The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-04-23

come to that chapter in the BlDle
which contains three OF the more
celebrated parallels Of our Lord. In
last weeks lesson we had set before
us the severe terms Of discipleship
laid down by Jesus TO the multitude
which followed him as he left the
house OF the Pharisee. The writer,
Luke, makes close connection be-
tween the final admonition about
"ears to hear" in chapter IA and
verse 1 OF this lesson. Jesus had !
sifted the crowd though he had left |
the door open to himself, for he was
seeking those who we're prepared to
share with him in his enterprises or
building and of conflict If they could
bear his teaching. This is responded
to by those outcast ones, the publicans
and the sinners. They had no
righteousness of their own, no spirit
ual hope centered in themselves and
they turned eagerly to one who was
unqualifiedly honest with them though
at the same time he set up heart
searching conditions. What a con-
trast! The grumbling theologians,
criticizing and pickering, grieved that
he should demean himself by such
associates. In reply, Jesus SHOWS
them the truth OF the fundamental
purpose of Gods attitude toward these
who eagerly sought to hear" by CIV
ing them these parallels. In the first
two, the sheep and the coin, we see
divine love seeking the sinner; in the
third, the prodigal, we see the sinner
seeking the father. Christs idea or
goodness consists in saving the bad.
The Pharisee holds aloof. Christ goes
out from among the Pharisees and
among the outcasts.
True and False Shepherds.
II. The Lost Sheep, w. 4-7.-The
/ shepherd Is God the son John 1O.ll,
12; Luke 1910. He is the True
| Shepherd" the Pharisees were false
ones. This adds point to the parable;
see the Old Testament rebukes for the
same, Ez. 34:7-1O; Zech. 11:16-17; Jer.
sos. The lost sheep belongs to the
fold, but was out of place. These
outcast ones were still Israelites and
the backsliding Christian still belongs
TO the fold. A sinner is lost sheep.
He is away from the care, the protec-
ton the guidance of the shepherd and
is torn, bleeding, and ready to die
One such lost one will call forth the
shepherds utmost endeavor to save 1t,
far beyond the care lavished upon
the ninety-and-nine already safe in the
fold. This means labor, toll, and pri-
walton, and he keeps up the search
until he finds IT," This does not
mean that all will be saved, see John
1872, II R. ", but every sheep that
is astray he will find Once found IT
rests upon his shoulders. is kept by
his power, | Pet. 1:5. Over it he and
the father rejoice, Wv. %, "a, 81
There is here the evidence Of the In
terest in the flock which is incom
plete and the interest Of the owner
as well. The safety of the lost one
depended upon the shepherds interest
Work Of Holy Spirit.
III. The Lost Coin, w. 9-1o.-Thes'
three parallels are a unit in the fac
that they reveal the attitude Of CO.
toward men who are in their deepes
need. Each IS the story of something
being lost and the fact that 1t /
found. The first is a revelation Of tn
sor the last OF the father, while thi
central one sets forth the work @
, the holy spirit through the church
/ Rev. 22:17; Eph 5:25. One OF te
, coins in this woman's marriage necl
: lace is lost, hence the Incompetence
3 The spirit will not rest until 1t
8 found, nor should the church. Tn
I woman takes her lamp-the word c
God. Ps. 119: los; Phil. 2:15, 16-an
sweeps the house. 1t has been sui
| gested that sweeping usually stirs u
a dust and that some are likely
4 object. So the world will object whe
the church of the living God begins
stir up a dust and they are annoye
at any eager search for the lost one
n Acts 1875. The woman is a sugge
a ton to us in that she sought "dil
=. gently" until the lost coin was foun
- Then she, too, calls In her neighbol
a that they may rejoice with her. Do'
a the church keep up a like search
"A And do we know anything about Il
IN "joy" of the holy spirit? Gal. So
10 ! Thess. lie. Over the wellbeing
.. the home the woman watches al
90 again the search is in the interest
n. the owner, and in the interest of Il
household.
w. Summay.-The chief value
these two pictures is in their revel
a. ton of the work and interest OF &
n son of the spirit. The crowding mi
y. titude Of publicans and sinners, he
Is in contempt by the Pharisees, Jes
or viewed as lost ones. Appalling
this suggestion is, yet the sheep
longed to the shepherd and the &C
was the property of the woman. TT
y. suggests the dignity and value of m
An and the tragedy of their conditiC
- Knowing all this and understand
80 the full significance OF that trage'
~. the son as the shepherd has und
~ taken to seek and to save the 10