The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-09-12
LESSON FOR SEPT. Is.
JUDGMENT AND MERCY.

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LESSON TExT-Afatt. i1:2o-so.
GOLDEN TExT-"Come unto me all "
that labor and are heavy laden, and I
VIII give you st"--Matt LIS.
The paragraph mark separating
verses ~ and rs should rightfully be
removed for that portion Is but q con-
has gone before. AS we see from
Luke's account, Jesus has sent out
the seventy who return Boosting Of
what had been accomplished In Jesus
name, only to receive his reproof that
they are not so much to rejoice In
that as that their names were written
I'm heaven"
Jesus had made his appeal to Judea
only to be rejected; he has done a
marvellous work in Galilee only to be
rejected there also, and thus 1t leads
to his appeal to the individual. Jesus
knew that every problem of the
church, financial or otherwise, every
problem of the body polite, Us in its
final analysis one of the condition OF
the individual heart
We have before us a twofold divi-
sion Of this lesson. First the awful
woes Jesus pronounces on the impeni-
tent, v. 20-24, and second, the un-
speakable Joy OF those who accept
him, those who "come to him." v.
$3.50.
!. Those Who Reject. One can
scarce reconcile the speaker Of this
first section with him who spoke the
last words, but Is any denunciation
more awful than that OF outraged
love? There Is no contradiction here
| for his invitation Is extended to the
very people whom he has denounced.
Chorazin and Bethsaida. laden with
sin. are urged to break on their yoke
Of bondage, be reconciled with him.
become yoked with him whose burden
is light. These words Of denunciation
were chosen with deliberateness.
They mean Just what they say and
but little can be said to amplify their
meaning. We can, however, see that
judgment never precsdes opportunity.
! Judgment Inevitable.
| These cities had their day Of oppor-
! tunity. In like manner we notice that
the measure OF the judgment is the
measure Of opportunity. The fate OF
Tyre and Sodom was awful. but more
terrible Is to be the fate, In the day
OF judgment. Of Chorazin and Beth
saida. because they sinned against the
greater light. The possible exaltation
| Of Capernaum as shown by the ques-
tion asked in verse 20 Is followed an
awful degradation. fate far worse
than that Of Sodom. for II his mighty
works had been done In Sodom II
would hare repented and remained till
this day.
/ Again we need to note that judy
ment Is Inevitable. II Is the lot and
portion of US ALL Jesus created q
wonderful opportunity for those cities
/ and in like manner has created one
for us as individuals OF the city. what
will be our accounting in the judg.
ment? We as citizens are being illu.
minated by wonderful revelation Of
truth and Righteousness. Shall New
York. Chicago and other large cen
| tiers became as ancient Capernaum or
Babylon, Nineveh and Tyre?
II. Those Who Come to Jesus.
Coming now to the second section Of
our lesson, one can feel the tender
pathos OF the voice Of Jesus as he
turns from the whole to the individ-
uals who comprise the whole and
/ cries-"Hither to me-" Not alone
4 those who are burdened by ceremon-
talism or guilt but more wonderful
&cope than that. "All who labor" His
invitation is. however, limited, for II
4 Is to the laboring. thus excluding the
Hi1fully idle, whether they be idle ma
seriaiiy or spiritually.
jesus call Is for q twofold purpose,
/ (a) Service. Take my yoke upon
you and ~ knowledge. and learn
4 OF me-" Note the order, service first
4 Scr we learn by doing. There are two
j kinds OF rest suggested. (a) that
4 which Is given" and (b) that which
i IL found" The first Is the rest OF
faith, forgiveness. acceptance, assur'
ance and consciousness Of Gods
love. The second Is the rest of salts.
4 faction, of communion, Of fellowship
4 and Of service. The one Is the peace
with God" Rom. 81, and the other II
/ the peace of God" Phil. At. which
the world cannot take away. n
Offers Life.
Jesus knew the rest OF harmonious
relation to the Father, the rest Of
/ service, and SO the climax OF his In
yitation is the test OF experience. v
80, For my yoke is easy and my bur.
den Is light" Notice that our labor
Is to be fruitful. heavy laden but
the joy OF service far outweighs any
thought OF its becoming duty and
/ therefore onerous. A yoke implies q
/ being attached to a load and with an.
other. How may we know II his
words be true? There Is but one con.
dition, Come" Jesus meant just
what and all that word implies The
| babe sitting upon the knee Of Its nurse
knows what its mother means when
/, she calls Come and so Jesus ex.
tends HIS arms to sorrowful. laden
humanity as well as TO cersmohially
laden Israel and says Come" Not
to church or to some religious lead
er, but to Jesus himself. The invita-.
ton Is very personal both as to the
one who shall come. and the one to
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