The Coolidge examiner., 1936-05-22
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By REV. P. B. FITZWATER. D. D..
Member of Faculty, Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago.
q Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for May "a
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
LESSON TEXT Luke 2O:45-47;
21:1-36.
GOLDEN TEXT-In your patience
possess ye your souls.-Luke 21:19.
PRIMARY TOPIC-A Gift That
Pleased Jesus.
JUNIOR TOPIC-What Makes a
Gift Great?
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC-Making the Most of Today.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-Living for Spiritual Ends.
While this lesson is indicated as
the quarterly Temperance lesson,
and the various subjects suggested
vary in their objective, a more log
ical theme would seem to be Jesus
Teaches in the Temple" No indi-
vidual, city, or nation can truly build
for the future that disregards what
the Bible says about the future.
|. Jesus Warns Against the
Scribes (vv. 45-4O.
He had just dealt with the disbe-
lief of the Sadducees. The scribeS
claimed faith, for they were the
teachers of the law. They were
punctiliously exacting as to it's liz
eral observance. They had little I'M
derstanding of the need of fiexibil-
ity in applying its principles to
human needs. They discovered that
Jesus was teaching things contrary
to their interpretations. Jesus taught
that the law was made for man,
and not man for the law. The
scribeS were publicity seekers, max
ing parade of their wisdom. 1t Is
painful to be conscious that there
are ministers today who have sunk
to the status of scribes, who pa
rade their own understanding of
things and are not acquainted with
the mind and message of Christ
Sunday school teachers should earn
estly pray that they may serve as
true messengers of Christ, not as
scribes, with only head-knowledge
of biblical matters.
II. Jesus Makes Estimate of Gifts
(Luke 21:14.
l. Amount counts for little ".
y. While the rich cast their gifts
into the treasury, and observers
may have noted that the clash and
clatter of their coin indicated large
giving, it Is not likely that these
gifts meant personal sacrifice or
Self-denial.
.. Inner conditions determine the
value of a gift wv. 2, -. In the
sight of man the poor widows deed
was not worthy of notice. In the
sight of God it merited the i'm
mortality of the Bible record. The
twO-mite gift of the widow revealed
her love for God, else how could
she spare her all? 1t revealed her
faith in God for tomorrow, for how
else would she be fed? 1t revealed
her humility, for she did not with
hold her gift because it was little.
Verse 4 is indeed revealing as to
Christ's Interpretation of the deeper
meaning of gifts, for that and the
present age.
III. Jesus Prophesies His Return
(vv. 5-33).
l. The temple to be destroyed
wv. 5, g.. The temple was the pride
and boast of the proud Jew. Such
boasting called forth the Lords dec
laration that there shall not be
left one stone upon another" a fact
that had its fulfllment A. D. 20,
when Titus destroyed Jerusalem,
.. The disciples inquiry ". y.
There can be no surprise that the
disciples should ask for more in
formation about future events. A
corresponding verse In Matthew "a {:
3) should be considered.
8. An order of events was pre-
sented to them (vv.S-2I. Perhaps
one would not so much say an or
der, as that he pointed out details
on the great canvas of the future.
a. False Christs would appear ".
81, some claiming to be the Mes
siah in his first appearing, and some
in his reappearing. These make
their appeal to such as are not root
ed and grounded in the faith. "GO
ye not after them"
b. Inevitable wars and cOmmo-
tions (vv. 9, 10Y will embrOil the
nations. "Commotions" signifies tu-
mults, in the absence of war, wran-
Cling within national life, or be-
tween nations. The restful follow
er of Christ is to "be not terrified" ."
C. Violent prosecutions were fore
toIJ (uv 10 10Y Tho halioyor nf