The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-22
SCHOOL.
Lesson VllI.-SeCond Quarter,
For May "a, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lessen, Luke xviii, 40.
Memory Verses, 3, -oolden Text, I
Cor. |, 31-csnmentaTy Prepared BY
Rev. o. M. stearns.
There is no doubt a 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 anotnted eyes and earsl
The unavoidable conflict between Light
and darkness will always cause Of
lenses, sc the Phagisees were often Of
Tended with Christ (Matt xiii, 81.
1t had been prOphesied of Christ that
He would be a rock Of ofense to both
the houses Of Israel Qsa. viii, 14), and
SO he proved to be according to Rom.
X. 80; I Cor. I, %; 1 Pet. II, 8. Even
John the Baptist Seems to have been
offended with Christ duke vii, 1929,
and on that last night He told His dis
ciples hat 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 GSRtt
XVI. 81.
There was a time when He said to
Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan;
thou art an ohense unto me, for thou
savourest not the things that be Of
God, but those that be of man" CMatk
xvi, 23). ~
Perhaps we have here the key to at
least a part Of the whole matter Of Of
lenses; the things Of God are an Of
Tense to men, and the things Of men
are an ofense to God, or, az He said in
the context of the last lesson, THAT
which is highly esteemed among men
Is an abominatdon in the sight of God"
In the first two verses Of our lesson
has He a reference to the rich mans
being an offense or stumbling block 20
the poor beggar, and is the truth tho
same as when He said Of Judas Is
CARROT, ut had been good for that man
If he had not been born?' (Matt. xvi,
24.) II any of our members should
cause us to stumble into hell fire ft
would be better for US not to have
them (Matt. xviii, 8, 8; Mark TX, 43-48D.
We must use all care not to be an
offense to others, even in u eating
and drinking (Rom. xiv. IL, q; ! Cor.
viii, 13). II others offend US we must
forgive them when they repent, even 30
often Is seven times in a day verses 3,
A.. When Peter asked If he should for
give as many as eve times our Lord
answered until seventy times seven
MaCt. xviii, 81, 22), which ! understand
to mean till the kingdom comes, the
| complete ful6llment of the seventy
sevens Of Dan. *, "a. We all need for
giveness 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.
Kill, Az. A living faith, for a grain Of
mustard seed suggests life, will accom-
pish great things (Matt. xvii, 20; xxi,
Fl, 22), but who is there who a show
a fulfllment Of the words, IAN things
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, be-
Heving, We shall receiver What is our
dif1culty2 Why do we not know more
Of the power Of God and Ills kingdom
In our lives? Is It 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 I might make
merry with my friends" while he IL
saying to us, Thou art v e with ma,
and all that I have Is timer" duke
XIV, %, 3D. AS the riches of His grace
and glory control us we shall be less
apt to be offended, even as It Is writ
ten, "Great peace have they who lore
the law, and nothing shan offend
them" Cps. cxix, 1850.
We shall also in the same power be
better able to yield to others, and
yielding paciieth great onsnBes''
EccI. x, a.. The love Of God, which
in Christ and by virtue Of His great
sacrifice makes us sure Of q 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, IL such
there be; the love that is kind, that suf.
fers long. that seakekh not her own
and is not provoked Oh Cor. v, II, rs;
Cor. xiii, 40. p"
The word duty, which is found I'm the
last verse Of our lesson, is not q word
for the believer, for we read that when
we have done our duty we are unproft.
able servants. and no believer should
be an improbable servant. Yet how
often we hear the word in reference to
our daily life. because love is NOT
known. Imagine a man loving his
wife, or a wife her, husband. from q
sense Of duty. What kind of a home
would that be? / once heard a sermon
on duty, and 1t made me so tired that
as soon as I went home I took my Con.
cordance to see what was really writ
ten In the Bible about 1t. and the resrlt
was that / never use the word in ref
erenee to the Christian life.
May we so live in the love OF Goo
that all that is not love shall be crowd
ed out Of our lives, the life Of Jesus
made manifest in us, the Righteousness
and peace and Joy In the Holy Spirit
" Z-en ftn