The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-04-15
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays Lesson
for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by Charles K. Meyers
April 19-The Cost of Discipleship

April 19-The Cost of Discipleship.
Luke IA, 25-35.
We have for our lesson this week a
number of what can be called "the
hard sayings OF Jesus" That is, TAX
en- as they read they are hard to un-
derstand and to make fit with other
words from the lips of the great teach
err 1t is my hope to be able to add a
little light on difficult place.
1t is in this lesson Jesus said, "If
any man come to me and hate not his
father and mother, and wife, and chill
dren, and brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also, he cannot be my
disciple" This sentence alone sounds
strange from the lips of the tender
loving Jesus, and has been a stumbling
block for very many. Of course, one
way to think about the matter, is to
class it with others which cannot seem
to be explained, and rest on the fact
that Jesus certainly did not mean
what it is here said He expressed.
Sometimes that is the only thing
which can be done. 1t is not necessary
in this case.
1t can we'll be remembered that at
the time Jesus spoke to the people
about Him as told in this lesson He
was in the high day of His popularity.
The multitudes were running after
Him, expecting setting up of tenn
poral kingdom, and consequent over
throwing of the Roman domination.
Once before, when the crowd followed
close Jesus told the people that they
were attending Him with enthusiasm
because of being miraculously fed not
not long before, and now were looking
for more loaves and fishes. Then He
told them of spiritual bread, and
many turned back from following at
ter.
The words of warning as given in
our lesson of today were in the way
of bidding possible followers to
Count the costs" and not in mo-
ment of temporary enthusiasm decide
to cast their lot with Him. His words
then are in the same thought as when
He said that one who put his hand to
the plough, and looked back was not
worthy to be disciple.
believe that what Jesus here wish
ed to convey was that if it came to
choice between following Him, and
thus inheriting blessed eternal life, or
being influenced against Him by faith
cision should be for Him. This does
not mean hating these relatives, but
not allowing them to stand between
us and the best things on earth and for
all eternity.
1t is said that one must be ready to
hate his own life to be follower of
Jesus. The Master said that one who
lost his life for the gospels sake should
find it, The command shows the
fact, that selfishness, pride, world
ly ambitions must be put aside in the
determination to follow Christ Jesus
said in the lesson that one must take
up his cross or bear the cross daily
and come after Him to be disciple.
Now this cross bearing means more
than simply meeting the trials which
come upon all ma kind day by day.
There is no cross bearing in this. The
christian has the best of such things,
for he has divine comfort and strength
to overcome these, and bear such as
r-'st be endured The cross here
spoken of is the setting aside and
dominating over, any things in our
natures which seem to stand against
the will of God, and the expressed
words of Jesus. If it is cross to re-
frain from doing anything, which
while not seeming harmful to us might
be so to others, then there is call for
this kind of cross bearing
A loving mother or father is ready
to bear most anything in life if there
by the children are made better. There
is willingness tn lose ones life for the
sake of the child. Followers of Jesus
must be ready to seemingly lose their