The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-29
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson IX.-SeCond Quarter, For
May 81, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text of the Lesson, Luke xvii, 11-fS.
Memory Verses, 17-19-GoIden Text,
Luke xvii, 1s-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
Before we consider the grateful
Samaritan it will be helpful to look at
the Whitsuntide lesson on the reveal
ing spirit In / Cor. Il, ITO. Whether
It be the Old Testament or the New,
the great truth stands that the
things Of God knoweth no m0l., but
the Spirit Of Co.." but what a mfort
it Is that the believer has reject, ed the
Spirit Of God that he may know the
things that are freely given Of God.
To the natural man who has not been
born again these things OF God are all
f~oolIshness, for only the spiritual man
can discern the things Of the Spirit
q Cor. ii, 11-14). The whole Bible has
been written by the Spirit OF God and
Is forever settled in heaven Oh Tim.
Iii, 10; Ps. cxix, 89), SO that 1t may
truly be 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
also tells us Of the devil as the great
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 h~elplessness 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 |
Spirit Of God, solved every difficulty.
The Spirit is ever ready to conv1Ice OF
sin and lead the sinner to Jesus Christ.
the Saviour. Then by Ills 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 OF 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 K, 49,. 1t was so in some
measure with prophets and apostles
Oh Pet. /, 81; Acts i, 8; ii, 4; iv, 81;
v, 80; vi, 8; vii, 55; xiii, p. and there
is nothing we should so earnestly and
constantly desire al to be filed with
and controlled by the Holy Spirit, re-
Numbering that nothing can ever be
accomplished for God by the might or
power or wisdom of man. but only by
the Spirit of God Czech. iv, 81.
Turning to the regular lesson, we see
our Lord on His way to Jerusalem,
whittier His face was s~teadfastly 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
Samaritans (Matt. K, s, 6; XIV, "a, 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 cruciied 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 "the
mystery his body. the church, to
share with Him His kingdom and
glory. AS these ten lepers stood afar
of 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 duke v, IA; Matt. viii,
~. They evidently so understood IL
and started on their way, and as they
went they were cleansed. 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 OF his face at Jesus
feet and gave Him thanks. He was a
Samaritan, which seems to imply that
the rest were Jews. How pathetic
seems u Lords question, "Were
there not ten cleansed, but where
are the niner' None to give glory to
GOD say this stranger. Is it so still
that He finds gratitude only in one out
Of tenn How is it with you? ="
Leprosy was one Of the emblems OF
Israel's national condition before God.
as when Moses hand was made lep.
rous and then healed eek. ", 6, 2 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
His word to the penitent woman in the
house Of Simon, the Pharisee, "Thy
sins are forgiven; . = . Thy faith hath
saved thee; 60 in peace" Also to the
woman who had been twelve years
"a z~mN-s------- ZHl