Ellsworth American., 1914-05-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson vIIl.-Second Quarter,
For May "a, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Luke xvii, ITO.
Memory Verses, 3, +Golden Text,
Cor. !, 3t-commentary Prepared by
Rev. o. M. Stesrns.

Memory Verses, 8, NGolden Text,
Cor. !, 31-commentary Prepared by
Rev. o. M. Stesrns.
There Is no doubt connection al
ways between every part of the Scrip
lures and the context. that which goes
before or after, but sometimes it Is a
little difficult to see it In all our Bible
study we must rely wholly upon the
author. the Holy Spirit. but We are oft
times slow to hear or see. How much
we do need anointed eyes and ears!
The unavoidable conflict between light
and darkness will always cause Of
fenses, so the Pharisees were often Of
Tended with Christ Matt xiii, 81.
1t had been prophesied of Christ that
He would be rock of offense to both
the houses of Israel lisa. viii, IA. and
so he proved to be according to Rom.
tx. SO; Cor /. %: Pet ii. s. Even
John the Baptist seems to have been
offended with Christ duke vii. 1929,
and on that last night He told His dis
ciples that even though He might allow
them to be put out Of the synagogues
and to be killed they must not be Of
Tended John xvi. 1-3. Yet he told
them that they would be offended be-
cause of Him that very night Matt
XVI, 31).
There was a time when He said to
thou art an offense unto me, for thou
savourest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of man" (Matt
xvi, 23).
Perhaps we have here the key to at
least a part of the whole matter of Of
fenses; the things OF God are an Of
fense to men. and the things Of men
are an offense to God, or, as He said In
the context Of the last lesson, THAT
which is highly esteemed among men
is an abomination in the sight of God"
In the first two verses of our lesson
has He reference to the rich mans
being an offense or stumbling block to
the poor beggar, and is the truth the
same as when He said of Judas Is
CARROT, 1T had been good for that man
If he had not been born" Matt. xvi.
24) If any Of oar members should
cause us to stumble into hell fire it
would be better for us not to have
them (Matt. xviii, s, 8; Mark *, 434Sl,
We must use all care not to be an
offense to others, even In our eating
and drinking Rom, xiv, 13, 81; Cor,
viii, 13). If others offend us we must
forgive them when they repent, even SO
often as seven times in day verses o ..
A.. When Peter asked If be should for
give as many as seven times our Lord
answered until seventy times seven
(Matt xviii, 81, 22). which understand
to mean till the kingdom comes, the
complete fulfilment of the seventy
sevens Of Dan. TX. "a. We all need for
giyeness so often that we cannot but
continually forgive others. We can only
freely and constantly forgive others
and be kept from being an offense to
others as we live In the power Of the
reality of the coming kingdom, when
all that offends shall cease to be Matt
xiii. Al. A living faith. for grain of
mustard seed suggests life will accom-
plish great things Matt. xvii, 20: xxi,
q, 22), but who is there who can show
a fulfillment of the words. "All things
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, be-
heving. ye shall receiver" What is our
difficulty? Why do we not know more
of the power Of God and His kingdom
In our lives? Is 1t because. like the
elder brother. we are trying to do our
duty, but not understanding our
Fathers love nor the abundance that
is ours, saying to Him. Thou never
gavest me a kid that / might make
merry with my friends" while He Is
saying to us, Thou art ever with me.
and all that | have is thine?" luke
XIV, 20, 81 AS the riches OF His grace
and glory control US we shall be less
apt to be offended, even as II is writ
ten, Great peace have they who love
the law. and nothing shall offend
them" FPS. cxix, 1861,
We shall also in the same power be
better able TO yield to others, and
yielding paci6eth great offenses"
Eccl. x. A. The love of God. which
in Christ and by virtue of His great
sacrifice makes us sure of a welcome
such as the prodigal received and
of bliss beyond this life such as the
poor beggar entered into, should con-
strain US to have nothing but love for
all. even for those who hate us. if such
there be; the love that is kind, that suf-
fers long, that seeketh not her own
and is not provoked QI Cor. v. IA, Is:
Cor xiii. Al
The word duty, which is found in the
last verse of our lesson, is not a word
for the believer. for we read that when
we have done our duty we are unprofit.
able servants. and no believer should
be an Improbable servant Yet how
often we hear the word In reference tc
our daily life. because love is moi
known. Imagine a man loving bis
wife. or wife her husband. from a
sense Of duty. What kind of a home
would that be? once heard a sermon
on duty, and 1t made me SO tired thai