Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-18
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BIBLE. STUDIES.
AND SHE WAS A SINNER.
Luke vii, &C. 5O-June %,

i ne boSpel oI 1HI1Sl is the Mes
sage of Divine compassion toward
sinners All religions recognize sin
and propose reconciliation with God
by works of charity, by voluntary
sclf-t torture or by future torments
None of the heather gods have any
touch of sympathy for humanity:
they are cold, cruel, yindictive. The
Bible, of all the religious books we
know of, alone tells of God touched
with the feeling of human infirmities
and with sympathy toward sinners.
God commendeth His love toward us
in that while we we're yet sinners
Christ died for the ungodly"
Note the expressions of the Scrip
lures indicating Divine compassion:
God looked down from His Holy
Habitation to behold and to hear the
grooming of the prisoners suf-
fering of humanity under the death
penalty, and the incidental aches and
pains of our fallen condition. He
did more than look, He did more than
pity: His right Arm of Divine power
in due time began to bring deliver
ance for the captives Of sin and death.
Already He has sent His Son and
thus provided a Ransom price for the
sins of the whole world. Already
His Son has been glorified, and mere>
Is awaits the time for the establish-
ment of His Messianic Kingdom
Meantime Divine grace has been
still further manifested in the invita-
ton granted TO a little flock" to be
justified by faith and to be sanctified
by the High Priests offering of them.
and thus to become New Creatures.
joint heirs in His Kingdom. Still
the Scriptures tell us Of Gods pursu-
ing Love and Mercy. He is unwilling
that any should perish, but Wills, on
the, contrary, that all shall have an
opportunity to turn to Him that they
may have everlasting life. 1t is for
this very purpose that Messah's
Kingdom will be established in great
glory and with full power.
Eventually the Redeemer shall see
of the travail of His soul and be
satisfied" Eventually the Heavenly
Fathers Plan will be SO outworked
that every creature in heaven and
earth and under the earth shall be
heard saying, Praise and glory and
honor, dominion and might be unto
Him that Stitch upon the Throne
and unto the Lamb, forever" Even
tually God through the Messianic
Kingdom. shall wipe away all tears
from off all faces and cause the re-
proach of being His people to disap-
pear from the earth.-PrOverbs xxi,
| A; Isaiah XIV, S.
A Woman Who Was a Sinner.
Our Redeemer possessed and ex
emplifed the Heavenly Fathers love
and mercy. He declared that He was
merely the exponent of the Fathers
will, and hence of the Fathers love
and sympathy. our Lords sympathy
is presented not only in this lesson
but also in many others. and all of
His followers do well to cultivate the
same spirit. Jesus was not sympa
thetic with the sins of the people,
but with the people themselves. He
| realized as few do the real difficulty
with the majority of sinners. Be
hold. l was shapen in iniauity, in sin
did my mother conceive mel" ex-
claimed the Prophet. We are sim
hers by heredity. We have inherited
partially depraved minds, partially
unbalanced brains and morals.
st. Paul speaking of the very
noblest class, declares. We cannot
do the things which we would"-any
| of us, hence all humanity are sin
| ners. There is none righteous no,
not one" Therefore it is merely a
question of the degree of siufulness,
and the degree is often measured by
the degree Of inherited weakness. or
the degree of surrounding tempta-
tions. The really reprehensible and
| bIameworthY sinners are those who
sin wilfully. deliberately, knowingly,
Intentionally. But it is not ours to
judge which these are. Indeed. we
are incompetent to judge; we cam
not read the heart, we cannot fully
appreciate the degree of the tempta-
| ton and the weakness of the tempt
ed. Hence the Master said, Judge
nothing before the time" In due
time the saints will judge the world
but not now.
| Jesus had accepted an invitation to
dine at a Pharisee's house. The din
ner had begun. Resting upon one
arm they used the othea for handling
the food. After the custom of the
| times, they reclined upon low tables
or touches, their heads toward the
center where the food was placed
While the dinner was progressing, a
woman who was a sinner "a harlot
deeply penitent, entered. She had
in her hand some precious perfume
| with which she intended to anoint the
Saviors feet, as was sometimes done
| with dignitaries of that time. Her
heart was full, and tears gushed from
| her eyes while she sought to open the
bottle; they fell like rain upon Jesus
feet. evidently quite contrary TO the
woman's intention. She was dis
honoring the very feet she intended to
honor Loosening her hair, she used
it as towel, entirely regardless OF
the fact that for woman at that
time it was considered dishonorable to
let down her hair in public: but in
tent upon her errand she dried the
feet and poured the precious perfume
upon them, presumably as an honor
| to the One from whom she had heard
Wonderful Words of Life"-words OF
Divine compassion and pity for sin
ners, words of hope for herself.
| Two Debtors and Their Love.
| The host of the occasion watched
Jesus to see how He would receive
| this manifestation of loving devotion
saying in his heart II this man We're