Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON.
By Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.
Matt. 6.33


Christianity received from it's founder
. program that provided for q new So
cial order. In His masterful sermon
delivered upon the mountain. Jesus out
lined His program for society. The
principles and precepts that He taught
have been the inspiration Of every So
cfal reform which has marked the ad-
vancement Of Christian civilization.
They still await the acceptance and
practice by men to make the world safe
for democracy, for the social teachings
Of Jesus alone contain the hope and
power Of freedom. The great moral
principles. which are at stake in the
present world war. and for which
America has Joined the allies Of Europe,
are Christian.
The Huns attitude toward women,
children and money are all condemned
by the Lord Jesus in the new stand
ards Of living" which Is the subject
for this weeks study. Statesmen during
the days Of tho storm and stress
brought upon the world by the war have
como to see the political value and
practical worth to the nations Of the
world of Chriet's teaching. This is es-
pecially true in America, where the ma
tons reputation of excessive love Of
money Is being proven false by the
placing upon the altar Of human lib
erty Of all Of her resources of men.
money and munitions, for the glory Of
lions Of the sanctity Of the home.
whether It was presented BY friend or
foe. When the multitudes fiocked once
moro to hear the messages Of the Mas
ter during his preaching in Perea the
Pharfsees resumed their old methods OF
opposition by seeking to entrap Him
with questions concerning difficult and
disputed subjects. Divorce was a de-
batable question among the schools. The
liberal school Of IIillel licensed divorce
under the Deuteronomic law for any
cause, while the school of Shammat
for inadelity. The questioning OF the
Pharisees resulted in the Master giving
to the world the broadcast statement of
woman's rights that it had ever heard.
While Jesus by His answer evidently
considered that the liberal school was
correct in its Interpretation Of the
law. He swept the Mosaic law. which
had been given Is a. A.. concession d.o:;d0 to
Christ cited the divine purpose Of
marriage, that made woman equal with
ran in Gods creation Of them as being
snt.Eonistic to the 1T theory that tia Al a.
whenever he desired. Christ was the
emancipator of woman: Christianity's
early progress. as we'll as the great
the world. can be traced to the zeal Of
oonsecrated woman. who discerned in
the faith Of Jesus their freedom and
hope. The new woman" agitation Of
to the Masters stand for them de-
mAndfng equality and opportunity in
The Masters love for children has
to Him. The disciples. following the
custom Of society. had forbidden the
mothers who tried to bring their chill
dren to the-Lord's attention. against
their intruding upon the Master: They
were not different from other men Of
their age who considered children as
burdens that they had to carry along
in the march Of civilization. It IL EVIL
dent that they had failed to understand
Christ's attitude toward children, for
He had made the child the greatest in
the kingdom to show them their error
in quarreling over the FIRST place in the
kingdom. They had missed the lesson
In Capernaum. when Jesus emphasized
but they never forgot that public con-
demnation when He welcomed the chill
dren because they belonged to the
kingdom.
n new u0uf Q4"ne0 IN inc history OF
the world when Jesus dramatically took
the children from their mothers arms
into His own to bless them. Modern
teachers have recognised the value Of
. child. but 1t was Jesus who first
taught the world the lessoon by call
dren to Him that He might bless them.
It II still the greatest privilege that
man has to bring q young child to
Jesus that He might not only save the
pnAsa Hsrk A. y %
of the child from becoming contami-
mated by the evil Of sin. Christ still
desires that the children may be
brought to Him to be blessed, so that
He can use them in His service. He
loves them as He did the rich young
man who approached Him desiring to
know what good thing could He do to
inherit eternal life. Christ loved the
child because Of its character. He tried
Doing but being that lifted one for the
possession Of eternal life.
The rich young ruler had great pos
sessions, position and piety. He was
in bis seeking Instruction oG from Jesus
whose goodness he recognized. He
knew that the Master possessed some
thing which he lacked. Like many a
man. he came seeking to learn how he
tality. He was seeking the correct
goal Of all living. but he failed because
he did not have q correct view of God
and did not know that salvation was
the gift Of Gods grace and could not
be earned.
Every soul that puts himself under
the instruction of the Master will lind
out his spiritual defects and how to
cure them. Jesus took His probe and
opened up to the moral young man his
mistake In counting upon the merits
of his fidelity to the law as a means by
which he could obtain eternal life. His
81
not deny that He was good. He OBJ
1ected to the young man calling Him
good. when he did not believe in His
deity. The Lord Jesus. having tested
the inquirer concerning his fidelity to
the law. was able to detect that his
great weakness was due to selfishness.
which had filled him with dissatisfac-
ton. He showed the young man his
weakness by calling him to surrender
his gold. and follow Christ in living a
life Of self-denial and sacrifice,
Tia power Of gold over humanity IL
seen q hours like tho present, which Il
bringing homo to men the fact that q
life Of sAcridcial service offers them the
PATHWAY to glory. The call to such q
life dJled the young man with great sor.
row. because he had great possessions
He tuTned away from Jesus. who loved
him. because he loved gold more thar
oo@. Some think that he returned and
followed Christ. but It is more prob.
f624 that under the influence of his idol
he became . slave to gold instead Of
being . servant Of God.
Christ to point out that wealth mini
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