Evening star., 1922-11-18
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.


Master took His band of apostles
upon a missionary tour. teaching
them by precept and practice. so that
they learned by doing how to be-
come soul winners. Luke selected
several events that occurred during
that tour because they reveal the
sympathy of Jesus with suffering
sorrowful and sinful men. He waa
moved with compassion by the oon'
ditions Of men. His soul was aroused
with the longing to bear their bur-
dens, cure their ills and save their
souls. His selections form the basis
of our study this week.
In the opening part OF the chapter
Luke shows us how the Great Ply
sician treated disease. death and
doubt. The centurion. whose devo-
ton. to the welfare of the religious
life of Capernaum prompted him to
build for the Jews a synagogue,
whose ruins have been discovered by
the explorers spade in recent times,
sent delegation. composed OF the
rulers of that body. requesting the
Master to cure a servant When the
Christ he revealed a faith that sur
passed any which Jesus had seen In
all Israel, which resulted In the serv-
ant being cured by the Masters alb
sent treatment. While our Lord re-
vealed a supernatural knowledge as
we'll as power in ministering to the
centurion'S servant, yet He demon
strated that He possessed the power
to restore one from the dead when
He touched the bier and commanded d
the dead to arise. His immediate
response to the orders Of Jesus re
vealed to all the Masters power. SO
| that they praised God when they wit
his mother and proclaimed that Jesus
was great prophet sent from God
The deep impression these events
must have made upon the apostles
was different from what the Masters
ministry made upon John the Bap-
| tist. who found his faith in Jesus
| waning as he meditated during the
long dreary hours in his prison cell
concerning the different program and
spirit Of Jesus from that which the
! lonely prisoner had practiced. His
father had doubted Gods revelation
n the temple until he was given
sign. It was natural that the Bap-
list should review his career and be
illed with a spirit Of doubt as he
md his approaching death. VIII.
he commenced to question his faith
in the Messiahship Of Jesus. he knew
that the Lord would not deceive him
so he sent his messengers to ind out
he truth. He took his doubts to the
right place. Christ understood his
,ase. SO He gave a two-fold answer.
He commanded them to report what
they had seen He was doing tn help
ing men and to tell John in addition
that the poor had the gospel preached d
them. 1t is evident that the Mas
er expected that John would recall
lpon hearing their report. the
and that the Scriptures would cause
fohn to revise his views Of the Mes
siah.
The eulogy Of Jesus upon the charac-
er Of John and his condemnation OF
those who by rejecting Johns message
we're thwarting Gods purpose pointed
John for his asceticism and the Lord
because he was a friend Of publicans
and sinners. 1t may have been his
broad liberality or a trap set to catch
Christ that caused prominent Pharisee
guest at supper. Jesus accepted the in
vitation, which had been pressed upon
Him, and when He entered the home
here followed Him into the home OF
Simon. a notorious public character
whose soul had been touched by the
fact that the Savior was the friend OF
sinners. The suggestions that she was
Mary Magdalene. Mary Of Bethany. or
the woman taken in adultery have no
scriptural foundation. While there is a
similarity between this event and one
that occurred later in the ministry OF
the Christ there is absolutely no reason
TO consider that both accounts refer to
the same event or to class Mary Of
Bethany as well known harlot. Tradi-
tion favors Mary Magdalene. although
Luke's first reference to her is the next
chapter. We know that she was peni-
tent sinner. whose life had been filled
with sorrow for her Sin and love for
the Christ who had encouraged her to
break with her past and try to live a
new life.
Society has not yet learned to practice
the spirit of the Master in dealing with
women who have failed. Three times in
His ministry we have records Of His
coming in contact with those whose
lives had been tainted by impurty. He
told the women at the well Of Samarfa
condemn the woman caught in adultery.
when her accusers failed to make q
charge against her because they knew
that Christ would claim that they did
not enter into court with clean hands
because they had sinned. He defends
the deed of love of the public charac-
liter who followed Him into the home OF
Simon. noticed that the Master had not
been treated as a gentleman ought to
have according to the etiquette Of the
day. washed the Lords feet with her
tears and dried them with her hair. Nc
one can study this lesson, without motto
ing the fact that Jesus did not condoue
her moral lapses and that His prin-
ciples called for a single standard for
both men and women in reference to
the social evil in place Of the double
standard which has placed the burden
Of her fall upon the woman and allowed
the man to go free, when he certainly
would be equally guilty, to say the
least.
The shadow Of the unlimited guest
had fallen upon those who were re-
1clininE at the table. Her presence
there may have disturbed Simon. She
had acquired in her life a boldness In
her dealings with men. Filled with
love for the first person who had held
out a helping hand to her since she
(had entered upon her life OF sin. she
;did not hesitate to enter the supper
room. which was possible as eastern
hospitality is such that the doors are
not closed. permitting any one tc
enter at any time. She had no din
Guilty in finding Christ. who was
reclining, like all the other guests
| upon a couch, with His bare feet
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