The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-11
Sunday School
Lesson
for
May IL.

that the life of Jesus Christ in this world had
constant reference to the welfare Of men. III,
| taught and acted for the good Of Others. lie
was so filled with the spirit of bcnevocnce thu.
He planned to he blessing after leaving the
| world IL was for this purpose that lie select.
| ed company of disciples, that lie gathered them
together and instructed them for nearly three
years. that they might he His witnesses and
representatives, that in fact lie might pcrretualc
| Himself and enlarge His work by them This
| plan shaped His course Of procedure. lie left
| many things uhdonc for them to do. His post
| resurrection work and influence wore all directed
to them We have seen how by different meth.
| cds at various times lie came TO convince ccr-
| tain persons and bring them into fullest sym.
| pa'hy with His purposes. The women, the
| two jo'irneying to Emnaus, the ten in the upper
room, Thomas the doub,cr and Peter the fisher.
man, were all addressed in manner suited to
their dispositions. We shall now consider in
what terms and spirit lie sent out these men
| to their licwcrk
| RETREAT.-It is probable that the events by
| the scasliorc studied last week preceded what
We arc now to consider, although on that point
we may not he positive II so it prepared for
ms later interview. The eleven disciples ap
| lenfcd To he separated from the larger body of
| followers. and they retired together to one OF
| the mountains of Galilcc. that section that had
| been so dear TO Jesus through Ills ministry. No
! one knows what mountain was selected for this
| retreat, although many conjccturcs have been
| made concerning it. The greater number thin,
| it was the same as that on which the sermon
was delivered Oiatt. v:D. They rcsortcd
| thithor in obedience TO an appointment which
| Jesus had made. possibly at tho sea- hut not
recorded. but certainly anticipated IN His re-.
mark tNiatt xxvi:32). and promised through, the
women (Ncrsc lo). The mountains iiC
| nicni'y chosen by men in Scrpural times for
spiritual purposes. Sinai, lIcr,non. Olivct The
| pure atmosphere, the holy quiet, the deep sol;.
| tn'ic, the inspiring grandeur Of such places is
we'll known
| WORSfllP.-'rhc eleven sought the place first
and Jesus came aftcrward They fulfilled lis
| command and found their reward And when
! they saw Him they worslppcd. Was there some
nn'is'ial splendor cncircling Ills brow AS some
have suggested? Did His glory beam forth
| from His person a few other occasions
| notably when Moses and Elias came to talk
| with Him? (Nat. Nvi:9). These questions, aris.
| ing spontaneously II the mimi. cannot be an.
swercd. The historian only makes lis knew
that by some method, either physical or psychi.
cal. the disciples brought to a rcvcrcnt
spirit. For long time they had seen and
heard the matchlcss Teacher and witnessed His
wonderful deeds only at intervals recognizing
qncntly thinking of Him as a temporal prince
who would hcstow favors (Nlark iN:3D. Now
they are convinced that lie is indeed Divine
person. the promised Messiah, who would set ur
a spiritual kingdom and they offered the ho,n.
age which was due to one of such exalted ma.
ture and station.
Dol BF.-lt is exceedingly difficult to bring
a company of men into common thought and
lhn Al
will be the difficulty. Each must move in his
own way, some slowly and cautiously, others
quickly and boldly. The differences in the
Christian church have arisen less from an evil
spirit than from a desire to be right. And so
it seems that in this small band of eleven there
was not perfect unanimity of sentiment 'Somc
doubted, the text declares. Great irankcss
prompted the writer, who was one of them to
make the confession. The statement is valuable
as showing that even then there was such in
tcgrity among them that they were following
their convictions. But why did they doubt
Some may have thought that lie who appeared
was disembodicd- spirit and not the real Jesus
with His own body. Belief in ghosts was com.
mon Nlark vi:io, and it was vastly easier
therefore, to conclude that spectcr was before
them than that dead body had come TO lie.
Others may have questioned. even admitting
that Jesus was with them alive, whether lie
were Divine, and therefore worthy to receive
worship paid only to God (Ex. Xy:;0
POWER Jesus did not forsalc the diScinles
neither did He rcprovc them, because part of
them believed while part doubted Nor vet
dTu he separate the parts, rejecting one and re-
tanning the other. He knew that all were
students in His school, some having made less
progress, but destined TO graduate with honor
ana lind their appropriate places But lie
speaks TO the whole company, delivering the
same message TO ALL another lesson indeed, an
advanced truth in which the truth previously
uttered might find significance lie de-
claled that all power in heaven and earth had
been given to Him. The assertion startcs lis
even now. and must have been received with
"mazcmcnt by that band, by believers as well
as doubtcrs. Christ had taken full possession
of all that He had before the foundation of the
world (John Xvii:5). What had been tenn
poiariiy laid aside in His humiliation had been
recovered to Him as the Goldman duke xyiy:26l
This truth was intended TO be the basis of what |
the Saviour was about to say further to the dis
cipleS, lie desired them TO know that lie now |
had authority which lie would exercise.
TEACIlING.-What will this mighty one set |
these eleven men to do? There need be no lin. |
taIion in Ills orders except that which His wis. ]