Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-06-17
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Stearns

tNhhl lhIlitfNS III AiIi llitM. MIN anu
Luke. Why the committee should turn
to Mark instead of Luke | cannot tell.
but we will look ut the harmony of the
three records. The preceding passage
concerning the little children is also
found in these three gospels. but lit
tie more fully in Mark. for lie tells US
that Jesus was much dspleased with
His dis ip!es ana also that He took the
children ~ in His arms and blessed
them Mark y. II, lGl. Both Matthew
ANA Mark sly that He put His hands
upon them. We shall not understand
the lesson Of today concerning the rich
young ruler unless We ret first that
main thought concerning the children
If the number of times that an event
is recorded gives an idea Of its impor-
lance these two items concerning the
children and the young man must be Of
special Importance and those recorded
in each of the four gospels OF still
greater importance. The other records
OF this lesson are in Matt. xix. 1880
Luke xviii 1880. Mark alone tells lis
that Jesus had gone forth into the way
and that the Young man came running
AMI kneelcd to Him. As i'm the case of
Iaccheus, he was certainly i'm earnest
and had no thought of his dignity rs
rich man. for he ran and kneeled on
the road. The next item is nearly the
same In each record. Good Master.
what shall / do that | may inherit etcr
nal lifc:" rs is also our Lords reply:
why callest thou Me good: There is
none good but one; that is God" If 20
this young man Jesus was God. then he
should be willing to submit fully 10
Him. If He was not God He was not
good and should not he so addressed
All who now profess TO receive .IesuS
Christ as good teacher. but will not
believe that He is truly God. should
side with the PharisceS and utterly re-
ject Him for making Himself equal
with God iJohn V. -: y. 3D.
The young mans question reminds
us OF smother under different circum
stances What shall we do that we
might work the words of Cod" John
vi. 2S.l our Lord brought the youn"
man face to face with the command
OF sin that lie might bestow upon him
freely the eternal life which he seemed
to hp Seekih. - c1ect1r, hut hr di.i NOT
see himself as sinner and thought
that he had kept al thc commandments
from his youth ul. The heart of our
Lord went out greatly 10 him. and
Mark says that Jesus. bch0diUg him,
loved him" VERSE III. necall>p lie l0v
ed him he sought still further Ia cen
vince him Of sin. and by asking him to
sell all he had and give To- the poor he
would SHOW him that instead Of keep.
ing all the commandments he was con
tinually breaking the first one by
thinking more of his earthly posses
sions than OF God. who gave them to
him. and that while he seemed To want
life eternal he really wanted his present
possessions more than treasure in
heaven and his present life in NOR
tai body was more TO him than the life
beyond. Only i'm Mark do we find that
Jesus said To him. Take up the cross.
The cross means dying 10 self and
wealth and all that comes between Us
and God. and he was not ready for IL.
II was hard proposition, but the Lord
Jesus knew his man. for He knew all
men and IL was the only way to deal
frankly with this man.
Not many congregations or minis
tiers or sessions or committees would
deal I'm this way with a rich, moral
young man today. Many would be only
too glad 10 receive him and he careful
not to ask him too many questions for
fear Of offending him. Some would be
glad to take him i'm for the sake of his
wealth and Influence and ask him no
questions. But our Lord saw the value
of his soul rather than all else and
never sought wealth or favor from any
one. He came 10 give not TO receive,
and the only way To obtain eternal life
is to come empty. helpless. believing
and receive the Lord Jesus. in whom
alone is,life. rs the free gift of God to
every truly seeking soul Gohn /. 10;
ILL., 1G: ~, 10: V. ~; vi. AZ; Rom. iii, "a
vi. 23: John il. IL. ~. 1t is impos-
sible 10 obtain il by works or wealth
Rom. iv. 3 rs. Xix. q. ~.
Ii is next to impossible for self
righteous or wealthy person TO obtain
eternal life. for il is 50 difficult for such
TO see or realize the need or empti-
ness in reference 10 things eternal
Yet Xaccheus was Il rich man. and Saul
of Tarsus was self righteous man.
and both became truly saved. with
God all things are possible"
Peter now comes to the front by say
ing: Behold we have forsaken all and
followed Thee What shall we have
Therefore" Matthew, Mark and Luke
each record the reply concerning the
hundredfold now and IN the world to
come life. In Mark il reads. for my
sake and the gospels. hut In Luke "for
the kingdom OF Gods sake" The Cos
pei is the way TO the Kingdom. so II is
virtually the same Mark also adds
with prosecutions" and II we are
wholly for God in this present time we
will find il true that all that will live