Evening star., 1918-03-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

his real task of bringing together the
human soul and its God is doomed TO
failure. 1t makes no matter whether 1t
! Is the love of money, the desire for re-
nown, an appetite for drink. sensual
| ity-whatever it may be, it will render
the Christian worker impotent just as
| surely as disease undermines our phys
| ica1 bodies. In fact, we often lose
sight of the fact that even things that
are good in themselves may be the
means of robbing us of spiritual power.
from developing our latent talents for
Christian services. We will remember
| that the rich young man who had kept
the commandments from his youth up
him from the kingdom of heaven. 1t is
often good for us to recall the Spanish
proverb which says that The good is
always the enemy Of the best"
AS usual, Jesus had no use for foolish
customs and traditions. The Disciples
in their dress were going forth clad as
ordinary men. 1t was customary for
religious teachers in those days to
1t was apparently Christ's purpose that
their clothes should not detract from
their message. Similarly, He enjoined
upon them that they should not follow
1t was good social usage for the neigh
Dor of the first host to invite the
. stranger guests to eat with them,
There was strict etiquette governing
siderable ostentation and hypocrisy. The
failure to observe this custom often
resulted in fierce resentment and even
social feuds. But above all, it took
time and wasted it. The missionaries
of the cross ahd something of greater
Importance than enjoying rounds OF
entertainments and feasts in their hon.
or. They were sent out to call sinners
to repentance, to heal the sick, to
preach and proclaim the kingdom of
God, which was at hand. Jesus in Divine
wisdom was planning for an efficient
campaign and the non essentials had to
be eliminated.
The golden text for our lesson is
taken from Matthews account Of the
sending out of the disciples 1t is in
many ways the essence of Christian
practice and doctrine. The twelve had
been sitting at the feet of the Master.
They had had the benefit of close COM
munion with the Son of God. Freely
they had received inspira tion from Him.
Such an opportunity begets an obliga-
to others that which had SO freely been
given to them. We should note that the
Greek word, which is interpreted
freeiyt does not @ mean can the noelts opposite os
"for pay.s The disciples had not paid
for their knowledge of Jesus and for
the power to heal and to cast out
demons. So He divorced their work from
any mercenary motive which would
have ruined their work. Pay, except in
the satisfaction of service well rem
dered, would have led to selhshness:
The people would soon have regarded
the apostles as exorcists and grafters,
instead of God-sent missionaries.
Christ recognized the fundamental truth
that the best work is done for the
works sake and not for the money paid
for it.
The lesson closes with brief account
%hn n
apostles. They had preached repent
ance devils had been cast out. the sick
had been healed. Then the twelve
returned and told Jesus of their eN-
Mast as they relate their stories.
But, above all, He must have been con-
cerned with the way in which the
band of His training was developing
should no longer be with them in per-
son and they would have to carry on
the work. He saw the development in
their spiritual life. must have noted
with sorrow when they had failed.
The Christian today is just as truly
sent out to minister to the worlds
needs as were these godly men of old.
tries. who need to hear the gospel of
repentance, who need to have the
devils of sin and iniquity which bind
them cast out, and who need the heal
ing touch OF the Great PhysicIan. II
is your duty to see that the work is
carried on just as efficiently and just
as zealously as Jesus has commanded.
In these davs of saving for the gov
ernment and the spread of democracy
among all nations-which is duty
and opportunity that all should fulfill
to the utmost-let US not forget the
work of the kingdom of God and by
spirit of sacrifice let us do our whole
duty toward every branch of Gods
work. both at home and abroad.
Freely ye received. freely give