The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-09-02
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER {
THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS.

Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy strength,
and with all thy mind: and thy neighbor
as thyselt." Luke 1927.
This lesson considers a third ques-
tion asked of our Lord; TWO others
In this connection we studied last
week. 1t was not so much a ques-
ton Of placing one commandment in
competition with another, but rather
which commandment most clearly
epitomizes or reveals the final prin-
ciple II. law. 1t was the business OF
this scribe to know the law and to
interpret the commandments. Jesus
in his reply quotes from Deut. ga,
and from Lev. 1918, which are both
in a sense an exposition Of the Deca-
logue.
Live the Basis.
!. The answer of Jesus, w. 2834.
The scrlbe's question seemed to be
quite specific and so the Lord strikes
at once at the heart and by his quota
ton reveals to us the fact that the
principle which Is the inspiration or
the law is that of love. In passing
We have here another illustration OF
the masters ready use and knowledge
Of the Scripture. Jesus makes a
four-fold summary. Man must love
God with (a) the heart, e. e., in sin
cerity and uprightness; (b) with the
soul, with the warmth Of the emo
tons, and the feelings; (c) with all
thy mind" the intellect, not as a blind
de%votee; I'D with strength" viz
with intensity Of service, with energy.
ITO love God with all the heart and
soul and mind and strength is to have
supreme desire for and delight In
Gods glory, making everything else
second to that" This statement Is
but half, for the complement Of our
love of God Is to love man. Man
created in Gods image was $50 loved"
by God that he gave his son John
3:16); man can do not less and must
express that love in service to others.
To fail in the first Is to break the
greatest Of the commandments and
therefore to be guilty of all, Rom.
1923. Notice the order is not man
then God, but God first. First In bust
ness, in social life, in pleasure, IN
everything, and not to do so is sin.
The similarity of these two is In that
the same principle Of love governs in
both cases. From I John 1920, Fl, 1t
would seem that the second Is really
involved in the first. If we love God
whom we have not seen we must o
men whom we have 500 and who are
made in the image and likeness or
God. This scribe readily saw that
spiritual worship is the very essence
of the answer of Christ. This is also
the teaching of the Old Testament,
see Samuel 1922. Church going,
psalm singing, saying prayers, or even
reading the Bible are not a substitute
for love, either to God or man. We
are justified in Gods sight by our
faith but in the sight Of man by our
works. Many who profess to be
Christians do not seem to manifest as
clear a moral and spiritual discern
ment as this. scribe for they place a
greater emphasis upon doing rather
than being, upon works rather than
upon service. Worship and service
must 20 hand in hand. AS this scribe
recognized this truth he confessed his
recognition with candor and earnest
ness.
Human and Deity.
u. The question Of Jesus, W.. 3d.
81. Our Lords question in return
was a Messianic one and he grounds
his argument on the 10th Psalm, a
Messienic one. Jesus is inferior to
David as his son according to the
flesh but superior to him as lord OF
the kingdom Of which David himself
is a subject and not the sovereign.
Christ is both human and deity; his
kingdom is spiritual and earthly SOW
ereigns are honored If they are his
subjects.
~. The teaching of Jesus, w. 49,
40. The word doctrine" in verse 80
Is translated teaching" in the re-
vision. These words Of warning are
full Of solemn significance. The
scribes, and they have their imitators
today, sought the places of prefer
ment, the seats of honor in the syna-
gogue and the chief places at the
feasts. The motive that governed
them was a selfish one. They de-
voured widows houses, and sought to
cover their c~ovetousness and dishon-
esty by long prayers and a p~reteLse
of piety. This brought upon them the
greater condemnation" Matt. 24:5l.
Law and love Is here again in con-
trast. Law must become life.
w. The view Of Jesus, W.. 41-44.
Jesus had one look of love and COM
passion for his friends and the needy
and another that vas exceedingly ter
rible for his enemies. Thus it was as
a master teacher that he saw right
at hand an illustration for his les
son, an application Of the truth In the
case of the widow who gave out Of her
penury and because Of her love for
God, supporting these carping, selfish
scribes. She had two mites (about
fourth-ifths of a cent? and might have
withheld one except that the rabbis
forbade the offering of a single one.
Her love, however. went beyond the
tenth" and she gave ALL therefore
in proportion to their means she cast