The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-06-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Xl-SeCond Quarter, For
June 16, 1912.
TIE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of tho Lesson, Matt. XII, ATE.
Memory Vsrsss, 8, S-eoIden Text,
Luke vii, 20, r. v-commsntary
Prepared BY Rev. D. M. stearns.

h&NS ~ ~ &@0SSNHr eNa%@Ns nj 9GtSs
Memory Vsrsss, s, 6-GoIden Tex,
Luke vii, "a, n. v-commentary
Prepared by Rev. .. M. stsarns-
According to the harmony Of the COS
peIs, the Sermon on the Mount was fol-
lowed BY His using Simon Peters boat
as q pulpit and then flling their net
with fishes after q night OF ruthless
toll After that came the healing of
the leper and the palsied man, the call
of Matthew and the feast he prepared
I'm his own house, the healing OF the
impotent man at Bethesda, the man in
the synagogue with the withered hand,
the night Of prayer, the choosing Of the
twelve, the sermon on the plain, the
healing Of the centurion's servant, the
raising to life OF the Widows son and
much teaching day by day. Whether
this is quite correct as 70 the order Of
events or not Is not all important if we
can BY faith see ourselves day by day
with Him who. being anointed with
the Holy Ghost and with power, went
about doing good and healing all that
were oppressed OF the devil, God being
with Him and doing through Him the
miracles and signs and wonders (ActR
K, IS; ii, 22l.
There was one great and good ma
who did not see these wonders OF His
power from day to day, for he was
skut up In a prison Tor the truths sake,
hut he heard Of them and evidently
wondered why the one upon whom he
had seen the Spirit descend like a dove
and reruain upon Him, who, he had
been tod By God, was the Messiah and
whom he had pointed out as the Lamb
OF God John 1 1885,, did not deliver
him from prison, for 1t had been pre-
dicted c0nceraing Him that He would
proclaim liberty to the captives and
the opening OF the prison to them that
are bound lisa. Xxi. II. As far as we
know Jesus Eesar visiteo John In pris-
oA nor seas hiu sfy x8essagc up to this
tine, and Ibe fssher OF lies was no
doubt very 0uS9 with John questioning
che way Of God and the love OF God
and SnsinuEGIng tnat. after ALL John
must have pAen mistaken I'm pointing
out Jesus 40 eas Messiah Ii John had
not been 4r s0nA wy and In some
uTen6ea with Jesus would He
have sent him the message He did.
Blessed is ne whatsoever shall not be
ofende5 in Me7~ Cvsrse g. 10 the
question OF John through the two disci-
pics whom he teut Art thou he that
should, Or do wo look Tor anotherY'
verse 81 .segus IN char same hour
wrought roArf uairReses and said, go
your way and seIi John what things ye
have seen and heard ana then He add
ed the word 4pout not being offended
duke VII, 2S25t At one time Jesus
said to the Jews, "tf ! do not the works
Of my Father believe Ne not, but IL /
do. though ye Relieve not Me, believe
the works that ye may know and be-
heve that the Father is in Me and / in
Him. John X, 81, 8S). All this IL in
accord with last weeks lesson on the
necessity Of works as an evidence and
doing always precedes teaching Matt.
v, 10; Mark Vi. 30: Acts i, 1; Nv, 20;
Luke xxiY, 10). Notwithstanding all
Els mighty works on behalf Of Israel
when and after He had brought them
out Of Egypt, they were constantly
being offended with Him and murmur.
ing against Him. They spake against
Him, they believed not In Him, they
provoked him, they forgot Him, and
many a time he, being full Of compass
sion, turned His anger away from
them, for He remembered that they
were but flesh Ps. lxxvftO. What a
picture Of ourselves and how much we
need that absolute confidence in Elm
and obedience to Him az ell times
which will keep MS from ever being OF.
Tended John XVI, la.
The disciples Of John having depart.
ed, Jesus said to the multtudes that
John was no reed shaken with the
wind nor was he such as Hive In kings
houses, g~orgeously appareled and living
delicately, but he was indeed the mes
senger predicted by Isaiah, and Nd
greater prophet was ever born OF wo-
man, and if they had received him be
would have been to them Elijah. Com.
pare Matt xvii. IL. IL, but do NOS fail
to notice in the preceding verses that
the real Elijah is yet to come. The
saying, "He that is least in the king.
dom Of heaven Is greater than hes
(verae III, has perplexed many because
they have not noticed the meaning Of
Sin the kingdom" and have not under
stood that the kingdom cannot come
until the king comes back again. Then
the least In his resurrection glory viii
be greater than John was, and J0hr
himself viii bs greater than he eveI
was before. The kingdom was at hand
when Jesus was on earth. 1t wan ir
their midst ia His person, as He saic
In Luke xvii, q, margin, but they did
not recognize Him or it, but BY force
resisted It, I'll treating John and later
Himself and doing to both as their re-
bellious, wicked hearts prompted them
He therefore told them plainly that thu
kingdom would not come at that tims
and not until His return QJuke xix
l1-18l. 1 am continually perpiexed by
statements from me who ought to an.
derstand about the extension and this
advancement Of o kingdom that Is mo-
yet begun. Neither John nor Jesus
Christ can please BIN people, and the
number OF those whom the Bible doei
not suit seem to be increasing. but ths
word OF the Lord stands, and wisdom
Is vindicated by her actions (verse 10