The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-06-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson xI.-Second Quarter, For
June II, 1910.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
fext Of the Lesson, Matt. XIV, 21-24.
Memory Verses, ~, 22-Golden Text,
Matt. XIV, 2s-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
This chapter begins with a question
from the Pharisees, "Why do Thy dis
ciples transgress the tradition Of the
ellers?' to which Jesus replied, why
do ye also transgress the command
ment Of God?' Then He added, "Ye
have made the commandment Of God
Of none effect by your traditions
quoting from the prophet Isaiah con-
Ierning those whose worship is only
from the mouth and lips, while their
hearts are far from God Qsa xxx, Is;
Eek. xxxiii, 80. Paul tells US that
even the wisdom Of words (he must
mean the human wisdom of mems
words) may make the cross of Christ
of none effect Il Cor. |. ~. So between
mere outward form and the wisdom
of man the gospel would seem to be
greatly hindered. and yet our Lord is
not discouraged lisa. Kill. n. In
lesson which we are soon to have we
will hear Him say, Let wheat and
tares grow together till the harvest"
but in verse - of this chapter He
| warns us in these words: Every plant
which my Heavenly Father hath not
planted shall be rooted up" Let us
see to it that we are indeed trees Of
righteousness, the planting of the
Lord, that He may be glorified" lisa.
Xxi, b.
| cannot help thinking that from
such religious Journalism and hypoc-
risy our Lord went away into the
| coasts of Tyre and Sidon to be re-
frcshed by some real faith, for, know
| ing all things and all people, He knew
| what He would find where He was
going, and we do not read of any
other result of this visit except the
This incident is found only here and
in Mark vii, where we read that He
entered into a house and would have
no man know it. That would lead us
to think that He came aside, possibly
| for physical rest as well as the re-
freshment from the faith of a gentle.
This woman, whose daughter was
troubled by an unclean demon, having
heard of Him, came and fell at His
feet and besought Him to heal her
| daughter. Note that she heard of Him.
The questions keep ever coming Are
any hearing of Him through me? Are
| my life and testimony all for Him?
Might some others hear if was WILL
ing to go or more self denying in Or
der to help others to go? The apostles
are again in evidence with their 'send
her away, for she crieth after u.s.
| verse 23). 1t is so much easier to
turn down the many appeals for help,
just to he let alone. So few of us
seem to learn to live wholly for 9TH
ers, for the good we can do rather
than the good we can get. The Holy
| Spirit needs to have more full control
of Us.
She addressed Him as 20 Lord, thou
Son of David" but as the Son of Da-
vid she, being a gentle, had no claim
upon Him. and He answered her not
q word. We must never tolerate a
thought of any unkindness or even
lack of consideration OH the part of
Jesus, not even when He addressed
ii, 4. He was never anything but love,
and love is kind Il Cor Kill, A. The
most that we can ever say is, well,
l do not understand" But we must
implicitly trust Him. In this case He
was no doubt preparing her for the
blessing He was ready to bestow He
said to, the disciples Il am not sent
but unto the lost sheep of the house Of
Israel"
Her next appeal is simply Lord,
help me-" and now she gives Him His
right place in relation to her, but He
replied, 1T is not meet to take the
children's bread and cast it to dogs"
This does seem to our ears almost too
much to bear, but He will never try
us too much Il Cor. X, 49,. He knew
what He was doing. and it was all
love, no matter how it looks to us.
Listen to her reply: Truth, Lord, yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall
4 from their masters tables" The VIC
tory is hers. She has won; she gave
Him His place rs Lord. and now she
takes hers, the lowest, a gentle dog.
Now listen to Jesus: 20 woman, great
is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as
thou wilt. For this saying go thy
way. The devil is gone out of thy
daughter verse %; Mark vii. 90.
She believed his word, returned home
and found her daughter well.
There was a great realized need. Her
daughters trouble was her own. It
was nothing foreign, nothing to which
she could be in any degree Indifferent.
She knew she had come to one who
could help her. and she would not let
60. The lessons for us are easy. May
we lay them to heart He is always
this same Jesus" Compare this
great faith" with that Of chapter
viii. 10. and note that in each case it
was the great faith of gentle. Con-
trast the little faith of the disciples
In Matt. vi, 30: viii. &c; xiv, 81; xvi. s,
and let us have faith in God. the faith
that faints not. doubts not. wavers
not, but clings believingly and expect
antly Matt xxi. q. 90. In order to ask