THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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In la st Sunday’s lesson on F a ith we saw th a t th e faith th a t God notices and rew ards is faith th a t leads to action. The teaching of today’s lesson follows th a t same line of LESSON though t, presenting EXPOSITION t h e con trast be- Jo h n H. H u n ter tween h earers th a t d o nothing, a n d h earers th a t do in accordance w ith w hat th ey hear. To get a t th e beginning of th e trouble, we m ust go back to verse 15, for th a t is where Jesu s began th is subject. Why did th e Lesson Commit tee om it th e first verse of th e p ara graph? I. F a lse Teachers, vv. 15-23. I t is every m an’s responsibility and du ty to tak e heed w hat he h ears (Mark 4 :2 8 ). I t is perilous in th e extreme to listen to u n tru e teaching (Gen. 3:1- 6 ). To escape false teaching we must avoid false teachers. How sh all we know them ? Our Lord tells us. 1. Their Appearance, v. 15. They seem to be sheep while they are really wolves. Any one would be afraid of a wolf and keep a t a safe distance from one; b u t when th e wolf disguises him self as a sheep, many unw ittingly get w ithin reach of his claws. If a Chris tia n man heard a soap-box o rato r deny ing th e Deity or th e atoning death, or th e bodily resu rrection of our Lord Jesu s Christ, and using profane and filthy language in doing so, he would walk away shuddering. When th e same man hears his pastor in th e pu lp it deny these same fundam ental tru th s of our C hristian religion, in well chosen schol arly language he goes away feeling quite com fortable and congratulates him self and th e church on th e ir pas to r’s “ broad-m indedness.” The most dangerous enem ies of our Lord Jesus are those in th e pulpit, no t those on th e soap box. If th e re were no t thou sands of preachers loyal to th e tru th in th e pulpits of our land today, these false teachers would never assume the
p reach ers’ garb. The dangerous teacher always proclaims him self to be a lover of th e tru th , never an opponent of it (2 Cor. 1 1 :14 ). 2. Their Conduct, w . 21-23. They call Jesu s “Lord” w ithout having really su rrend ered to H im as such. They speak and teach using th e au th o rity of His name (Acts 19:13 -16 ). They do many w onderful and commendable works; bu t they “work iniquity.” “ Iniqu ity ‘means’ th a t which it tu rn ed ou t of its proper course, morally dis to rte d or perverted .” I t includes th ere fore no t only such flagrant breaches of m orality as stealing, lying, uncleanness; bu t also those less app aren t d ep artu res from th e high standard s of Christian ethics. W hat they do no t do is th e will of God. Their lives are no t lived under H is guidance. Self, no t Christ, is on th e throne. 3. Their F ru it, vv. 16-18. The fru it includes th e n a tu ra l effect of th e ir teach ing, as well as of th e ir conduct. Many younger men and women are led astray by th e false teachings of those who are themselves, perhaps, still largely under th e control of w hat they were ta u g h t in earlier y ears; them selves vastly b etter men th a n th e ir teaching produces. The value of any teaching m ust be reckoned by its effects on those who receive it. F alse doctrine can never produce tru e men, nor can w rong teaching produce rig h t practicing. See now th e effects upon Germany, the home of false reli gious teaching. A few years before the w ar a German compiler of statistics said: “ Germany is now reaping the h arvest of advanced though t. The p ri sons are fu ll.” Dr. Bauer, one of th e im perial chaplains, in a sermon preached before th e then Em peror said: “Affection, faith, and obedience to the Word of God are unknown in th is coun try, which form erly was ju stly called th e home of faith. Marriages are con cluded w ithou t th e blessings of th e church; we have a Sunday only in nam e; the afternoon and evening of it
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