Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-07-08
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR JULY Z
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
Commentary Prepared IN An Inter-
esiing Way by Rev. ID. VI.
Stearns

The first part OF this lesson concern
ing His deGth AMI resurrection is re-
corded in Matthew Mark and Luke. but
the second pagt. concerning the request
OF James and John and their mother.
in Matthew and Mark only. The words
"in the way" OF verses II. %. ~: XII y:
Acts tx. . I. %. ana elsewhere. while
they may generally mean nothing more
than on the road. are suggestive of Ps.
|, g: cxix. | John xiv. 6. and make one
think of the way of peace. the way of
the Lord Q.uke |. 70; iii, A.. and Of what
il really means. To follow Him in the
way.
This is the third time that He spoke
plainly of His suilerings and death and
resurrection; but. although His words
seem so plain 10 us. they understood
none of these things duke xviii. al.
because they knew not the Scriptures
concerning His death and resurrection
John Xxx, 81, having their own thoughts
about the kingdom, just rs many today
know nothing of the second coming of
Christ the distinction between the
church Of the present age and the king
dom of the next age and the ages To
come. because they will not take heed
TO what is written in the prophets con
corning the Son of Man and the king
dom TO be set up at His coming in
glory to Judge the nations and to reign
in righteousness lisa. xxi |, II:
xxxiv, :: XxXv. 4. l0I. but persist in
thinking that the kingdom is within us
and that all that the great work Of re-
demptiOn is for is to deliver people
from hell and get them TO heaven.
This Is the age Of a kingdom post
poned because OF Il rejected Christ and
of gathering out from all nations a
people to reign with Him. but who
must be content now To suffer with
Him, live separate from this present
evil age. not conformed 10 il. but so
manifesting In ii the meekness. lowli-
ness and love of Christ that we shall
show something of His life in these
mortal bodies and win people to Him.
The Holy Spirit has been given espe
cialiy in this age TO testify Of cruel
fed risen and assembled Christ. who H.
waiting Mt the Fathers right hand un
til the number of His elect waiting
suffering ones. shall have been com
pleted. when He will take us TO Him
self reward us for service. appoint our
places in His kingdom and bring US
back with Him 90 reign facts xvi. 10
1S; Thess. iv. 16-lS: Col. iii. T. Rev. "
8. 10) This is no ii ne for II believer to
1t. "a; g. 4.
his church or his denomination or so
ciety or in any WAY to make himself u
name. but with all lowliness and meek
ness and long suffering and patience
walk worthy of Him who has called us
unto His Kingdom and glory tEph, iv,
|. .; Col. /. l6. II. TheSS ii. ~. who
came not to be mnistered unto. but to
minister and to give His life ransom
for many verse 4Ii
Even jeremiah in his day said to his
scribe Baruch. 'Seekest thou great
things for thyself. seek them not
der. xiv. -. As 1t is Il case OF self or
the Lord and cannot he both, we must
persist i'm attaining 10 the fullness of
the experience of Not |, hut Christ
who liveth in me-" Not |. but the
grace OF Cod" I'm newness of life
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord"
Delivered unto death for Jesus sake.
that the life also Of Jesus might be
made manifest in our mortal tiesh;"
Risen with Christ and setting our af-
lection on things above" (Gal. ii. 20:
Cor. XIV, 10; Rom. vi. 4. IL; ii Cor. iv,
10, IL; Col. Iii. Ia.
Neither James nor John nor their
mother seemed TO understand when
they came seeking preferment in the
kingdom. and il did seem so out OF
place when He had just been speaking
Of His own sufferings and death Even
on the last night, at the passover, as he
spoke Of one OF them betraying Him.
they were striving as to which Of them
should be the greatest. giving Him oc-
casion TO say. Il am among you as he
that serveth" duke xii. 21-2T. No
teacher OF man was ever so lonely. mis-
understood or unappreciated. There Is
such depth of meaning in His words.
mo man knoweth the Son but the
Father" Matt. ri. %; II live by the
Father" Gohn vi. 81. He spoke Of the
cup given Him to drink and the bap-
tism Of suffering which awaited Him
and asked If they could share 1t. and
they thought that their devotion to
Him was such that they could share
anything with Him, even to dying
with Him. as Peter said John xiii. 81.
They did not understand. How could
they when they were so dull as not to
receive Ills plain words about His own
dying? And when he was arrested that
last night and was about to be bound
and led away as II prisoner Peter
would have delivered Him by his
sword IL he could
Oh. how little we understand OF what
II means to follow Him. TO manifest
His life. 10 bear the burden OF the
meek and lowly One. who. when He
was reviled. reviled not again; when
He suffered lie threatened not. leav-
Ing us an example that we should fol-