Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-24
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For July 29th-Matthew
BY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL

mind you, for the two words are not
Synonymous leaders dared not
speak to Jesus about the matter, but
took His disciples to task because
their Master ate with pubicans and
sinners. E., put Himself on the
same level with them and had fell
lowship with them.
j They would have been right il He
had associated with them in their
sin. but His reply indicated an en-
tirely different attitude and was at
the same time a singing rebuke to
their self-rig They that
are strong have no need of a ply
.sician, but they that are sick. L
came not TO cali the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance" l should
| like to know just how many of those
friends of Lewis found a new Friend
that day. Surely goodly number,
thanks to Lewis new-found love FOR
/ his Lord
His Gospel
The scantiness of the material
about Theodore Levi Is appalling.
| In Matthew, Mark and Luke we
| have the record of his call and the
supper. In these gospels also we
have the list of the apostles in which
| he is named. He is always called
! Matthew from now on-"gift of
| God" Whether Jesus gave him this
new name, or whether he took it to
commemorate always Gods gracious
| gift of grace to him we do not know.
! We like to think the latter, for in
| the list of apostles Mark and Luke
| put him seventh; i. e., next to the
| first SIX that were chosen the first
| dav. But when he himself records
the list he puts Thomas in that
| place and when he names himself
next he designates himself as Mat
| thew the publican" None of the
others record that, they have forgot
ten the old life; but he can never for
get the marvellous gift OF God s
grace in taking publican and max
ing an apostle!
While the material is so scanty
we have his gospel, which gives us
an insight into his character that
a whole book might not give. 1t
shows him who had so far given
himself up to money-making that he
1es Wiling 20 rob his own people,
now become the most intensely Jew
ish of all the apostles. His gospel
was primarily written to Jews to
show that Jesus of Nazareth was
the Messiah of prophecy. His allu-
sions are Jewish, his form of speech
is Jewish, his entire viewpoint is
Jewish. From being a Jew who
had so far despised his nation as
to be a hated Roman officer. he has
become the most intense nationalist.
His gospel also reveals wonder
full acquaintance with the Old Tes-
lament. There are eighty quota
| tions and references to the Old Tes-
lament. Some of the books from
which he quotes are many Of the
Psalms, Exodus, Genesis, Deuteron.
omy, Leviticus. Numbers, The Chron-
icles, Samuel Proverbs, Job. La
mentations, Isaiah, jeremiah, Dan
iel, Hosea, Micah, Zachariah and
Malachi He saturated his mind
with the words and the truth of the
Word OF God
His gospel is most orderly in. its
arrangement. He starts out with
the, genealogy of the Jewish king.
and then tells of the birth of the
king, of the inaugurati ton of the
AlIlSs VI TIC IldlllleSIO Ol lD0 klT2.
of the mighty working Of the king,
of the growing opposition to the
king, of the rejection of the king,
of the crucifiXion of the king, of
the resurrection of the king, and of
the final commission of the king.
Throughout he shows a most
kindly feeling for the pubIicans. He
alone, for example, records that
when every effort to Teach an Of
Tending brother has been unsuc-
cessful he should be treated as IAN
heather man and publican'-th
is, as Jesus treated this publican,
for it was Jesus words Matthew
tse publican" was recording.
His gospel is also characterized
by his very close observation of his
Lord. He remembers just the words
He said. he remembers just what
He did, he thinks of Him in all His
days Matthew was loyal to his
Lord who had done so much for
him.
Have you been following the
CLEAN of gold? Has your chief de-
sire been to make money, to get
rich? Watch that it does not con.
troll you instead of your controlling
it. 1t is important, but not all i'm
portant.
Levi forsook all. 1t cost him
every cent he had, but he didn't pay
a cent for what he got, and it was
worth all the world.
Jesus is passing your store, your
office, your home today. He is say
ing ito you Follow Me-" Are you
willing to pay the price?