The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-19

Lesson IIl.-SeCond Quarter, Fol
April I'll, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

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Memory Verses, II. 15--Goldsn Text,
John X 10, r. V.-Commentary Pres
pared by Rev. o. Nj. stearns.
The first part OF this lesson is found
in Matt. xii. 1921, as well al in Mark,
and the record of the choosing OF the
twelve is found In Matt K and Luke vi
and In our lesson verses. Our medita-
ton is upon the record as found in the
several gospels. When Jesus knew that
they had determined to kin Him He
withdrew with His disciples to the lea.
When people resist the gospel and viii
hear Of our Lord Jesus u in
structions are to let them alone and
withdraw from them Matt. X, II; Acts
xiii, 40; III. John x, III. AS then multi
tudes followed Jesus because they
needed what He had to give, so there
are multitudes now hungering for they
know not what, but 1t Is Himself they
need. In those days they heard what
great things He did, and they came to
Him from all parts. even from Tyre
and Sidon, as well as from beyond
Jordan, and He healed them all and
cast out unclean spirits Matt. xii 15
ana charged the healed ones not to
make him known. The crowd so
thronged Him that He babe his disci-
pies TO bring Him a boat that from 1t
He might be able the better to teach
them. We are. vessels also, and He de-
sires from and through rs to make the
glad tidings known, but few seem
willing TO give Him the vessel. The
quotation from Isa. xiii, IA, in Matt.
Xii 1921, must be understood In the
light Of the context, and thus IL is
plain that the bruised reed and snnok-
ing fax represent His enemies, whom
He might easily break in pieces, but
the time is not yet. Compare III Kings
xviii, 81. Some see In the reed and fax
q suggestion Of the weakness Of His
own people with which He win not
deal severely. That phase OF the truth
Is found in Heb. iv, Is, 16, but here we
are pointed onward to the time Of
Judgment upon His enemies, and after
that the winning OF the nations to
Himself through Israel, now meekness
and submission and suffering, and then
the glory.
Luke vi, u, 13, tells of His spending
all night in prayer to God and then,
when it was day, Of His choosing
twelve OF His disciples, whom He
named apostles. l often wonder II we
understand prayer as practised by
Him. Think OF our prayers, a few mo-
ments Of confession and petition, and
contrast this continued all night in
prayer to God" He had nothing Of sin
to confess, so Ii must have been an all
night of communion with His Father
concerning the things Of the kingdom
and concerning these men whom He
was about to set apart specially for
Himself. Verse Is Of our lesson says
that He called unto Him whom He
would and they came unto Him. On
the last night before he was crucified
He said to them, "Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you and or.
dained you, that We should go and
bring forth fruit and that your fruit
should remain" When he called these
men He had in mind not merely the
few years OF ministry in a mortal body.
with much weakness and failure on
their part, but He saw the kingdom
and the twelve thrones on which they
would sit ruling the twelve tribes OF
Israel (Matt. xix, %; Luke xxi, 800.
1t was not the time to talk with them
OF that; but, though He did speak OF it
before He left them, He also said, =
have yet many things to say unto you
but ye cannot bear them now (Johp
XIV, 16; xvi, 10. he called them that
they might be with Him" He want
ed them not only In His company, but
to be wholly one with Elm, seeing
things as He did, having His mind
about things, as far as such mortals
could: but oh, how they failed, and
how we fail, and how we must grieve
Him by our unbelief and our own
thoughts instead OF His! He wanted
them with Him that He might send
them forth to preach and to heal.
Whom He blesses He desires to make
q blessing to others, and he has left
us here in His stead, saying to His
Father, 81 am no more In the world,
but these are in the world" He also
prayed that through US the world
might believe and know (John xvii, III;
xxi, 2S. He not only prayed for the
apostles, but for all who should be-
lieve on Him through their word John
xvii, 20l, so we are included in his
prayer, and He ever liveth to make in
tercession for us. In the order In which
we have them In our lesson, the one
who denied Him Is first, and the one
who betrayed Him IS last, and It Is the
same in Matthew and Luke, while the
order Of the others varies Just a little.
It must be for a purpose that the
weakest and the worst begin and end
the list, the one a true Disciple, one OF
the inner three, and after Pentecost
used more than either OF the others; the
other a devil. Yet infinite wisdom did
the choosing, ana His way is always
perfect, Ok we are dumb and can 0nly
wonder that He ever chose MS, 'schose
before the foundation OF the world
that we should be holy and without
blame before Him In love- (Eph. i. Al.
With the exception OF Peter ana John,
how little we know OF any OF khemg
Philip and Andrew are to the front,
not In the most favorable light, at the
feeding OF the 5000: James and John
desire irst places liz the kingdom;
Thomas II the last TO believe In the
resurrection. vet he loved thexp all.