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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1936
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson B y B. B. S utcliffe B y B essie B. B urch Children’s division Golden Text Illustration Object Lesson B y H elen G ailey B y A lan S. P earce B y E lmer L, W ilder Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
him.” He could not follow Jesus if he attempted to bring the old selfishness with him, nor could he remain where he was if he accepted the call from the Lord. But his answer was given at once, and from that day forward, Matthew was done with tax collecting. Like the fishermen who were called, Matthew’s business became that of winning men for the Lord of glory. Our lessen reveals that the Lord’s help ers are those who hear His teaching and believe it ; they hear also His call to service and respond to it. The response involves the denial of self, the taking up o f one’s cross, and the following of the, Lord (Lk. 9:23). Points and Problems 1. The teacher should note that the dis ciples were given three distinct calls. The first is recorded in John 1:35-42; the sec ond in Matthew 4 :18-22; and the third in Luke 5:1-11. In the first call, they became believers but did not give up their secular business to follow Him. In the second, they evidently followed Him intermittently but returned to their fishing business from time to time. The third call produced the total abandonment o f personal affairs for Christ’s sake: “ They forsook all, and fol lowed him” (Lk. 5:11). We have here a picture of a great deal o f present-day Christian experience: First, we believe; second, we waver between the Lord’s and our own business; third, we abandon our own affairs to do His will. Yet even after this step we are not perfect, it is well to remember. Peter, later on, returned once more to his fishing (John 21:3) ; but this was only a temporary lapse. 2. “The people pressed upon him to hear the word o f God” (v. 1). This item in the record has a direct bearing on the subse quent call o f the disciples. The crowds were great in number, and this circum stance meant that more workers were needed. Our Lord here sets us an example in good sense. No matter how superior our own ability may be, it is not well for the minister to try to do everything by him self. 3. The “prayed" o f verse 3 is an old English expression. The Greek word means simply to “ ask.” It is not the ordi nary word for “pray.” 4. Without some knowledge of local con ditions, we cannot appreciate the greatness of the miracle as Peter did. In the first place, at night was the easy time to catch fish; and second, fish were generally netted in the shallows near shore. But our Lord sends Peter out into the deep water in the day time. The human improbability was tremendous, yet Peter says: “ Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (v. 5). And the result justified his faith, as it al ways does. Golden Text Illustration A striking little incident is told by Pastor Dolman. Before the World War he was in
FEBRUARY 2, 1936 JESUS ENLISTS HELPERS L uke , C hapter 5
presence of such a One, Simon felt his own sinfulness and acknowledged it before them all (v. 8). The other men were as much amazed at the draught of fishes as was Simon. The Lord said to Simon: “ From hence forth thou shalt catch men” (v. 10). Hav ing given these fishermen a demonstration of His power in catching fish, the Lord would introduce them to the larger service of catching men. Our Lord still calls dis ciples into this service, and He stands ready properly to equip each one who wil lingly answers His call. The work of soul winning requires the surrender o f the life to the Lord, to be used when and where He will. In answer to the Lord’s invitation, these men “ forsook all, and followed him” (v. 11). There is nothing else to do if one would serve the Lord. All else must be forsaken, and He and His service must occupy the primary place in the life. It is not true in each case that the Lord would have His helpers forsake their im mediate calling or business, but it is true that the vocation must become secondary, and the main purpose of the life must be to serve the Lord—whether in the office, or store) or factory, or home, or pulpit, or foreign land. III. J esus and the P ublican (27, 28). Some time after the scene at the sea shore, mentioned in the first few verses of chapter 5, the Lord came upon a publican, a taxgatherer, whose Hebrew name was Levi. This man’s Galilean name was Matthew. The Romans had employed him to collect taxes from his fellow country men, the Jews. Hence he would be de spised by his own nation and scorned by the Romans as a renegade Jew. But his love o f money was evidently so strong that he was willing to forego religious inter course, association among his own people, and the enjoyment o f a good reputation, if only he could get money. T o this man, the Lord Jesus said: “ Fol low me.” These .vords pierced through the greed and covetousness of Levi and found—what others thought he did not possess—a responsive heart. O f Levi it is written: “ He left all, rose up, and followed BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson T ex t : Lk. 5 :1-11, 27, 28. Golden T ext: “ They forsook all, and followed him” (Lk. 5:11). Outline and Exposition I. J esus and the M ultitudes (1-3). O u r Lord’s teaching in the synagogues had amazed and stirred the people of Galilee, so that wherever He appeared abroad, great crowds gathered around Him. On the occasion described in our lesson, He was standing on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret, and “the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God” (v. 1). Eager to speak to them, and desiring that all should hear Him, the Lord asked Simon for the use of the boat. Christ could have commandeered the vessel, but He wanted the voluntary gift and service. From the boat, Jesus taught the multi tude, but nothing is said concerning the results of His teaching. W e know that the multitude heard Him gladly, but it is not recorded that the people accepted His teaching. For the most part, conditions were then as they are today—the hearers listened because the message was one about which they could reason among themselves. In spite o f this fact, the Lord never withheld His teaching from the people. He gave them the opportunity of knowing the will o f God, if they desired to follow the truth they heard. To be really blessed, the hearers o f the Word must be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). II. J esus and the F ishermen (4-11). After teaching the people, the Lord told Simon to push out into deep water and let down the net for a draught (v. 4). The Lord’s word seemed a strange com mand (v. 5), for these fishermen had been working all night and had caught nothing. At that very time, they were washing their nets, preparatory to the next night’s fish ing. In that locality, the night was the proper time for fishing, and under ordinary circumstances the fishermen would not be likely to catch anything during the day. But Simon seemed to say: “ In spite o f the fact that I have no idea we will catch anything, nevertheless at thy word we will let down the nets.” The result o f obedi ence to Christ’s command was a great draught of fishes—so great that “their net brake” (v. 6), and they had to call for their partners to assist them (v. 7). When one’s spirit prompts him to say, “Never theless at thy word,” glorious results may be anticipated, whatever appearances may be. After this demonstration o f His omni science and power, the Lord called these fishermen to His special service (vs. 8-11). Simon Peter was the one among them who recognized Jesus as the Lord. In the
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