The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-04-23

|. Introduction, w. 1.3.-We now
come to that chapter in the Bible
which contains three of the more
celebrated parallels of our Lord. In
last weeks lesson we had set before
us the severe terms of dscipleshlp
laid down by Jesus to the multitude
which followed him as he left the
house OF the Pharlsee The writer,
Luke, makes close connection be-
tween the final admonition about
"ears TO hear" in chapter IA and
verse / OF this lesson. Jesus had
sifted the crowd though he had left
the door open to himself, for he was
seeking those who were prepared to
share with him In his enterprises OF
building and OF conflict, II they could
bear his teaching. This is responded
to by those outcast ones, the publlcans
and tho sinners. They had no
Righteousness of their own, no spirit.
ual hope centered in themselves and
they turned eagerly to one who was
unqualihedly honest with them though
at the same time he set up heart
searching conditions. What a con.
trast! The grumbling theologians.
crlticiZing and pickering, grieved that
he should demean himself by such
associates. In reply, Jesus shows
them the truth OF the fundamental
purpose Of Gods attitude toward these
who eagerly sought to hear" by Civ.
ing them these parallels In the first
two. the sheep and the coin, We see
divine love seeking the sinner; in the
third the prodigal, we see the sinner
seeking the father. Christ's idea OF
goodness consists in saving the bad.
The Pharisee holds aloof. Christ goes
out from among the Pharisees and
among the outcasts.
True and False Shepherds.
II. The Lost Sheep, w. 4-7.-The
shepherd is God the son (John 1911,
70; Luke 1870. lie is the "True
Shepherd" the Pharisees were false
ones This adds point to the parable:
see the Old Testament rebukes for the
same, Ez. 3i:7.10: Zech. 11:16.17: Jer
50:6. The lost sheep belongs to the
fold. but was out Of place These
outcast ones were still Israelites and
the backsliding Christian still belongs
TO the fold A sinner is a lost sheep.
He is away from the care, the protec-
tion, the guidance OF the shepherd and
is torn, bleeding. and ready to die"
One such lost one will call forth tho
shepherds utmost endeavor TO save it.
far beyond the care lavished upon
the ninety.and-nine already safe In the
fold. This means labor, toll, and pri-
walton, and he keeps up the search
until he finds it, This does not
mean that all will be saved. see John
1872. IL r, ", but every sheep" that
is astray he will find. Once found It
rests upon his shoulders, is kept by
his power. Pet. 1:5. Over Il he and
the father rejoice, W. %, "a, 80.
There is here the evidence of the in.
terest in the flock which is incom.
plete and the interest of the owner
as well. The safety Of the lost ono
depended upon the shepherds interest.
Work Of Holy Spirit.
III. The Lost Coin, w. 9.1o.-Theso
three parallels are unit in the fact
that they reveal the attitude OF God
toward men who are in their deepest
need. Each Is the story Of something
being lost and the fact that II is
found. The first is revelation Of the
son, the last OF the father, while this
central one sets forth the work OF
the holy spirit through the church.
Rev 22;17; Eph. 5:25. One of ten
coins in this woman's marriage neck.
lace is lost, hence the incompleteness.
The spirit will not rest until IL ia |
found, nor should the church. The !
woman takes her lamp-the word OF !
God, Ps, 119;105; Phil. 2:15, 16-and |
sweeps the house. IL has been sug |
gested that sweeping usually stirs up |
n dust and that some are likely to |
object. SO the world will object when |
the church of the living God begins to
stir up dust and they are annoyed |
at any eager search for the lost ones,
Acts 1876. The woman is sugges.
tion TO us in that she sought "dili.
gently" until the lost coin was found.
Then she, too, calls in her neighbors |
that they may rejoice with her, Does
the church keep up like search? |
And do We know anything about the
Joy Of the holy spirit? Gal, 5:22,
Thess, 1:6. Over the wellbeing OF
the homo the woman watches and
again the search is in the interest of |
the owner, and in the interest of the
household.
~. Summary.-The chief value of |
these two pictures is in their revela.
ton Of the work and interest of the
son of the spirit. The crowding mul.
titude of publisans and sinners, held
in contempt by the Pharisees. Jesus
viewed as lost ones. Appalling as
this suggestion is, yet the sheep be.
longed to the shepherd and the coin
was the property of the woman. This
suggests the dignity and value of men
and the tragedy OF their condition
Knowing all this and understanding
the full significance OF that tragedy,
the son as the shepherd has under
taken to seek and to save the lost,