Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-27
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR MAY 81
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Commentary Prepared I'm An Inter-
esting Way by Rev. ID. M.
Stearns

Before we consider the grateful
Samaritan 1t will be helpful to look at
the Whitsuntide lesson on the reveal
ing spirit in Cor. II. Ito. Whether
it be the Old Testament or the New,
the great truth stands that "the
things Of God knoweth no man. but
the Spirit OF God" but what comfort
II Is that the believer has received the
Spirit OF God that be may know the
things that are freely given OF God
! To the natural man who has not been
born again these things or God are all
foolishness, for only the spiritual man
can discern the things Of the Spirit
IL Cor. II, lI-l4l. The whole Bible has
been written by the Spirit OF God and
Is forever settled in heaven Oh Tim.
| Iii, 10: rs. cxix. S9,. 30 that 1t may
truly he said TO be the Spirits Bible
| copyrighted In heaven. He therein
tells us OF the living and true God, His
love for the lost. His great salvation.
His coming kingdom and glory. He
enemy Of God and man. the father OF
lies, the murderer. the god OF this
world. who will TO the last make war
with the Lord and the saints. but who
will finally be sent to the lake Of fire
| forever
As to the inability Of the wisdom
Of this world to grasp things spiritual,
| consider the revelations Of God given
to the kings of Egypt and Babylon.
the utter helplessness Of all the wise
men OF those lands to grapple with
them, and the ease with which Joseph
and Daniel. men Of God filed with the
| Spirit OF God, solved every difficulty.
| The Spirit is ever ready to convince Of
sin and lead the sinner to Jesus Christ.
| the Saviour. Then by His word he
gives assurance OF salvation, then
makes the body OF the believer His
temple. revealing Christ to him and
| through him and working In him all
the good pleasure of the Lord unless
hindered by pride. unbelief Or self in
some form OF working
No one was ever so filed with and
controlled by the Holy Spirit as the
Lord Jesus Christ and In Him the
| Spirit wrought perfectly and unhinder-
ed (Acts X. 3S,. 1t was so in some
| measure with prophets and apostles
| Oh Pet. |. 81; Acts I. 8: II, 4; Nv, 81;
| v, 81; vi, 8; vii. So; xiii, y. and there
is nothing we should so earnestly and
| constantly desire as to be filed with
and controlled by the Holy Spirit. re-
/ T. ha
accomplished for God by the might or
power or wisdom Of man. but only by
the Spirit OF God Zech. fv. o..
Turning TO the regular lesson, we see
our Lord on His way TO Jerusalem.
whittier His face was steadfastly set,
for the time was drawing near for
! Him TO be received up. or. In other
words. to be slain and be raised the
| third day duke tx, %, 51, Although
! He and His messengers were sent
| primarily TO the lost sheep OF the
| house of Israel and not to gentiles or
| Samsritans (Matt. x, 8, q; XIV, 24l. for
the kingdom was for Israel, and He
was Israel's Messiah, yet He was ever
ready to bless all. and the time was
drawing near when He would be re-
jected and crucifed by the Jews. then
the kingdom would be postponed and
the gospel given to all the world to
gather from thence in this age OF 1.-THE
mystery" his body. the church. to
share with Him His kingdom and
glory As these ten lepers stood afar
Off and cried Jesus. Master. have
mercy on u.s." His heart OF compass
sion went out TO them. and He sent
them to the priests. which implied that
their request was granted and the
work was done luke V. IA: Matt viii,
| ~. They evidently so understood II
| and started on their way. and as they
went they were cIcansed. One OF the
ten was SO full Of JOY and gratitude
that he at once turned back to thank
his healer. and clarifying God with a
loud voice fell on his face at Jesus
| feet and gave Him thanks. He was
Samaritan which seems to imply that
the rest were Jews. How pathetic
seems our lords question, Were
there not ten cleansed. but where
are the nine?" Nona to give glory TO
God save this stranger. Is II so still
that He finds gratitude only In one out
Of ten? Hsw IL II with You?
Leprosy was one OF the emblems OF
lsraels national condition before God.
as when Moses hand was made lep-
rous and then healed lex. ~. 9. u God
would teach Moses and Pharaoh that,
though Israel was In the sight Of
Egypt as unclean as a nation OF lepers.
He could easily cleanse and deliver
them. The serpent sign was to teach
Moses not to fear to approach the king
of Egypt. and the water OF the Nile
turned TO blood that God would hum
BILE the pride OF Egypt
: How happy this grateful leper must
have been to hear the Lord Jesus say
to him, Arise; go thy way: thy faith
hath made thee whole" We think OF
mi Al. g. ~