Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-04-01
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Second Quarter, For
April 5, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Luke xiv, 7-24.
Memory Verses, 10, 14-Golden Text,
Luke xiv, 11-Commentary Prepared
BY Rev. D, M. Stearns.


by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
As He ate bread in the house of one
of the chief Pharisees ON the Sabbath
day He not only healed a man who
had the dropsy xiv, 10. but He had
a special message for the guests and
then for the host and later for one of
the guests who had made an interest
ing remark Oh, how He did live be-
fore God and seek the souls of men.
fearing no ones frown and desiring no
ones favor. To the guests He taught
humility, for then as now there was
often a desire for the best place that
could be obtained. Humility is rare
virtue. and few there seem to be who
in lowliness of mind esteem others bet
ter than themselves Phil ii. 81. There
was only one who was perfect in hu-
mility and lowliness. the speaker on
this occasion, and He could truly say.
81 am meek and lowly in heart Matt.
xl, 29). Exalting self is like anti
christ Dan. ri. SO; II Thess. ii. 4; Rev.
xiii, 3, O., but renOuncing self is Christ
like, for He made Himself of no repu-
tation and took upon Him the form of
a servant Phil. ii, Z, s.. See also verse
II of our lesson.
His message to His host was in ref
erence to a future rather than pres
ent recOmpense How common it is
to be kind to those who can return the
kindness, to invite those to enjoy our
hospitality who can return the invita-
ton. How much of social life is filed
up in this way? This may seem all
right for those who know no better
way. But when in church work. sup
posed to be the Lords work, people
act as if money could be obtained only
by giving a present equivalent in the
form of a lecture or an entertainment
or something to eat, does it not all
seem contrary to our Lords admoni-
ton to this host? My own intense con-
viction is that giving or living only for
a present equivalent is all wrong, and
l have proved in ministry of over
thirty years that the love of Christ and
the need of those who never heard of
it will constrain people to give freely
to help make Him known and gladly
await the recompense in His kingdom
In connection with the resurrection of
the just.
1t does not appear from the Scrip
lures that believers are rewarded at
death, though it is a common saying
that he or she has gone to his or her
reward. The truth concerning the dead
In Christ is that they rest from their
labors and their works do follow them,
but rewards are promised only at His
coming again (Rev. xiv, ID; xxi, II;
l Pet. V, A.. Here is a plain reference
In verse IA OF our lesson to the differ
ence between the resurrection of the
just and the unjust That there shall
be both is written in Acts xiv, Is, but
that there shall be thousand years
between them is just as plainly writ
ten in Rev. Xxx, 8. 6. The hour of John
V, IS, does not conflict with this, for
the hour of John V, %, has already
lasted nearly 1900 years, and that of
verses IS, 20, may easily cover the two
restrictions at the beginning and end
of the thousand years.
His mention of the resurrection of
the just seems to have led one of the
guests to remark, Blessed is he that
shall eat bread in the kingdom of
Cod verse 15), which he evidently
associated with the resurrection. This
led our Lord to speak of the great
supper and of the way the invitations
were treated and of the excuses which
men will make rather than accept the
invitation. He seems to reply to the
remark of the guest that men are more
interested in property and in earthly
enjoyments than in the things of the
kingdom.
The things unseen and eternal are so
unreal to most people that things seen
and temporal hold all their attention.
Contrast the way of the believers in
II Cor. iv, II, is. The redemption
which leads to the kingdom is describ-
ed as great supper fully prepared,
and the invited ones have only to come
and enjoy it. 1t is probable that the
invitations of this chief of the Phari-
sees, in whose house they were, had all
DeeH accepted eagerly, buL the lUNlLa-
tons of which our Lord spoke were
treated far otherwise. The great sal
walton has been fully prepared by the
life and death and resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. nothing can be added to
it; but, oh. the cost of it all to the
Father who gave His only Son and to
the Son who gave Himself, And all is
offered freely, for 1.-The free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord" 1--WE are justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. vi, %. r. ";
iii, 24. How often we hear Him say,
Gomez from Gen. vii, to Rev. xxi.
II; notably in lisa. i, Is; Matt, XII, %,
and how frivolous are mems excuses
when compared with the Importance
OF the salvation offered them and the
glory of His kingdom.
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