The Tupelo journal., 1912-09-06

10:40 to Ill.
GOLDEN TEXT-"He that receiveth
you receiveth me, and he that receiveth
me receiveth him that sent me."-Matt
t0:0. ~A%
--~A
The first verse of our lesson Is a
vivid picture Of the life Of our Lord.
Going about from village to village,
he taught, healed and preached the
good tidings of his new kingdom.
Why? Not only because Of his COM
passionate heart as revealed In the
second verse of the lesson, but also
as a proof of his claims and, that be-
lieving We might have life through his
name" John 20: 80, 81. This does not,
however, lessen the force of this sec
ond verse, for Jesus as the true Shep-
herd was indeed touched with a feel
ing of our infirmities." Seeing the
multitude thus without a shepherd, so
faint and weary as to lay down and
knowing that his great work was to
be carried on by others after he had
finished" 1t upon Calvary, he makes
special provision by choosing the
twelve and telling them definitely how
to carry on his ministry.
Jesus realized that no one man can
minister to all others except as he
multiplies his personality in the lives
of others. So it is that he gives the
church of today a powerful example OF
how to answer the prayer of verse 3S
by his practical method suggested in
verse l of chapter 10. His vision OF
verse So is the passion of his life and
he intends it to be the passion Of our
lives.
Disciples Restricted.
Following this introduction We find
a list Of the peculiarly chosen ones
who are to be his vice-gerents after
his passing, and from verse 5 on We
find the charge he delivers to them.
There is in this charge, first, the note
of limitation, verses 5 to Is; secondly,
the note of warning. verses Is to %,
and thirdly the note of comparison,
verse "a to the end of this chapter
and including 1911. True, in this les
son we have only the first section, the
limitation together with the final
words of the charge which in reality
amounts to a complete Identification
of his apostles with himself and his
life of ministry.
Notice the grouping of the names
of these disciples. First the three
Tho formed that inner circle, Peter,
.'ames and John, and with them An
crew, who first brought Peter to Je-
fus John lad. After these the
ames are in groups of two, and it
vas as such they we're afterwards
ent out, Mark ST. So we today are
lot alone, Matt. 500. Acts 1:8.
Let us observe the restriction placed
rpon these disciples. They are to
,ainister not to the Gentiles nor even
the Samaritans, though Jesus did both
curing his life, John "A and Matt.
-5:22, but not so these whom he now
IS sending, at least not till his work is
complete and Israel has had its day
IF opportunity. After Calvary this re-
striction is removed, as We can see
from the book of Acts.
Another restriction is in the mes
rage and the method. The message
- W NC IhO 6oOu news VI thO hiho
dom. They are to herald forth that
it is at hand. That the Messiah has
come. We are told that they are not
to force the acceptance of their mes
cage. That in it's proclamation they
shall receive all sorts of opposition.
That they must look well to their
own character, they are to be as sheep
o~-;l,4 u-a1uac thou cho1l hn ho1od
before courts and potentates. but such
persecution shall be a witness against
their prosecutors fer "his sake"
Gearing of Disciples.
What is to be their method? First,
it is to be thai of absolute depend
ence upon the Father. 1t is true that
Paul labored with his own hands, but
at the same time he accepted the
bounty of the churches and urged that
such fruit might abound, Phil. 4:10,
Is, II. Jesus is here teaching US the
other lesson that the 'laborer is wor-
thy of his hire" The disciple is to
heal. The ministry of hospital, nurs-
ing and cody physicians is a marvel
Gus fulfillment of this command. OBJ
serve well the ministry OF medical
missions. There is no greater inspi-
ration to the Christian church. What
is to be the bearing of these disciples?
1t is to be that of dignity and self
respect, see Luke 1915.
While it is true the disciple is to
offer and not to force his message
upon the people, yet for Israel to re-
tect was indeed a worse state than
that of Sodom and Gomorrah. me
overthrow and scattering OF the Jew-
ish nation is a byword in history.
AS to the note Of compassion. We
should read all of this chapter.
Remember the dignity Of our work.
Remember that we go in the name OF
One who came to "shew forth the Fa-
Their" Remember that as we thus
~"forth-tell' and shew forth our Father
and that as we receive others and 9th
ers receive us we honor the Father,
Social service is good, but let 1t be
done in the name Of a disciple n to
the glory of God the Father. Such,
tr1aad d {ha praoticc1 life 0f the