Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-07-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
lESsoN v, THIRD QUARTER, INTERNA-
TloNAL SERIES. JULY 20.

Text OF the Lesson. Luke xiv, LA
Memory Verses, Is. I4--Goiden Text
Luke xiv, 11-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. M. stearns.
copyright, 1906 by American Press Association.
In all selections from the life of our
Lord there is always so much omitted
that we ought to consider In the long
portion between last weeks lesson and
this notice at least the "blesseds" OF
Il, %; xii, 81, 3S. 43; Kill. 35, and the
great hindrance to all blessing on our
part, aye would not" (xlli, 34), or, as In
John v, 49, Eye will not come to me-"
God is always ready to save and to
bless. but man Is always ready to want
bis own sinful rebelious way. 1t is
pitiful to read how the world knew
Him not and His own received Him
not John !, 10, ~, but when we see
these Pharlsees pretending to honor
Him and In their hearts hating and
desplslng Him and watching Him to
find something whereof to accuse Him
we cannot but wonder how He could
suffer it, knowing 1t all as He did. In
all things He left us an example that
we should follow His steps Il Pet. II,
2D, and remember that a meek and
quiet spirit is In the sight of God Of
great price q Pet. Iii, ~.
1t is the Sabbath day when He en-
tiers the house of this Pharisee to eat
bread and sees before Him q man with
the dropsy, an opportunity to manifest
His compassion. Compare other Sab
bath day healings In chapters vi, I'll;
xiii, lilo, and remember that He Is
Lord Of the Sabbath, and 1t Is lawful
to do well on the Sabbath day Matt.
xii, 8, 12). Nothing Is of any value
apart from God and except 1t honors
Him. The Sabbaths and passovers and
other days were given by Him to bless
His people by revealing Himself more
fully to them, but they had long since
become a mere form so that He could
not tolerate them lisa. /, 1920; Xxx,
3-12; xxx, IS; Eek. xxxiii, 81; Matt.
XIV, 7-9). 1t is so again, and In the end |
of the age in which we are there Is |
much righteousness which Is mere
form without power Oh Tim. Ill, a, 8:
Nv, -, mere hypocrisy, az in the days of
our Lord, straining out gnats and |
swallowing camels (Matt. xxiiD. In
stead of worshiplng the Lord of the
Sabbath they had made an idol of the
Sabbath and were worshiplng it. God
was In a sense dethroned and man
exalted, as when they rejected Him
as their king and demanded q king
like other nations q Sam. will, 40.
After Jesus had given health to the
body of the sick man He began to deal
with the hearts of those present con-
corning pride and humility, summing
up His teaching in these words, "Who-
soever eXalteth himself shall be abased,
and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted" Verse IL. 1t is always O
question of self or some one else, of
pleasing self or denying self, or, in
another aspect it is God or the devil
our lesson 1t Is simply a matter Of the
best seat at the feast-shall l take 1t
II can get 1t or yield 1t to some one
else; shall l invite myself up or wait
to be invited? This spirit Of self exal-
tation was seen not only in the Phari-
sees, but also In the disciples them
selves, as when John and James want
I'd the highest seats In the kingdom,
and at the last passover when there
was q strife among them as to who
should be the greatest Matt Xxx, 20, 81; ,
Luke TX, &c; xxi, 24) and at other {
lines. All self will, self pleasing, self
sayors Of Babylon and the {
,reat adversary of God and man (Gen. {
Il, 4; lisa. xiv, 13, IA; Dan. iv, 80; XII,
g, 80. J
Having healed the sick man and CIV J
n message to the guests, He now c
las a word for His host, not exactly G
N the line of humility, but on the line
f doing good to those who cannot re-
yard you for it, willing to wait for the
ecompense till the time Of true re- s
yard at the resurrection of the just, or,
s 1t Is In Rev. xii, 70; Pet v, 4, the
me of His coming again, His appear e
lg as the chief shepherd While our Il
tness for the kingdom depends wholly &
pom the merits of Christ, His precious Il
lood, His finished work, apart from II
ny works of ours, we are saved In Il
rider to work, to walk in the good q
7Orks prepared for us Eph. II, 8-10),
nd our faithfulness and self denial III
ill fit us for our places In the king ia
ON, and our works shall be rewarded te
r consumed. according as they have I'll
cen wrought unto Him or unto self III
Cor. Iii, II, 15). From the time of in
1r new birth as long as we stay in n
lese mortal bodies we are In prepare I'll
on and in training for our life In the w
nmOrtal body when we shall reign ca
18th Him in His kingdom. tlt
All the self life will be ruled out and
st, but all the manifestation of His G.,
e in us by His spirit will stand and m
approved and rewarded. Inasmuch VI
He appoints all things for US ac-
riding to His infinite wisdom, with
ew to our highest good and eternal
NJ
ON Him and bear meekly and do an
eerfully oil that He appoints, remem- b.,
ring that His way is perfect FPS. 90
Ill. 30). But since He was there, as II.
would appear, by the invitation OF -,
e Of the chief pharjsees the question ~
ises. What had such man to do m nv
tn the resurrection Of the just? 1t 49,
lst be that the Saviour implied that u"'
ly just or justified man would act ga
He had suggested, for selfish, world ~
people are not apt to live to do good .ei
the poor, the manned, the lame, the ~"
nd. Such remuneration of self and
ing for others imply the new birth, .
81 Of Christ In us, and all such g.,
Ill take part in the first resurrection u,
ev. Xxx, O.. The exhortatlon in Mic -,
8, to do justly, love mercy and walk -" !.
mbly with God implies previous -