Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-08-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR AUG. 8
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
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Commentary Prepared In An Inter-
esting Way by Rev. ID. NJ.
StearnS


salem. Probably they returned early
in the morning. and He at least seems
To have had no morning meal, for He
was hungry. See His real humanity
IN that He hungered thirsted. was
weary. vert (fohn iv. q. Z; xi. 80. See
His humility in that He consented to
be thus dependent upon others on this
earth. which He Himself had made.
Though He was rich. for our sakes He
became poor that we through His pow
erty might he forever rich (John i,
10, II: i Cor. viii, -. lie was no
doubt literally hungry. but rs there
was meat Of which His disciples knew
not (John ~. 32l. so there We're Il nun
ger and thirst of which they knew not.
He huncered for fruit from Israel.
who proved To- he an empty vine. bring
ing forth fruit unto himself; bad
vine. bearing only wild grapes QIos. X.
This lesson is recorded in Matthew
and Luke. ms we'll as in Mark, or ut
least part Of IT. Matthew says that He
saw fig tree in the way. and Mark
says that He saw il afar off. Both
phrases are suggestive of the facts
that. while Israel profeSsed to be in
the way, she was really afar Off. Hay
ing leaves was Il profession OF fruit
bearing: His finding nothing but leaves
was disappointing barrcnness. The
parable of the fig tree in Luke xiii, 90,
shows His patience with His fig tree
His saying In Matt vii liz teaches
that 1t requires real liz tree to bear
figs. The first reference to fig leaves
I'm the Bible shows mans vain effort
to substitute something instead Of the
beautiful garments OF light which he
had lost (Gen. iii. -. while the refer
ence in ,Hab. iii. IL. Is. shows that.
though all that Is of nature should fail.
yet we may find real cause. of rejoicing
in the Lord Himself. Young translates
forever" VERSE IA To 1.-THE age" and
we know that. while Israel as Il nation
has borne no fruit since she rejected
Christ. the time is coming when
Israel shall blossom and bud and fill
the face of the world with fruit Usa.
xvii, g.. He came to Jerusalem and
went into the temple and began to
cleanse 1t, rs lie had done at the be-
ginning OF Ills ministry John IL. 13-10
Jerusalem was the national center
and the temple was the spiritual cen
ter. rs the heart is the vital center of
our being. and true cleansing must
be from the center outward Man
looketh on the outward appearance
but the Lord looketh Oh the heart. He
says: 81, the Lord. search the heart. |
try the reins even To give every man
according 10 his ways and according
to the fruit Of his doings' q sam. xvi.
I; Jer. xvii. l0b. See Il beautiful and
appropriate prayer in rs. cxxXix, %.
"a. In the cleansing I'm III John He ac-
cused them of making His Fathers
house house of merchandise. while
here He says that instead Of its being
house Of prayer they had made II a
den Of thieves tverse IL. The refer
ence is to Isa. wi Z. Mine house shall
be called an house OF prayer for all
people," and to Jer. viii II, lis this
house which is called by my name be-
~
The question is asked in Nal. iii. 8,
"Will a man rob God;" And it is
also answered. Instead of recognizing
all things as given us by God To hold
for Him and use as His stewards
many are more apt to say: Our lips
(and all thingsD are our own. Who is
lord over u.s. Qs. xii. A. The only
right attitude Is that of David when
he said, "All things come OF Thee, and
of Thine own have we given Thee
Il Chron. xxx. IA.
The temple was originally built for
the Lord that He might dwell there in
the midst OF His people Israel and
that all people of the earth might
know Him and fear and serve Him
Q Kings viii, 1860. but now that the
Lord had come. to His own temple He
was crowded out by business and self
seeking. 1t is even so still in the
churches, which are supposed to be for
His worship. but from which He is ey-
cluded by many things and by worldly
ways and in which there is often no
room for Him. He Is often, as in Rev
i'll, 20, inquiring IL any person will
open his hearts door to Him, hardly
expecting that a church will welcome
Him.
The chief priests and scribes were In
creasingly determined to destroy Him
because His teaching was so opposed
to theirs. He taught daily in the tenn
pie and at night went out to the Mount
of Olives. for there seemed to be no
more OF II home welcome for Him any
where than there was In the temple
luke xxi. 81: John vii. 81: viii, u. It
was and still Is the same old story,
mo room for Him luke II. ~. His
thoughts and ways are so far above
ours that I'm our low and unworthy
way OF looking at things we cannot
seem to welcome Him rs we should.
In the morning ms they returned to the |
city the disciples marveIed to see the
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