Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-08-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson vl.-Third Quarter, For
Aug. 9, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

by Rev. D. Nj Stearns.
Having spent the night at Bethany,
they returned on the morrow to Jeru-
salem. Probably they returned early
in the morning, and He at least seems
to have had~no morning meal, for He
was hungry. See His rear humanity
in that He hungered, thirsted, was
weary, wept Gohn iv. 6, Z; xi, 35). See
His humility in that He consented to
he thus dependent upon others on this
earth, which He Himself had made.
Though He was rich. for our sakes He
became poor that we through His pow
erty might be forever rich JChn |,
10, II; ii Cor viii. 81. He was no
doubt literally hungry, but as there
was meat Of which His disciples knew
not John iv. 80, so there were hun
ger and thirst of which they knew not
He hungered for fruit from Israel,
who proved to be an empty vine, bring
ing forth fruit unto himself; bad
vine, bearing only wild grapes (Hos. X.
This lesson is recorded in Matthew
anu do "CAt as al -NAaA n Va ot
least part of it. Matthew says that He
saw fig tree in the way, and Mark
says that He saw it afar of. Both
phrases are suggestive Of the facts
that. while Israel professed to be In
the way. she was really afar off. Hav-
ing leaves was a profession of fruit
bearing; His finding nothing but leaves
was disappointing barrenness. The
parable of the fig tree in Luke xiii. go.
shows His patience with His fig tree.
His saying In Matt. vii. 16 teaches
that it requires real fig tree to bear
figs. The first reference to fig leaves
in the Bible shows mans vain effort
to substitute something instead OF the
beautiful garments of light which he
had lost (Gen. iii, y. while the refer
ence in Hab. iii, II. is. shows that.
though all that is of nature should fail.
yet we may find real cause of rejoicing
In the Lord Himself. Young translates
forever" verse Ia to 1.-The age" and
we know that, while Israel as A nation
has borne no fruit since she rejected
Christ. the time is coming when
Israel shall blossom and bud and fill
the face of the world with fruit lisa.
xvii, g.. He came to Jerusalem and
went into the temple and began to
cleanse 1t, as He had done at the be-
ginning of His ministry (John ii. 1910.
Jerusalem was the national center.
and the temple was the spiritual CEN
ter. as the heart is the vital center of
our being. and true cleansing must
be from the center outward. Man
looketh on the outward appearance.
but the Lord looketh on the heart. He
says: 81. the Lord, search the heart. I
try the reins even to give every man
according to his ways and according
to the fruit of his doings' q Sam. xvi.
Z; Jer. xvii. 10). See beautiful and
appropriate prayer In Ps. cxxxix, %.
"a. In the cleansing in ii John He &C.
cused them Of making His Fathers
house house of merchandise. while
here He says that instead of its being
a house of prayer they had made 1t a
den of thieves tverse 10. The refer
ence is to lisa. wi. Z. Mine house shall
be called an house Of prayer for all
people," and to Jer. vii. II. SIS this
house which is called by my name be-
come a den of robbers in your eyesT
The question is asked in Nal. iii. s.
"Will a man rob God?" And it is
also answered Instead of recognizing
all things as given us by God to hold
q nd fny sIe
many are more apt to say: 'Our lips
land all things) are our own. Who is
lord over u.s." Cps. xii. A. The only
right attitude is that of David when
he said, "All things come of Thee, and
of Thine own have we given Thee"
q Chron. xxx, 14l.
The temple was originally built for
the Lord that He might dwell there In
the midst of His people Israel and
that all people of the earth might
know Him and fear and serve Him
q Kings viii, 1900. but now that the
Lord had come to His own temple He
was crowded out by business and self
seeking. 1t is even so still in the
churches, which are supposed to be for
His worship. but from which He is ex-
Guided by many things and by worldly
ways and in which there is often no
room for Him. He is often. as in Rev.
iii, 20. inquiring If any person will
open bis hearts door to Him. hardly
expecting that church will welcome
Him.
The chief priests and scribes were in
creasingly determined to destroy Him
because His teaching was so opposed
to theirs. He taught daily in the tenn
pie and at night went out to the Mount
of Olives. for there seemed to be no
more Of home welcome for Him any
where than there was in the temple
Duke xxi, 81; John vii. So; viii. u. 1t
was and still is the same old story,
"No room for Him" duke Ii, y. His
thoughts and ways are so far above
ours that in our low and unworthy
way OF looking at things we cannot
seem to welcome Him as we should.