The Dolores star., 1914-04-24
INTERNATIONAL.
.S(]lllAlSQIOOl'
LESSON
(By e. o. oELLuRs, Director Of Evenins
Department. The Moody Htbse Institute,
chicAgo.l
LESSON FOR APRIL Is
the Lost SHEEP AND the Los
COIN.

LESSON rExT-I.,ikc Is:I-lo.
GOLDEN TENT- Even 90, say unto
you. there 10 Joy IN the presence OF the
angels Of God over ono sinner that re-
pentesh." Luke m:io
I. Introduction, w. f.3--We now
come to that chapter In the Bible
which contains three Of the more
celebrated parallels Of our Lord. In
last weeks lesson we had SGT before
M the severe terms Of discipleship
laid down by Jesus to the multitude
which followed him ~ he left the
house Of the Pharisee. The writer.
Luke. makes . close connection be-
tween the final admonition about
"ears to hear" In chapter IL and
verse OF this lesson. Jesus had
sifted the crowd though he had left
the door open to himself. for he was
seeking those who were prepared to
share with him In his enterprises OF
building and OF conflict, II they could
bear his teaching. This Ia 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 psodigal. we see the sinner
seeking the father. Christ's idea Of
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.
u. The Lost Sheep, w. 47.-The
shepherd is God the son John 10:11.
IL; Luke 1910. He is the True
Shepherd" the Pharisees we're false
ones. This adds point to the parable;
see the Old Testament rebukes for the
same. Ez. 34:7-10: Zech. 11:16-iT: Jer.
50:6. 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 a lost sheep,
He Ia away from the care. the protec-
tion. 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 II,
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 win be saved. see John
1872. ~ r. ". but every sheep" that
is astray he will find. Once found II
rests upon his shoulders. Is kept by
his power, Pet 1.5. Over II ne and
the father rejoice. W. %. 20. 80.
There II here the evidence of the In.
terest In the flock which is incom.
plete and the interest OF the owner
rs we'll The safety OF the lost one
depended upon the shepherds interest.
Work Of Holy Spirit.
~. The Lest Coin. w. s.to.-These
three parallels are unit In the fact
that they reveal the attitude OF God
toward men who are In their deepest
need Each Is the story OF something
being lost and the fact that II Is
found The FIRST ID revelation OF the
son, the last Of the father. while this
central one sets forth the work OF
the holy spirit through tho church.
Rev. 22:17; Eph. 5:25. One Of ten
coins In this woman's marriage neck.
lace Ii lost. hence the incompleteness.
The spirit will not rest until II Is
found, nor should sthe church. The
woman takes her lamp-the word OF
God. Pc. iiS:105: Phil. AIS. fG--and
sweeps the house. II has been sug.
ges;ed that sweeping usually stirs up
q dust and that some are likely TO
object. So tho world will object when
the church Of the living God begins to
stir up = dust and they are annoyed
ut any eager search for the lost ones.
Acts 1876. The woman II . sugges.
ton 10 US In that she sought "dih.
gently" until the lost coin was found.
Then she. too. calls In her neighbors
that they may rejoice with hsr. Does
the church keep up d like search,
And do we know anything about the
Joy" Of the holy splritf Gal. S::s.
] Thess. lie. Over the wellbeing Of
the home the woman watches and
again the search II In the interest Of
the owner. and In the Interest Of tho
household.
w. ovmmsry.-Ths chief value Of
these two pictures b In their rcvela.
ton OF the work and interest OF tho
son Of the spirit The, crowding mul.
tituds Of publicans and sinners. held
In contempt BY the PhaFisees. Jesus
viewed % lost ones. Appalling ~
this suggestion 10. yet the sheep b.
Ioueed 70 The ohepherd and the coin