The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-05-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Especially Prepared For Readers
of The Republican.

SUNDAY, MAY 10
The Lordship of Jesus. adult topic)
Mark II. Read Matt. 21:1-27;
Luke 19:29-2O:8.
Golden Text:-All authority hath been
given unto me in heaven and on
earth.-Matt. 28:18.
U. S. WRIGHT.
In THE WORLD OF PROPERTY.
Jesus, the outlaw with a price upon
His head, turned toward the city that
had decreed His fate and walked into
the presence of the men who had offer
ed the reward for His capture. 1t was
no skulking coming thru the alleys but
spectacularly open entry. He came
in as king for at the GROWING Solo
mon rode upon 1.-THE royal mule" and
Jesus went back to this Davidic empire
picture instead of choosing the Roman
chariot or steed. He deliberately
linked Himself with the stored past of
His race and claimed their allegiance
to newer throne and higher. The
beast was the property of another
gladly furnished for the use of the
Masters need in response to His send
ing. He claimed the right to its use so
long as it served His purpose and then
returned it to its owner. One can i'm
agine its being marked animal in all
its later days. Its value was enhanced
while its strength was unimpaired.
This is always Jesus way. He claims
only the use of our possessions for the
affairs of the Kingdom, for the ack-
nowledgement of His lordship oyer our
possessions, then they come back to US
enriched by HIS touch. If not why
does the wealth of the world flow into
Christian hands? Why does the sacrif-
cial church thrive and increase? 1t is
as true of property as it is of life that
1t is saved by losing it for the Kings
sake.
In THE WORLD OF LIFE.
The fig tree incident claimed author
ity in another realm. 1t was a pictur-
ed parable of the Jewish nation. The
tree blatently proclaimed its abundant
life and its ability to feed others as
well as to perpetuate its own. Christ
found it hypocrite tree, resembling
the nation of which He was a member.
That He might bring home to the
Twelve the inevitable end of such an
attitude the tree was fastened to its
final but necessary deafness. They
could see in the quickened process the
result for man, organization or nation
living by seeming rather than being.
Already dead, tor fruit is the race pre-
servation of the tree and that tree alone
is living that is preparing for tomor-
rows life, Christ simply revealed the
condition which already existed. 1--WE
live" cried the leaves. He stripped
them from the branches. declared, You
are already dead if you are fruitless.
am Lord not of cemetery but of the
world of life, produce life or accept an
epitaph" To the surprised Disciples
He said. IF you are really alive and in
contact with God you will be able to
command that dead mountain Of Jewish
righteousness to he scattered upon the
waves of the Gentle world, but be
tender in spirit as We do 1T
In THE WORLD BUSINESS.
1t was Monday of Passion Week and
when He entered the city after seeking
fruit upon the tree He went to the
Temple and found that the business
which He had condemned at the be-
ginning of His ministry was again en-
trenched in the Courts where the chat
fering bargainers disslpated the rever-
ent spirit and robbed the people of
more than money. Originally outside
the area, when the priesthood had es-
tablished monopoly so that they not
only owned the herds but controlled the
sale by their power to reject any offer
ed animal as faulty they had been
moved inside to produce revenue from
the rental of stalls. Naturally the
worshippers paid the freight and
graft at the top necessltated graft
at the bottom and all the way down so
that the whole business was little else
than organized robbery. Small wonder
that Jesus with His reverence for His
Fathers house and for the spirit and
rights of the people should attack the
entire system so unsparlngly. Passion
ately He flung stalls and tables into
wild confusion and drove the vendors in
headlong haste out of the enclosure
calling them robbers as He did it. He
had no objection to business that was
necessary; it was the method of its
conduct that He fought so that HIS
death was the only answer to be ex-
pected. He walks today in the places
of business and the marts of trade with
nothing but praise for the legitimate
enterprise which conducts exchange but
woe betide the profteer who seeks the
unfair advantage. the greed that ex-
PLOTS the passion of souls desire for
,aeonnal yrnEt oioli yin ha