Evening journal., 1910-10-22
WILT THOU THAT WE COMMAND
FIREl
Luke d; 51.5G-OcOfhpr 9g

And It came TO pass, when the
days were well-nigh come. that he |
should be received zip. he steadfastly |
set his face to go TO Jerusalem aud |
sent messengers before his face"
This weeks study relates an Incl |
dent which occurred on the occasion |
OF our Lords journey from Galilee to |
Jerusalem Just before his cruciiXion |
He knew that his hour was come: that |
his sacrifcial life OF three and a half |
years should be accomplished. The |
Great Teacher was full of courage. |
But of the people there were none
with him I'm the sense OF sympathetic
appreciation of the conditions. Tue. !
he had Informed the twelve Apostles
respecting the consummation Of his
work and its nearness. but they had
been slow to believe all the things
written In the Law the prophecies
concerning him. Their minds natur-
ally grasped the glorious things spok-
en- Of the Messiah They we're so busy
thinking of his glorious Kingdom, and
of their glorious association with him
in that Kingdom. that they failed to
note the other prophecies which. with
equal distinctness, foretold his suf-
ferings and ignominy. Similarly. they
overlooked the Masters own words
concerning his death. They thought
/ OF him as speaking In some figurative,
/ hyperbolic manner And Peter even
attempted to rebuke him. saying. BE
this far from thee, Lord Il shall not
happen unto thee"
Refused by the SamHritans.
Another account intimates that
James and John visited the Samaritan
city for the purchase OF bread and
supplies for the party. The Samari-
tans recognized them and injured,
would the Great Teacher recognize
the Samaritsns and heal their sick
ness o. would he treat them as Jews
in general treated them-unkindly?
They believed the latter. The Apos-
ties frankly told them that the Great
/ Teacher was sent only to the Jewish
nation and would not stop to heal
their sick ones. because he was mot
sent save to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel"
Naturally enough the Samaritans
resented this and were angry. They
said. Very we'll Buy bread from the
people whom you instruct and whose
sick you heal.
| st. John and ST James were great
ly incensed at this Was not Jesu
i, the greatest Teacher2 Was he no
= the Messiah? Had he not. as such, tn
= right TO determine the will Of God He
+ specting who should and who shoull
y not receive his benefactions? Witt
! this answer they came 10 Jesus and
relating the circumstances, asked
% wilt thou that we command fire u
come down from heaven TO destro,
p these men and their city2"
What Spirit Are Ne or
We listen with keen interest for the
Masters response. AS we once view
ed the matter of the Divine program
n would have seemed right for the
Great Teacher 10 say 10 the Apostles,
Never mind my dear Disciples; walt
lust a little while and all those Sa-
maritans will die and my Heavenly
Father will deliver them over 10 the
devils for an eternity Of torture. In
comparison with eternal torture that
b which you purpose in the way OF
burning up their city and incidentally
burning them for a few minutes would
be as nothing I appreciate, by dear
disciples. your spirit. that IL is God
like that YOU desire 10 do all he
roasting and burning within your
power. and commend you for II.
Continue to thus copy your God ana
TO cause suffering to as many ss pos
sible of your fellow-creature who do
I not think exactly as you DO.
Was this the answer Of the Great
Teacher? Thank God, Mo- His teach
ing was the very reverse-sympathe
ic. loving. kind. And he had the Fa-
, theirs Spirit and understood II ana
followed it perfectly. In answer 70
their query. we read, Jesus turned
and rebuked them" and said ie
know not what spirit ye are OF! The
Son of man is not come to destroy
! mems lives. but to save them
"a Savior and a Great One"
The language spoken In Palestine IN
Jesus day was the Syriac. one OF
the Great Teachers titles is Ihe Sa-
vior. And this. in the Syriac language,
sienifes "The Life -Giver" The whole
world was damned enough before
Jesus came. He came not TO damn
(condemn) them more, but that they
through him might have life (John y,
10; iii, 10.
Lifei Did they not have life? No
All human life was forfeited through
father Adams disobedience. All man
kind are dying as a result Life
Giver. a Savior from death land not
from eternal tormen) was what was
needed.
The 6rst work Of the Savior Is the
redemptive work of Calvary. HIS
second work is the selection Of his
Church to be his joint-heirs In the
Kingdom His third work will be the
saving of Adam and all his race from
sin and death-from all the mental
moral and physical degradation which
came through father Adams disc
bedience and through his children be
| ing born In sin and shapen in iniquit,
and in sin conceived by the mothers.
The saving of the Church Is a grea
work. How faithful we should be 1
we have heard. If our eyes have seen
II our hearts have tasted OF the grac'
of God In this wonderful privilege o
becoming members of the Bride o
Christ. However. we cannot suppos
that the saving Of merely a handfu
of select ones is the purpose OF Co
in the creation of the world and i
the redeeming of the world. On tn
contrary. this elect Little Flock
spoken Of as a 'frst-fruits unto Go
Of his creatures (James 1. IS; Rev
elation xiv, 40 This implies an after
fruitage much more numerous. Will
God does not propose TO save anyon
out Of death and to life eternal cor
trary to the individual will. he dos
| propose that every creature lost
| / Adam and redeemed by Jesus shall D
| brought to a clear knowledge of IN
: Truth that they may be saved. n