The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-04-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson iV.-SeCond Quarter, Fer
April rs, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Luke XIV, ITO.
Memory Verses, 9-1o-GoIden Text,
Luke XIV, documentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.

There was something IN His teaching
which reached the hearts of these pub
licans and sinners who We're 50 de
spised by the self righteous Pharisees.
He was full Of grace and truth; they
knew the truth that they were sinners
and they needed the grace that was in
Him. He taught as one having author
ity and not as the scribes: never man
spake like this man Matt. vii, %;
John viii, 46j. That which the Phari
sees sneeringly said OF Him. This man
receiveth sinners and eateth with
them was, and still is. gloriously
true. He is still saying, IF any man
hear my voice and open the door 1 will
come in TO him and will sup with him
and he with Me" (Rev. iii, POI.
The word here translated "receiy-
eth" is generally translated waiting
or looking for Weymouth's render
ing is, lie gives a welcome to noto-
rious sinners" Not only does He re-
ceive sinners when they come to Him
CJohn Vi. 30, but He is on the lookout
for them. He came to seek and to
save that which was lost luke xix.
l0J. If we are truly His disciples. as
il the last lesson, we. too. will seek in
all the world the lost ones whom He
came to save, the ''whosoevers' who
will make up His body. the church
Their murmuring led Him to speak
the threetod parable of the lost sheep
tie lost coin and the lost son. in which
we see the love of the Son as the
shepherd. the love of the Spirit and the
love of the Father. The love of God is
the greatest topic in all the Bible and
was specially manifest in His giving
His only Son for us that we might
not perish. as it is written. In this
was manifested the love of God toward
us. because that God sent His only be-
gotten Son into the world that we
might live through Him" Hereby
perceive we the love of God because
He laid down His life for us" Il John
iii, 1G; iy, -. The story Of the shep-
herd and the lost sheep is found also
in Matt xviii. ll-14. and the record Of
the Good Shepherd is found most fully
in John y, where He not only cares
for the sheep. but gives His life for
them. In our lesson He is seen seek
ing till He finds; laying it on His shout
dcrS, rejoicing. bringing it safely home
and calling others to rejoice with Him.
In Heb. Xiii - p. He is the Great
shepherd vino. having found and say
ed. works in US that which is We'll
pleasing In His sight. In Pet. V. II.
He is tile chief shepherd rewardin@
His own for faithful service. Thus
We have again the threefold aspect Of
our relation To Him as in last lesson
saved. serving, waiting for Him.
have often been glad that when He
finds His sheep lie brings it home: He
does not drop it by the way And
what "A place it is to be on His shout
ders. us and our burdens. too CDeut
XNXiii l.; lsa. iX. &, -. There must
be more significance than we have ever
seen in these words. The Lord is my
shepherd" and if we fully believed we
could not but rejoice q Pet. i. s..
Woman is type of the church. both
true and false, but here she represents
the true church in the power of the
Holy Spirit seeking diligently that
which is lost The sheep set before us
one phase Of the condition of the lost
as when We read. Il have gone astray
like lost sheep" ''All we like sheep
have gone astray" Ps. cxix. 176: lisa
Iii, @. The piece of silver may sug-
geSt the Indifference of the lost. as
when We read If being dead in tres
passes and sins CEph ii. u. In both
cases the Lord is the seeker as He
has always been ever since He sought
Adam in the garden Of Eden. after he
had sinned. saying. Where art thou?"
Gen. iii. o. He does not merely cali
Us To come. but knowing that we are
as helpless us Mephibosbeth. who was
lame in both feet. He sends and
fetches us into Ills presence and by
His great love causes us to fan on our
faces in true pcnitence. then gives us
all I'll sam. iX. 3. .. 6. :. 49,
Like the good Samaritan. He finds
us helpless and wounded and tenderly
cares for us and puts us in His place
and brings Us to a place Of rest and
continues to care for us duke Y. $3.50.