Evening star., 1922-12-16
Sunday School Lesson

from the love OF God. 10 likely 10 de
gepefate into mere servt4g Of tabies.
, Martha had. been occupied with doing
Wnat SArah OF old was commended for.
| and what even the social customs OF the
near east declare to he the first duty
OF every female whenever glicsr
claims the hospitality OF their ten. or
Christ commended Mary. who prov.a
her friendship by her hum ,n aftitud.,
and sympathetic attention to His word,
Jesus needed some sympathetic soul,
who could understand His purpos..
preaching and peril. Mary grasped with
While she spent her time drinking IN
His words. she later broke her flask OF
spikenard for His benefit. Both .ers
were His friends. yet they differed
ABOUT the way to show it. Their mis-
who love the Lord may misinterprct
and misjudge one another to the exteu;
m even excluding one another from tn
circle to which they belong. becausa
they do not know that Jesus may re-
quire something different from each one
OF His disciples. He demands that all
love and obey Him. We may be bus
In benevolent work. but unless we ar.
doing His will and are moved by love
for Him to perform that social service
he will not accept II as being done for
Him.
Jesus called the apostles His friends
This group could be divided into severe
dinerent ones composed Of three, i've
and seven; He loved then, all. but not
alike. John was the closest to Hin,
probably. because, like Mary. he under
stood the Master better than the Others.
This apostolic band was fred with thc
Lords prayer life. with the desire 20
Pray Ike. Him. The mystery of life
ursl instinct TO pray has made all men
lncurably religious Luke. possii,,.-
because he WAS a physician, has given
US IN his biography Of Jesus the gosp.l
OF humanity and har emphasized more
fer's prayer life
We have only two prayers Of our Lorl
recorded in the Bible. the one IN the
upper room and the other in the Garden
os OIL SetHs.niane. = When the apostles
they made their greatest resQuest NJ
Him. They had scores Of pra,cr..
which We're suitable for all occasions.
They felt that their national pruyers
ald not possess the same power rs
those Of the Master. who spent r,uci,
time in prayer. Not all men have 'rhe
gift OF the knees" The Christian who
neelects prayer hampers his growth.
We ought to pray TO keep our friend
ships with the Lord in repair.
The model prayer that He gave tp
His apostles WAS not a liturgical form,
but an instructive pattern. Jesus ai
yided it into two parts He placed Col
MIs.. Whiie men are more apt TO put
their own interests first. We need 10
remember that "Thy name. Thy king
dom, Thy wilp' preeedes give us. TO-
give us. lead US and deliver us" In
making requests for daily food pardon.
protsct ton and rescue We testify to nur
faith in Gods benevolence. mercy.
cipIes TO pray in His name for every
thing that they needed. He encouraged
tnem TO pray by a parable that taught
them that II a selfish man could be
moved to respond to persistent petit
tions. then their experience and parental
practices ought to encourage them to
believe that God. whom He revealed 20
men as Our Father" would hear their
prayers and answer the petitions Of
The closing portion Of the lesson
gives US a picture of Christ surrounded
oy His foes In Perea. The hostility Of
the Phsrisees was seen I'm their follow
m9 Him from place to place and their
determined effor To ent-ap Him It was
such motive that prompted the invl-
tation for Him to take . morning rYesl
WIN one OF their leaders when Jesus
was In Parea. The Master enjoyed the
social feliowships and took advantage
az the opportunity given Him srourd
accepted the invitation and went to lie
home. where He knew He would ba
by His enemies. whom He
loved. although they were bitter foes
determined to destroy His prestige.
p9puiasiT ,si,S arr IND sna power as q preacher
He demonstrated His love for .H:s
enemies. by warning them of their dan-
ger because Of their Journalism, pride
ana hypocrisy. iie told then, how blind
tney were to the needs of humanity,
alihough they were punctilious In OBJ
serving the ceremonial laws. Jesus d,d
not condemn their tifhing and religious
scrupulouspess. for He said These We
ought TO have done and not have passed
over justice to men and love to God,
for these two. ss He taught in last
weeks lesson, were both Included in
the law. He reproyed their selfshness =.
that was seen in their scrabble for the
pest places for themselves rather than
His Righteousness"
Too much OF modern religion has tie
Irarks OF the spirit that our Lord cor
oemned: When people only do the
is to attend the church services because
they like the minister. the music, or 10
meet the members OF that particuia-
congregations in a social way, there is
danger Of their being controlled by per
cipies and precepts of the Lord Jesus.
We We prove our love for Him by doing
Christmas is rapidly approaching.
surely. as we draw near to that dav,
which recalls the greatest event in M,-
man history, .0ur generous hearts
should prompt US to remember The poor
and needy children. especially the mil
ions made homeless by the world var
and the recent conflicts In the near east
between Turkey and Greece, and 10 aid
y providing shelter for them. Jesus
oent,ned Himself With them. He tapgi.,
Us mat inasmuch rs We 'do il unto one
y the least of these" we do il unto
Him. Let US prove that we are His
friends by doing the things that lie has
commanded US to do to aid humanity.
y men and nations would return TO
christ and practice His teachings, that.
alone. would result IN a human brother
hood that weuld fill the who world
with fhS snixit o{ f,sauen -.