Middletown transcript., 1921-03-05
LESSON FOR MARCH 6
JESUS AMONG HIS FRIENDS.

JESUS AMONG HIS FRIENDS.
LESSON TEXT-Matt. 16:1-13
GOLDEN TEXT-She hath done what
she could.-Mark 14:S
REFERENCE MATERIAL--Mark1 1889;
Luke 1885, 30; John R:1-S.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Showing Our Love
for Jesus.
JUNIOR ToPIC-Giving Our Best.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
Our Best for Christ. :.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Lberality Of Love.
I. The Jewish Authorities Plotting
the Death Of Jesus wv. 1-5).
/. Christ's Fourth Prediction Of His
Death wv. /, p. He, with divine
insight, predicted not only the fact
of His death, but its time and man
ner. Death was no surprise to Him.
For this He pre-eminently came into
the world (Heb. 2:1N. he calmly
walked up to death.
2. The Authorities Plotting wv. 3-5).
In secret conclave they were plotting
how they might silence His voice by
putting Him to death. It was the d.
vine purpose that He should 50 to
death. They in their wickedness were
plotting to do that which the divine
plan had ordained. They try by SUBJ
,ility to take and kill Him. Their
plan was to do this after the Pass
over feast, lest there be an uprising
among the people. Satan, through
his conspirators, was trying to him
der the offering Of the sacrificial Lamb
at the appointed time.
II. Jesus Anointed by Mary Of Beth
any wv. G, y. ....
For the Identification Of Mary see
John 12:1-8 and Mark 14:3-9. This
amounting occurred when Jesus was at
meat in Simon's house. Mary had
the keenest spiritual apprehension OF
all the disciples. BY sitting at His
feet in loving fellowship she obtained
a grasp of truth which none Of the
other disciples did. She saw that His
body was to be broken and that His
precious life was to 60 out. She en-
tered into fellowship with His suffer
ings and the joys Of His resurrection.
This is shown in this wonderful SYM
bolic act of bringing her most precious
possession and lavishing 1t upon Him.
Knowing that no loving hand could
minister to Him In that dread hour.
she did this service in loving anticipa-
ton. 1t was the highest expression
of love. Genuine love takes no &C.
count of COSTS not calculating.
III. The Indignation Of the Disei.
Piles wv. 8, 81.
The utter baseness Of the disciples
is in strange contrast with Mary's
love. Judas Iscariot is the leader, but
the whole apostolic company are led
over. The spirit Of fault finding is
very contagious. The one whose heart
is filed with base purposes can offer
such plausible reasons for things that
whole company can be swept off
their feet, not perceiving the real pur-
pose underlying it all. The real thing
that hurt Judas was the losing Of the
money which the ointment might have
been sold for, not that he cared for
the poor.
". Mary Defended by Jesus wv. 10
13).
preciative disciple to lie under the cen
sure, so He came to her rescue.
| Though all the disciples censured her,
He had nothing but the highest praise
If we can but have His praise, what
need we care for the censure Of men
He bestowed upon ner the very high
est praise possible when He said, "She
hath done what she could" (Mark
14:8). In this defense Jesus teaches,
according to Doctor Erdman:
/. That no gift to Him can be toe
great If made in grateful love ". 10Y.
"She hath wrought a good work on
me-"
2. Care for the poor and other du-
ties which are Of perpetual obligation
may give way before an opportunity
for service which cannot recur ". 1O)
."The poor We have with you always. u
Sometimes even charity Is not the
highest expression Of Christian devo-
tion.
3. Jesus appreciates the meaning
| and motive Of our service ". 12). He
! estimates them at their highest posi-
BILE value and interprets them in the
light Of His own love and knowledge.
He declared that the ointment poured
upon Him was a preparation of His
body for burial.
4. The influence Of an act Of Chris
tian service will never cease ". 13).
The example Of Mary is still filling the
| earth with the fragrance Of loving
service. Through this act of uncalcu-
lating love Mary's name has become
immOrtalized.
| As the result of this defense Judas
is so stingingly rebuked that he has
tens away to betray his Lord. Per-
haps he is seeking to get back some OF
the money which he lost because the
ointment was not sold and the money
turned over to him. Money is often
| times a snare to a mans soul. 1t
seemed that this supreme expression
of love aroused the awful opposite
in the soul of Judas when his hopes
and carnal ambitions were defeated.
Mary's act of worship and alteration
brought out the trnitOr's heart.