The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-16
THE SUNDAY school
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 10.
Subject: Tho Judge, the Pharisce and
the Publican, Luke xviii, LID
Golden Text, Luke xviii., 13-<
Topic:. Effective PRAYER.

|
the Publican, Luke xviii, LID
Golden Text, Luke xviii, 13--
Topic:. Effective Prayer.
]. The Judge and the widow TVS.
1-SD. /. "Spake a parable" In re-.
sponse to question of the Pharisees
as to when the kingdom of God
should come. Jesus gave them warn
lngs and instruction as to the coming,
ana especially as to the need of being
always prepared (17:2O-3D, and
naturally turns to the subject of
| prayer as a. means of preparations
! Men ought" 1t is their duty to
do this. Always to pray" The habit
of prayer in private, in the family and
in public should be cultivated. mot
to faint" Not to grow weary and
| discouraged because of the DELAY of
the answer Why must prayer be i'm
| Fortunate? 1. Not because of Gods
unwillingness to answer 2. To cher
ish and cultivate our faith. 3. To in
tensify our desire to receive Prayer
that is not persevering indicates a
lack OF faith.
2. "A Judge" According to Deut,
1918, Israel must have in all the
gates of the city judges, who were un-
WI ObllElliOI W duulHiSleI
without respect of persons. See Exod,
23 So; Lev. 1915. Feared not God
man." He was unprincipled and
cared for no one but himself g. "a
widow" A widow, without influence
and unable to bribe, had little to hope
from a wicked Judge. "Avenge."
The original means "to vindicate
ones right" The rights of this
widow were interfered with and she
was asking the judge for protection.
The widow is often taken as repre-
sentation of the church after Christ's
death.
a, 5. "For a while" These verses
show the abandoned character of the
judge referred to. g. "The Lord"
That is, Jesus. z. Shall not Cod"
We are not to suppose that the char
acter of God is at all represented by
this judge. The great truth which
our Saviour designed to teach is that
men ought always to pray, and not
to faint" The application of the
parable may be made by contrast
l. God is not compared to the unjust
Judge, but contrasted with him. If a
hard-hearted, wicked Judge, who
cared for neither God nor man, but
only for himself and his own inter.
count of the perseverance of the
widow, how infinitely more readily
will God give us the help we need. 2.
And if the unjust judge does this for
poor widow, in whom he has no in,
terest, how much more will our
Father grant the prayers of His own
children. g. And IL the unjust judge
will do it for the sake of deliveranca
from some veXation in common life.
how much more will God save His
children from their adversaries.
s. Speedily" Suddenly, unex.
pectedly. "Son of man cometh."
Whedon thinks this entire parable
has reference to the second coming
of Christ. He says The church is
widow in Christ's absence; she has
an oppressive adversary, being the
prosecuting world. or the devil
Faith" This word is sometimes
taken to denote the whole of true re.
| ligion.
II. The Pharisee's prayer Tvs. 9.
| 12).' 0. Trusted in themselves
Jesus now proceeds to show another
reason why many prayers are not an.
swered The Pharisees did not trust
to God, or the Messiah for righteous.
ness, but in their own works. They
vainly supposed they had themselves
complied with the demands of the
| law of God. "Despised Others" Dis.
dained, treated them with contempt.
10. Two men," Both Jews. Two
extreme cases are here chosen-a
rigid, exclusive, self-satisfied member
of the religious society of Israel; and
Jewish officer of the hated Roman
government
II. "Pharisee stood" The Jews
were accustomed to pray standing.
The Pharisee went to the temple to
pray, because it was a public place,
and therefore he would have many
eyes on him. II thank Thee" His
prayer is a thanking, his thanking ID
o boasting, not of God but alone OF
himself. At first he boldly contrasts
himself with all men considering him'
self better than they. "EXtortioR
ers." Selfish, greedy men who take
away the goods of others by force and
violence. Unjust" Those who are
unfair and dishonest in their deal.
ings. 12. II fast" etc. The law re.
quired but one fast day in the year,
the day of Atonement Lev. 16:29),
"Tithes." A tenth. "Of all that pos
sess." Rather of all that ] require
See Revised Version. He was clothed
with phylacteries and fringes, moi
with humility. He felt no need ol
confessing sins.
III. The publican's prayer (vs. IS,
14). 13. Publican" One employed
as collector of the Roman revenue,
1t was the basest of all iiyelihoods,
He felt that he was a sinner, and
shame and sorrow caused him to
look down. 1t was usually the Gus.
tom to pray with uplifted hands, and
with look turned toward heaven (1
Tim. 2:S; Psa. 1881, %. "Smote--
breast" A token of anguish and
self-reproach. l am a sinner and can
not be saved but in Thy way.
IA. Justified" His sins were
blotted out, and he was accepted.
THAT exalteth himself" Boasts of
his own goodness. "Abased" Shall
be brought to shame. That hum
bleth himself" BY confessing his sin
and unworthiness, and pleading for
mercy from God. Exalted" Lifted
up from the depths of sin, and made
an heir of God. From sorrow he is
admitted into the realm of praise.
Passing of Philadelphia EIms.