Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-05-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY 8.

Days Lesson.
l. The duty of watchfulness Tvs 35-40).
IS. "Girded about" "This is an allusion
to the long robes of the East, which those
who wear must bind up before they Ell.
gage in any active employment" Jesus
| had Just admonished them against undue
anxiety about temporal affairs I've. 22-32)
and now He gives an admonition to watch.
fulness. Be active, diligent, determined,
ready; let all hindrances be taken out OF
the way. Lights burning" The Master
was likely to return at any hour OF the
night, and in order to be ready to receive
| Him their lights must be burning. 49,
From the wedding" The Jewish wed.
dings were conducted with great pomp.
The ceremony was usually performed in the
night. The festivities lasted from three to
seven DAYS. THAT when He cometh." As
these servants waited, with girded loins
and burning lights, already to meet their
master and run at his bidding as soon as
he approached, so we are to wait for the
coming of our Master. Wait ~ with ca
ger longing and 2 wth loyGvs ezg e%
will thus "open Immediately They will
have something to do first-wi1 have to
get ready. They will need time to collect
themselves.
| 81. Blessed" Those who are ready are
blessed and are highly honored by their
Master. "When He cometh." Christ will
return to all from the heavenly wedding
at the end of the world, when He has TAX
en- to Himself His bride, the church; to
each individual He comes when He stands
suddenly before man at the hour OF
death. "Shail find watching" We are
to watch against temptations from within
and without. "Gird himself; serve them:
whatever we do for God He will do in
return for us. 1t is unusual tor masters
to wait upon their servants, but Jesus
| Christ was among His disciples as one that
served See John 3D. 4, ). This also sig
nifes the JOY with which they shall be re,
ceived into the other world by the Lord
| Jesus, who has gone before to prepare for
them, and has tod them that His Father
second or third watch The Jews had
adopted the Roman custom of dividing
the night into four watches. The first
watch was from to 9, the second from
, to IL, the third from IL to 3. the fourth
from to g.
go. "Had known what hour" The house.
holders ignorance of the time when the
thief would come is the reason why he
does not watch. He cannot always keep
awake, so he has to go to sleep and is
robbed. But our ignorance is the reason
| t0r WdKeIulnesS, Dccduse we Cdn hecp cPii
itually awake all through life. The house
Would have watched" I'm the East the
State Furnishes, but leaves the prevention
md detection of theft and robbery to the
Individual interested Hence the watch
man is necessary and important every
where" 40. "Be We therefore ready" AL.
ways ready so he will never be taken I'M
iwares. Watchfulness insure readiness;
readiness insures safety. Indifference
scriptural preparation includes repentance
md conversion. "Cometh; when We think
not." See Thess. s.: 2; 2 Pet. 81 10. We
should resist the temptation to spiritual
1rowsiness. Nothing is much worse than
1 sleepy religion (Rev, 8: l6).
II. The faithful servant rewarded (vs.
r-i4). Al. "Peter said" "This apostle
was the one who afterward most needed
The admonition Matt. 90: 74), and in so
bad manner forgot it. Those who stand
n most danger are often s.owest to proht
oy words of warning" "Unto us, or even
20 all" Is meant for us as thine apostles,
>r for all menu
AZ. Faithful and wise steward" The
| steward was middle person between the
master and slave, and had the care of the
whole household 1t was post of con-
fidence in which faithfulness was required.
| As the steward to the rest of the servants,
so should the apostles stand with refer.
snce to other believers. Faithful comes
before wise because the true wisdom q the
| heart comes from faithfulness Shall
make ruler" That one would be ruler who
,ad previously proven himself faithful aud
wise, who attended to his duties during
| his masters absence with the same fidelity
| that he did when he was present. To
rive; meat" As Gods stewards we should
! be ready to give out to others what he
places at our disposal.
%. Blessed" He is blessed in his
Iced: he rejoices because he is found in
he faithful performance of his duties by
promotion. "Shall find so doing" We
Zee here what Christ means by watching;
mot gazing up into the heavens for signs,
,ut the faithful performance of duty A:
| Over ALL" So each saint owns all of
| Gods possessions, even now q Cor. 3: 81,
W. "The reward is both outward and in
ward; more glories and blessing and joys,
md larger capacities for usefulness and
enjoyment" To him that hath shall be
Iiven.
III. The proAigate servant punished Tvs;
| # being faithful, the servant begins to
,lan wickedness and to actually enter into
| lin, a different portion will be appoint
ID him upon his Lords return. "Delayeth
His coming" The fact that Christ's COM
ng is delayed causes the love of many to
wax cold Il Pet 8: 5, A.. "To eat and
irink" Self-indulgenee is very common
lin. ITO be drunken" This was not only
common and terribly destructive sin in
Christ time, but it is the same to-day.
6 "When he looketh not" The Lord
viii come suddenly and call every one to
IN account "In sunder." This was
most terrible method of executing Grim.
mails. ancient'y. with the unbelievers"
Read Rev. 81 8. This verse shows the
awful doom Of the ungodlv. The worst
orms Of punishment are used to show the
punishment that will come to the unre-
,entant sinner.
AZ. (which knew" Either actually,
rom received information, or, virtually,
because the revelation was within reach.
God will hold us accountable not only for
what we know, but for what we might
,ave known by putting forth proper eff
ort. "Be beaten" This is a reference to
The Jewish custom of beating guilty par
les. "Many stripes" Shall be severely
ind justly punished. Those who have
many privileges, who are often warned,
who have clear gospel light, and yet do
not repent. shall be far more severely
punished than others. Exceptional guilt
| ind punishment luke 10: -; James 4:
| II; Q Pet. 2: 2l). AZ. THAT knew net"
That knew not fully, for there is no such
thing as absolute moral ignorance from.
|: 20; 2: ID. l5). The reference here is to
those who had comparatively little knowl-
edoa.