OF ore out OF ten Is a
much more serious ore than IN the pre-