Newark post., 1910-07-27
Sunday Schol Lesson
By r. S. Holmes
July 81, 1910
Lesson v


FORGIVENESS.
(Matt. is: 2I-35.)
Golden Text: III ye forgive men
their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you Matt. 6: IA.
THE LESSON.
Something has stirred Peter con
cerning the matter OF forgiveness
vs.. 81 Peter went to his Master
with an honest question. Seven was
the number of perfection and complete
ness. No doubt Peter was giving >ex-
pressiOn to a prevalent idea. To for-
give the same man seven times would
be, even in these times, mark, an
exhibition of great, Of unusual for
bearance. So Peter goes asking for
the law as viewed by Jesus He went
to the, right source Whoever seeks
guidance OF God seeks wisely Who
ever seeks wisely now in the recorded
life and teachings Of Christ seeks
wisely.
Note too. Peter, without doubt
had the iorgiving spirit. Perhaps the
disciples had discussed the matter
among themselves The question re-
Celved great answer
way not to be misunderstood Do
notN think this is a pattern=setti1lg an
sWer Seventy times seven is the per-
feet number teniolded, and then multi
Piled into itself. The meaning is. for
give the offender indefinitely"
Seventy times seVen' is four hun
dred and ninety, and no man would
sin against another as manu times as
that. What a picture that is of the for
giving grace OF God No limit ito the
divine mercy. Teach that
Now comes zone of the greatest of
ali the pardbles Be sure to grasp its
meaning. God knows no limit in for
giving except the limit set by men i'll
their dealing with leach other.
vs.. %. The Kingdom OF Heaven
is Ekened. etc.' That is the method
Of the Kingdom of Heaven The
kingdom is mot a king; but the method
in the kingdom is dhat made iby the
king in his acts. This king would
take account Of his servants" This
does not mean would number them to
see how ruany there were 1t lmcans
the king womd have "a reckoning with
each one. OF ss we often say, IAN ac-
counting"
VS.. "a. The accounting began. tOne
after another made his settlement, .l,l1-
til at last one WAS brought who could
not settle. His debt was too great
1t is not worth while to snend time
reckoning how srn,lch in our modern
money ten Thousand talents would be.
The sum was veKy large, and the deb
ftor could not pay He was a har,;
case, as he soon ifoand. Those were
lhard times for the bankrupt debtor.
VS., 25. His lord seems severe, but
that was law Slavery for man, wo-
man, child, servants, and conkscation
OF everything he had The command
was harsh. but there was no escape
The law sustained it. Justice demand
ed it. How all that has changed as
the centuries have hown, and the
power that has wrought the change
is the Gospel of Christ. This privi-
legeof having chance to repair losses
is an ostcome of Christianity
vs. 20 Then the poor wretch beg
eed. Nc wonder | would have done
the same. So would YOU Slavery
was ruin. He should have SO kyed as
mot to br.1g himself into such case.
BIT he's had not, and he was caught
he prayed now He promised. too.
How could lke hope to earn so vast a
sum- Prayers are easy when in
| trouble. Promises cost little. Bat
talents, ten thGg,sand talents mean ls-.
Dor and pain.
vs.. ~. The prayers and tears
counted more than the promises This
king had soft heart He doubtless
knew the debtor could never pay.
Compassion took the place OF justice.
He was king. He could afford to
lose that sum. So he gave orders.
Loose the prisoner. Let him go.
VIII cancel the debt"
That must have been happy mo-
ment to the debtor and his wife and
children. How grateful such man
would be. How full of mercy for
others he would be.
VS.. 2S. Now learn what sort OF man
this debtor really was. He went out,
found one OF his fellow w-servants which
owed him, etc
What an exhibition he made of hu-
man nature Had he right to de-
nand payment? OF course. For what
did he want the hundred pence2 His
lord had cancelled his debt.
That is the cry OF the world Pay
me. Pay me-" There is little mercy
in the business world But every last
one of us wants God to be merciful.
vs.. 20. Just hear the felow-ser-
wants prayer. 1t was exactly the same
tudl tiiiS DlS dtDloI Id0 IlduS. 1t
should have made him think but it did
not. For see what he did
vs.. go 'He cast him into prison"
That was not as bad as selling him for
slave. But it made the poor fellow
servant unable to pay what he owed.
Prison is no mill in which to make
money. 1t meant the wife and child
rem must toll until the hundred pence
were paid.
Jesus may have known of some such
case. The story was full OF lessons,
however, that might have been. The
complete knowledge Jesus had of a
human heart is shown. There is moth
ing nobler, nothing meaner than a
human heart How strange that is.
VS.. 81. Then the other servants
went and told the kino. OF course
The ten thousand talents man should
have known thew world In tlut That