The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-09-06

you receiveth me, and he that receiveth
me receIveth him that sent me."-Matt
1910.
The first verse of our lesson is q
vivid picture of the life Of u Lord.
Going about from village to village.
he taught, healed and preached tho
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
ms q proof of his claims and, that be-
lieving ye 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 infrmities." 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" It 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 81
by his practical method suggested In
verse / OF chapter 10. His vision OF
verse 36 is the passion Of his life and
he Intends 1t to be the passion OF our
lives. Truly the harvest Is bountitul.
| the opportunity is tremendous. All
that Is needed is helpers, hence our
first duty is to pray and our second u
accept his enduement for service
Jesus sends forth those whom he tells
to pray,
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 6 on we
find the charge no delivers to them.
There Is in this charge, first, the note
OF limitation, verses 8 to Is; secondly,
the note Of warning, verses l6 to 2S,
and thirdly the note OF comparison,
verse "a to the end Of this chapter
and including 1911. True, in this les
SOD we have only the first section, the
limitation together with the final
words of the charge which In reality
amounts to q complete Identification
Of his apostles with himself.
Notice the grouping Of the names
Of these disciples. First the three
who formed that inner circle, Peter,
James and John, and with them An
drew, who first brought Peter to Je'
sus John FAD. After these the
names are in groups Of two, and II
was as such they were afterwards
sent out, Mark 6:7. So we today are
not alone, Matt. 1920, Acts 1:S.
Let US observe the restriction placed
upon these disciples. They are to
minister not to the Gentiles nor ever
the Samaritans, though Jesus did both
during his life, John A and Matt
1922, but not so these whom he now
Is sending, at least not till his work Is
complete and Israel has had Its day
Of opportunity. After Calvary this re
strictlon Is removed, as We can sex
from the book Of Acts, OF course
this restriction is not incumbent upon
us. We must not, however, forget that
the removing Of this restriction does
not remove our obligation to the Jews
The duty to evangef,e the Jew is still
incumbent upon the disciples o.
Christ.
Another restriction Is In tho mes
sage and the method. The messag,
is to be the COED, news Of the king
dom. They are to herald forth" tina
II Is at hand. That the Messiah hal
come. We are told that they are no
to force the acceptance OF their mes
sage. That in its proclamation theI
shall receive all sorts Of opposition
That they must look well to thei'
own character, they are to be as sheer
amidst wolves, they shall be halet
before courts and potentatos, but sucl
persecution shall be a witness agains
! their prosecutors for his sake" Yea
they shall be hated Of all men ant
compelled to fee from II village t
another, but a wonderful reward shall
be theirs II they endure to the end
Bearing Of Disciples.
, What is to be their method? First
8 It Is to be that of absolute depend
, ence upon the Father. 1t is true tina
l Paul labored with his own hands, blu
at the same time he accepted tn,
bounty Of the churches and urged tina
such fruit might abound, Phil. 4:1C
u Is, II. Jesus Is here teaching US tn
I other lesson that We "laborer Ia VOL
thy of his hire" The disciple IL +
heal. The ministry Of hospital, nurf
ing and cody physicians Is a marve,
e GUS fulhllment Of this command. OF
t serve we'll the ministry OF medica
missions. There Ia no greater insp
g ration to the Christian church. VIVA
d is to be the bearing q these disciples
II is to be that Of dignity and sell
respect, see Luke 1875.
While 1t Is true the disciple Is I
offer and not to force his messag
upon the people, yet for Israel to r.
tect was indeed a worse state tina
. that Of Sodom and Gomorrah. Tn
= overthrow and scattering Of the Jew
' fish nation is a byword in history.
As 10 the note Of compassion, W
should read all Of this chapter.
, Remember the dignity Of our worl
Remember that We go in the name c
One who came to "shew forth the F;
, Their" Remember that as We thu