Evening star., 1931-06-27

During the past six months we have
been studying the life Of Christ given
to us in Luke's gospel. During the
coming six months we shall continue
to study what Jesus began both to do
and teach" following the event which
furnished the subject In both the open
ing lesson for the quarter and the clos
ing lesson that treated Of His life.
Omitting last weeks theme, which was
q temperance leson taken from Pauls
letter to the Romans, all Of our quar-
ter's lessons have been focused upon
the Masters life and labor. In the first
quarter Of the year we considered His
preparation and popularity. During
the last quarter we saw how, as the
necessity for His suffering was empha-
sized by Him and His desire for q
spiritual sovereignty forced Him to re-
fuse any temporal or political power,
there was a waning Of His popu-
larity. 1t was because we had seen how
Jesus saw beyond the grave and from
that long look obtained vision Of His
resurrection, upon which He staked His
mission and the certainty Of His COM
plete triumph, that we were able to en-
ter sympathetically into His thoughts
and teachings the last quarter.
The Worlds Need.
In the first six lessons Of the quarter
we had given to us a series OF studies
that opened up the Masters teachings
the worlds great need Of Savior. In
the regular lesson that we considered
in connection with our Easter study
upon the resurrection, we had picture
of fashionable society in the time OF
traits, marks and vices Of modern So
ciety in its ostentation, insincerity and
selfishness. Christ in His parable pic
tured the pride, carnal ambition, jeal-
ousy, scrambling for the prominent
places and desire to be considered
greatest. He reproved His own disci-
pies because they sought TO prevent
mothers bringing their children to be
blessed, revealing by contrast the char
acter that He wished us TO develop in
every sinner.
In His parable Of the prodigal son
Jesus made clear Gods love for a sim
ner by showing how quickly and af-
fectionately the father welcomed the
return of the younger son. who had
seen his own shortcomings and sin
even before he decided to seek forgive
ness from his father. Repentance, that
means a change Of mind, always pre-
cedes q complete restoration to the
Fathers fellowship. Reconciliation Is
open to all who have missed the mark,
when they have thought repentance
made It possible for a complete read
justment Of their life, labor and love
to be made so that they can live IN
harmony with the Father. His repre-
sentation of His enemies as the elder
brother went home and made clear to
them the fact that in His mind they
were sinners, although they claimed to
be law-abiding.
Two of our lessons gave us q clear
cut portrait Of ChriSt's relation to men
of wealth. In none Of the Masters S
teachings can we find Him holding
that it is sinful to be wealthy. He
taught that it was the love of money,
not riches, that was the root Of all evil.
Dives, the wealthy man, who possessed
everything, was condemned and went
at the end of his career to hell because
he lacked any sympathy with the poor
men. 1t was his neglect to help his
brother man that caused his condem-
nation more than anything he had done.
The riches of Zaccheus, the publican,
were considered to have been made as
traitor to his fellow countrymen and
his nations faith. Our Lord met his
desire to see Him by carrying salvation
into the publican's home. Zaccheus
proved the reality Of his conversion and
salvation by his willingness to make a
proper use Of his wealth. In one para
bic He taught us that we should remem-
Der that we are stewards Of all our
possessions.
In our fourth lesson Christ taught US
the necessity of praying a question
through by His narrative about the un-
just judge who was forced to pay heed
to the perseverance and persistence of
a widow seeking justice In the parable
of the two men who went up to the
temple to pray we learned that 1t was
the sinners prayer that was accepted
rather than that of the self-righteous
men, whose prayers were addressed to
the hearers rather than to God. The
one who truly praYs will desire to have