The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-08-18
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR AUGUST of.
Subject: Jesus Nearing Jerusalem,
Matt. 2O:t7-3i--Commit
Verses 25-25.

GOLDEN TEXT. - "The Son OF
Man came not TO be ministered unto,
but to minister and to give His life a
ransom for many" Matt. 20:2S.
TIME.-March, A. d. 80.
PbACE.-Near Jericho.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Self-Seek-
Disciples, 1928. Jesus foresees and
foretells all the definite details of His
coming suffering at Jerusalem 1t
was the third time He had told it to
them since the TRANSPORTATION, but
they were so occupied with their own
petty ambitions that they had not
needed what He had been saying. At
this most inopportune moment two of
the best men in the apostolic company
come to Him with a request that they
be preferred above all others ". 90;
cf. Nix. 10:35). They presumed upon
the fact that Jesus had already con-
ferred upon them favors withheld
from most of the apostolic company
(Mk. 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). They may
have also hoped something from the
relationship existing between His
family and their own. Jesus has Of
ten to say to us when we pray, as to
them, eye know not what We ask"
(Rom. S:26). There was a condition
of sharing Christ's glory with Him of
which His petitioners little dreamed
". 22:26-39; CT. Nix. 14:36; Lu. %.
AZ; Jno. 1871: Lu. 1850; Tim.
2:12; Rom. SID. James and John.
full of self-confidence, unhesitatingly
declared themselves able to drink the
cup Christ drank and to be baptized
with the baptism with which He was
baptized. Many to-day with equal
readiness and equal thoughtlessness
declare themselves ready to follow
wherever Christ leads the way Jesus
took them at their word. We best be
careful about our professions. for
Jesus may take us at our word. II
lies with the Father to decide who
shall have the place of honor in His
kingdom. The ten who had made no
such request as the two were never
theless just as selfish as they (v. %;
CT NIX. 9:33-36; Lu. 22:34. The
method of Christ's kingdom was ut
terly at variance with the methods of
the Kingdoms of this earth Tvs. 20
2O. The Head of the kingdom is the
supreme illustration of the principles
that governs it; He came not to be
ministered unto but to minister. His
ministry cost Him all He had. He
laid down His life as a ransom to pur-
chase life for the wicked world that
had forfeited il (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal.
3:13; Tit. 2:14; Isa. 53:5; 2 Cor.
500. He gave up the highest glory
and descended to the deepest shame
and thus attained to a name that is
above every name (Phil. 2 6-9). The
only greatness in Gods kingdom is
the greatness of service.
III. Blind by the Wayside Begging,
2D-31. The three accounts of this
miracle (cf. Nix. 1O:46-52; Lu. IS:
35-4S) differ in details. This ap-
pears like contradiction, but it is not
necessarily so. A very possible eX-
planation is that Jesus healed one
blind man as He entered Jericho and
this one told two others, one of whom
was Bartimeus (whom Mark for some
reason regarded as worthy of special
mention), and they waited for Jesus
as He should depart from the city.
These two beggars are striking IL
lustration of man as he is by nature:
His home, Jericho Cthe city under
curse: Josh. 6:17, 26, tyre Of this
world); blind (2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 3:
10; beggar clothed in rags lisa.
\. }.
dusty waysGc-not pleasant place
to be, but better far for them than
some shady palm grove of Jericho
for Jesus was to pass that way, and
the best place for needy, sinful men
is where Jesus is Gu. 10:39-42.
Many a Bartimeus to-day needs sim
ply to be told that Jesus is right at
hand AS soon as they heard they be-
nt
to do, but it was enough (Rom. 10:
13). The time TO call is the time that
they chose lisa. $500. They ad-
dressed Jesus as Thou Son of Da-
vid," !. e., as the Messiah der. 23:J;
ch. l:1-12. 23; 22:41. 42). They
cried simply for mercy. The people
were displeased to hear them cry for
mercy and rebuked them. There are
many people still, even religious Eeo-
pie, who are irritated when they hear
poor, sinful. afflicted people making
disturbance by crying aloud to Jesus
for mercy. They thought It beneath
the dignity of Jesus to be disturbed
wretch. Though they were poo. they
so far from closing their mouths,
Ohlg maui lltli u buA Allt lllbAts -
was well that they improved this OPP
portunity, for Jesus never passed that
way again.
III. Receiving Sight and Follow
ing Jesus, 32-3f. Jesus was on i'm
portant business, the most important
errand of His life, and yet He stood
still" to listen to the cry OF the poor
blind beggars and to relieve their
need. Are We like Him? They were
ready to so as soon as the call came
(cf. NIX. 10:49, 500. Everything de-
pends on what we really will" that
God do for us. Jesus knew what they
wanted. but would hear It from their
own lips tch. 6:S). Jesus would have
definite prayers. They believed in
Jesus as the Messiah, and the prophe-
cies marked the Messiah as the restor-
er of sight lisa. Sj:5; 42:1. Z; Lu.
4:17, 1S). Jesus opened their eyes
with a mere touch. The cure was in
stant and complete.