The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-05-10
THE Sunday
SCHOOL LESSON
Lesson VII Second Quarter
International Series
May 18th
TEXT OF LESS0NLUKE XIV, liza

the threefold parable Of this chapter,
the whole setting forth the great love
Of God, the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, for lost, helpless, erring human
ity, and the sympathy Of the angels
with God in His joy over the salvation
of the lost. The lost sheep suggests
our inclination, because of sin, to go
astray from God Cps. lviii, 3; cxix, 176;
lisa. lii, 6; Pet. ii, 25); the lost piece
Of money indicates our helplessness,
our inability to restore ourselves and
our deafness to sense Of our condition
(Rom. Y, 6; Eph. Ii, 4, b, while the sons
Of today's lesson illustrate the selfish
ness, ingratitude and rebellion of sin
fuI man, and also the self righteous
ness and lack of sympathy with God
of many who profess to be His.
1t is very plain that neither Of the
sons in our lesson knew his father;
they neither trusted nor enjoyed him. 1t
was Gods constant complaint of Israel
that notwithstanding all He had done
for them they knew Him not (Isa. |, 8;
Jer. viii, z; Hos. ", i, g; v, A; Mic. iv,
12). Most touching is our Lords word
to Philip on the night before the cruci-
fxion, Have been SO long time with
you and yet hast thou not known Me,
Phillip" (John xiv, 81 1t must be a
great grief to Him when we talk or
act as ii we knew Him not. All fear
or anxious care or fretfulness, anything
but the rest and quiet Of calm conf
dence, is an indication that we know
Elm not as we might.
The younger son illustrates those who
prefer Gods gifts to God Himself q
present selfish enjoyment rather than
the love Of God and the comfort Of His
presence. Cain, who went out from
the presence of the Lord to do as he
pleased; Esau, who preferred the pres
ent enjoyment Of mess of pottage to
his God given birthright, and Israel
preferring Egypt and its ground fruits
to the heaven sent mamma and the
promised land are illustrations of some
phases of the prodigal son. When we
turn away from God, who Is the foun-
tain Of living waters. and seek to sat
isfy ourselves with aught else, even
with His best temporal gifts, we are
hewing out cisterns, broken cisterns,
that can hold no water, and sooner or
later we shall surely come to want (Jer.
ii, 10; John. ". Is, IA. For further
comment on this line of conduct, or
misconduct, see Eccl. l, /, s; ii, 10, IL.
There is phase of the younger sons
experience seen in the lives OF those
believers who make more of the bless
ings of justification, adoption and sane
LITIGATION than of Jesus Christ Himself.
In whom dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, and while such
have their happy seasons they often
begin to be in want of a new blessing,
whereas Jesus Christ Himself would
always satisfy.
The far country is this present evil
world which lieth in the wicked one
GAL /, 4; John v, 19) and which al
lures us away from God. 1t is all about
us on every side. Vain is the help of
man, the citizen OF this world, when
once the soul begins to hunger for God,
but ofttimes there must needs be a
deeper humiliation ere the soul will
whole heartedly and persistently turn
to God. First a sense Of want, then
seeking help from the world, then a
beastly appetite these are often the
developments ere man begins to see
himself as he really is. We read in l
Cor. v, 5, of one delivered to Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus. In Job xxxiii, 1890, we
read how God does everything that is
possible TO lead men to turn to Him,
for we must be brought to the end Of
ourselves before we will think rightly
of our Fathers house and love and
plenty.
Having realized by bitter experience
something of his own heart and Of the
cold world into which he had wandered.
his thoughts and then his feet turn
homeward to the love and plenty of
his fathers house. But he does not
yet know his father, and thinks only
of the possibility of obtaining serv-
ants place in his fathers house. He
did not dream of the welcome and the
full restoration that awaited him; nei-
Their can the sinner understand the
heart of God and the free justification
and the full acceptance which await
him if he will only return Rom, v, 8;
iii. 24 Eph. i, 9, y. Our Lord in this
parable tells out the heart Of His and
our Father in heaven and teaches us
that God sees the first motion Of the
hearts toward Him and meets the re.
turning one more than half way.
See God clothing His sinful Adam
and Eve with coats of skins which He
had made (Gen. Iii. 21). See the robe
of righteousness and garments Of sal
walton of lisa. Xxi, 10; ii Cor. v, 81; the
ring and royalty and authority of Gen.
XII, AZ; the shoes and precious promise
OF Deut. xxxiii. rs, and consider what
d welcome is here described as being
ready for every returning penitent
mot only forgiveness OF sins, with
righteousness and full restoration TO
position and inheritance and authority.
which was lost in Adam, but also true
fellowship and great joy, foretastes Of
the kingdom. See Est. viii, 1917, as
helpful light on this. The elder
brother reminds us OF those Christians
who feel envy and Irritation when God
blesses unworthy ones. He had a
distinct appreciation of his own mer-