The Washington herald., 1914-06-27


For the son Of Man came to sssk and to .r'
that which was lost."
90 Having then great high priest.
who hath passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son OF God, let US hold fast our
confession.
u5) For we have not high priest that
cannot be touched with the feeling Of our
Infrrnities; but one that hath been In all
points tempted like as we are, yet with
out sin.
Q0 Let US therefore draw near with
boldness unto the throne Of grace. that
We may receive mercy, and may fnd
grace to help us In time Of need.
] ID For every high priest, being taken
from among men. Is appointed for men in
In things pertaining to God. that he may
offer botk gifts and sacrifices for sins.
CD Who can bear gently with the ig-
norant and erring. for that he himself
also is compassed with inhrmity.
90 And by reason thereof Is bound, as
for the people, so also for himself. to offer
for sins.
90 And no man taketh the honor unto
| himself, but when he is called to God,
| even as was Aaron.
| C9 So Christ also glorified not Himself
to be made a high priest but he that
spake unto Him. Thou art my Son; this
day have begotten Thee.
| 90 As He saith also in another place.
Thou are a priest for ever. after the order
OF Melchizedek.
| D Who in the days OF his flesh. hav-
| ing offered up prayers and supplicationS
with strong crying and tears unto Him
| that was able to save him from death.
| and having been heard for his godly fear.
C0 Though he was a Son. yet learned
obedience by the things which He suf.
fered.
90 And having been made perfect, He
became unto all them that obey Him the
author Of eternal salvation.
uO Named OF God a high priest after
the order of Melchizedek..
As the lessons Of the first quarter were
mainly concerned with Jesus as the great
Teacher. those OF this quarter have re-
vealed Him as the great Saviour.
The Golden Text summarizes in the
words of the Lord Himself the meaning
and the purpose of all His activity. THE
Son Of Man came to seek and 10 save that
which was lost" This subject IL illus
trated from first to last IN His own
methods with men. but principally in His
preparation OF His disciples TO share in
this essential work. OmItting the special
lessons for Easter and whit-Sunday. we
discover that most OF them show the |
Lord at this work OF preparing His dis
ciples.
Those which most perfectly Illustrate
Him seeking have been those OF His |
table talk the rich man and Lazarus and |
the young ruler.
In the first OF these II is evident that
His purpose IN rebuking guests and hosts
was that OF bringing them to a higher
thereupon in which He spoke Of the great I
supper was His unveiling Of the willing
ness OF God to receive such as are In
need. and His refusal Of those who re-
fuse Him. In all this our Lord was seek
ing these men.
The parable Of the rich man and Las
arus was uttered in solemn warning Of
the Pharisees who were mastered by the
love OF money. by which He sought to
compel their attention anew to the rela-
ton between the attitudes OF this life and
the destiny Of the life that lies beyond.
The whole story OF the young ruler Is n
wonderful illustration of how He seeks
men.
The supreme illustrations Of His saving
are those contained in the lesson dealing
with Him as the Friend of sinners The
picture OF the publican justified is that Of
a man restored tn right relationship with
God by way OF his own repentance. and
the consequent activity Of the Divine
mercy; while that Of Zacchaeus is the
picture OF a man restored to right rela-
tionships with his feIlow-men-a the re-
suit of restoration of right relationship
with God.
In the other six lessons we have the
teaching in which He was preparing His
disciples for cooperation in His work. In
His words to tho multitudes by which He
slfted them. He revealed His need for
helpers. and the terms upon which It Is
possible for men to render Him true serv-
Ice. In the two lessons dealing with the
parable Of lost things, spoken In answer
to the criticism Of Pharisees and scribes
He was unveilinC the Divine heart, and
revealing the Divine activities in order
that men for all time might know Ills
purpose, and. as they desired to cooper
ate with Him. conform thereto.
The lessons dealing with stewardship.
and the true motive in service were d.
rected to the same end: while the teach
ing on the coming of the kingdom was
calculated to fill the hearts Of those who
would serve Him in the period between
the advents with confidence as tbev 60
forth under circumstances Of difficulty, to
offer the kingdom Of God to men.
The Teaching.
As we tnuS review the whole Of these
lessons the things which remain with us
are the things concerning Christ The
whole of this period in the ministry Of
'ur Lord was characterized by the hos
tility Of the ruling classes. and as we
follow Him from place to place, from
work 10 work, from teaching to teaching.
We are filled with a sense of wonder at {
His infinite patience.
His compassion Is equally manifest. For
men in their sin and in their need His .
heart was ever full Of tenderness. and )
he impulse of all His words. both severe :
md gentle, was that Of His desire to seek |
md to save. Compassion as revealed in
.hese stories was never that Of weak )
'entiment II always moved in answer to
and that because love could
make no peace with what destroys men.
His faithfulness in dealing with men Is
Ilso remarkably set forth. For guests
Ind hosts. for rich and poor. for rulers
md ruled. the Pharisess and publicans
lis method was ever that of dealing with
hem according to the actual facts Of
heir need. Neither privilege nor lack af-
orded an excuse for a severity that was
or for a tenderness that was
lnfaithful.
While this Is true. the whole OF the les
ons illustrate the variety Of His meth
IDS; that Is to say. He dealt with each
ase according to the demand which IL
made. He had no stereotyped formula Il
or speaking Of the kingdom. or showing