Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Feb. rs. Luke 19:f1-48
BY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL

the fundamental laws of the Sab
bath or the 1.-THE. The Christian is
under grace. Jesus trusts him i'm
plicitly to do the thing that will be
the most for His interests. He turns
over to him His goods and says:
Trade with this until I come. You
are free to do as you please; l want
you to make the most out of it for
me, and be ready to report when /
return.
This was another reason for want
ing them to trade with his pound.
The very fact that they were trading
with their lords money was testi-
mony to the citizens that their lord
had gone away to receive the king
dom and to return. Every time they
made a turnover, the citizens would
be brought face to face with this
fact, for they well knew that these
bondslaves had nothing of their own.
This is particularly true of Jesus
and His servants. Every one must
know that thew have nothing in
themselves that would enable them
to make anything out Of the wonder
full gift of salvation through Him, so
that whenever they manifest any
power in their lives it is testimony
to the world that their lord has
gone to receive a kingdom and to
return.
Above all, the act of the nobleman
was to prepare them for the larger
service he had for them in the flu
ture. He needed rulers for his cities
when he should come into his king
nd
bondslaves should be trained by put
blity. He didn't want money; he
business of money-making but in the
business of making men.
Expectation
Their work was to be done in ex-
pectation of His return. He did not
indicate to them when He would
return, but only the fact that He
would. They were to trade in the
firm belief that He would re-
ceive the kingdom and come back
to reign; and inasmuch as they were
given no intimation as to when He
would return. they were to trade
in the constant expectation that He
might return any day.
So with our blessed Lord Jesus.
We know that He will receive the
kingdom, and we are to trade with
His pound in the constant hope and
expectation that He may come any
day. There are those who criticize
this attitude of His disciples who are
looking for Him to come at any
time and establish His kingdom;
they say they are dreamers and inn
practical, that they ought to push
the enemy to the wall now and drive
him out. But notice again that the
Lords command was not to fight
but to trade; and take it from one
who looks for his Lord to return at
any moment, that this fact is the
greatest incentive to holiness of life
and activity of service that can he
imagined. 1t is eminently practical.
Judgment
The nobleman's return was a time
of judgment-on his bond slaves ana
also on his enemies. He called for
a report of his slaves first. Ono
came and said, lord, thy pound
hath gained ten pounds more
"Thy pound"-no credit did he take
for any effort Of his own; the gain
had come from the pound work
ing; but it had been working IN
the hands of a faithful though
modest servant. And his lord COM
mended and promoted him; quite a
jump from being a bondslave to
the ruler of the cities, wasn't it?
You see, by his faithful use of
the little, he had shown himself
! worthy to be trusted with the much.
Gt1
the same opportunity but he hadn't
been so faithful and therefore
could not be trusted with so much.
While the third had proven him
self without initiative and untrust-
worthy. Placed on his own respon-
sibility he could think of nothing
but how eXacting the nobleman
was and his fear paralyzed all his
efforts. He didn't even have fore
sight enough to see that the pound
would have worked if given half
chance.
He could at least have put it in
the savings bank and drawn IL
per cent interest. He was utterly
incapable but unfaithful, and there
fore could not be given any promo
ton. Nothing is said of the other
seven. Let us hope they were
more like No. 1 than No. 3.
So the coming Of the Lord from
heaven will be time of judgment
on His servants, but not to judge
their sins. These have already been
judged. Our sins were nailed in His
body to the tree. His coming will
be time of judgment of our works
in order to determine our reward.
If you, His bondslave, have been
faithful in the use of that wonderful
gift of salvation you will be given
a place of larger responsibility and
usefulness in His kingdom; if not
as faithful as you might have been,
q place of minor responsibility and
usefulness; if fearful and therefore
faithless, no place of usefulness at
all.
To His enemies, the coming Of the
Lord will be a time of severe judg-
ment. They who would not have
Him to rule over them, who repeat
edIy and persistently rejected Him,
will have the sentence of the sec
ono death passed upon them. Every
tongue shall confess Him Lord, but
these who will not confess Him as
their loving Lord now will have to
confess Him as their avenging Lord
at His coming. We, His sons, can
we'll afford to trade now and not
fight, for He will take care of His
enemies when He comes.
The rewards He gives will be Ill
of grace-all out Of proportion to
faithful in trading now, expecting
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