884
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
October, 1939
gious leaders are missing the mark com- plètely about the real purposes of the incarnation. If we would know why the Son of God came, we must listen to His words, for the explanation can •come in no other way. 2. “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (v. 17), that is, ‘‘the law” and “the prophets.” The religious leaders of Israel had so overlaid the Word of God with their legalistic traditions that when our Lord came teaching the Word in its original purity and simplicity, they ac tually thought that He was trying to destroy the Scriptures! 3. “But to fulfill” (v. 17). The Greek verb is “pleroo,” meaning to fill up. In •the Authorized Version this word is translated by such words as “complete,” “make full,” “perfect,” “fill,” “accom plish,” “fulfil,” .and “preach fully.” Our Lord came to fulfill the law and the prophets in at least three ways: First, by fulfilling the types and prophecies concerning Himself and His Messianic work; second, by bringing Biblical reve lation to its fullness and completion, as for example when He removes from the ancient Law concessions to man’s hard ness of heart, like certain divorce privi leges, and returns to the original divine plan; and third, by teaching fully the Word of God which had been neglected in various aspects and parts. 4. “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments” (v. 19). “These least commandments.” What commandments? The popular interpre tation refers this stem injunction only to the “commandments” given in the so-called Sermon on the Mount. They say that the Mosaic Law was too com plex and difficult for man to keep, and that therefore Christ came to abrogate the ancient law and give us a new and easier law by which, in thé keeping of it, man might be saved! Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our Lord said plainly He did not come to destroy the ancient law but to make it full. The Sermon on the Mount is therefore the original law of God raised to the high est point of power and perfection. The “least commandments” referred to in verse 19 belong to “the law” mentioned in verse 18, and that law was laid down originally in the first five books of the Old Testament. The Lawgiver on the New Testament Mount is the same as on the Old Testament Mount, and His law is one. His purpose in the Sermon on the Mount was not to make that law easier, but to make it harder, to the end that sinners might be driven to flee for refuge to Calvary where they can be saved by grace. “By the deeds of the law [‘by works of law,’ R. V. mar gin] there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [‘by law,’ R. V. margin] is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20. The c o m m a n d m e n t s of law, whether uttered from Sinai or from the New Testament Mount, can do nothing but condemn tne sinner. And we are all of us sinners.
Golden Text Illustration M atthew 5:48
*1. • isq
^ '0 ‘tK
A young lawyer negotiated a contract of which he was rather proud, and took it to an old and wise counselor for his examination. To his surprise, the old man, as he read it slowly, shook his head. “That’s a great contract, John. It is most skillfully drawn,” he re marked, as he handed it back. “But, John, you have forgotten the other fel low. No contract is sound which neglects the rights or the equities of any party' to it.”—Watertown Times. Love Gifts M atthew 5:17 to 6:18 MEMORY VERSE: “God l o v e t h a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). APPROACH: Today we are going to talk about some of the ways that the Lord Jesus told His followers to act. People in that day who kept the laws which God had given many years before to Moses thought that that was all that LESSON STORY: Love God not just by going to the temple and singing and praying to Him before all the people, but love Him in the secret of your own heart, Jesus told them. To keep from stealing is a good thing, but in God’s eyes, a person who has the thought of taking something which does not be long to him, has already stolen it. This was what Jesus said to His followers. Being angry at a person in your heart is the same as murder. This was what Jesus told them. How careful we must be, then, not only of what we do, but of what we think! Love your friends and your enemies as well, is another thing which Jesus said. And not only love them but also pray for them. What a different world this would be if we all did this! And then He told them how to give gifts. He said people should give their gifts secretly, not so men would see them. Then their heavenly Father, who “seeth in secret,” will reward them. If we are Jesus’ followers, this is the way we should live, too. they need to do. T h e y worshiped God, and they did n’t steal or kill or envy their neigh bor: Surely t h a t was keeping the law, they thought. It was, in a way, but Jesus s a i d there was more to it than that.
OBJECTS: A pair of scissors with the screw taken out. LESSON: What are scissors made for? Do you think your mothers could use these scissors for cutting? Notice how they poke and scratch each other. It would be very difficult to get them to cut a piece of cloth in this condition. These scissors are very much like boys and girls. Many boys and girls fuss and fight more than they work. Listen to these seissors saying, “I will cut if you let me cut by myself. I don’t want to work with my brother. He doesn’t cut straight. I would much rather scratch and gouge him than work with him.” Mother could never make a dress with scissors like these. What is wrong with these scissors? Yes, the screw which holds them to gether is out. Here is the screw. We will fasten them together and see whether they work any1better. They now work perfectly. It is just this way in life. When boys are held together with the screw of love, they can do hard tasks without fight ing. Sisters can do many things for their mother if the screw of love holds them together. Nations could work to gether harmoniously if Christian love bound them together. Now let us ask ourselves the ques tion: How do we get the love which keeps us from fighting? We do not get this kind of love for a brother or sister just by being bom in the same home. This love is received when we accept Christ as Saviour. The best way to end fighting in the home is for each one to accept Christ. If all the people of earth were Christians and were bound together with Christian 'love, there would be no more wars; but this will never happen, until Christ comes, for He said that there would be wars and rumors of wars. The only way to end fights is to give people the .good news that Christ has died for our sins and that He lives to give us power to live in the right way.
NOVEMBER 12, 1939 PUTTING GOD’S KINGDOM FIRST M atthew 6:19-34
M a tth e w 6:1 0 JLay n o t u p t o r y o u r s e lv e s tr e a s u r e s u p o n e a r t h w h e re m o th a n d r u s t d o th c o r r u p t, an?! w h e re th ie v e s b r e a k th r o u g h a n d s te a l: 20 B u t la y u p fo r y o u rs Iv e s u-cfti fures in h e a v e n , w h e re n e ith e r m o th o r r u s t d o th c o r r u p t, a n d w h e re th ie v e s do n o t
b re a k ‘(tro u g h n o r s te a l; , 21 F o r w h e re y o u r tr e a s u r e is, th e r e w i1! y o n r h e a r t be a lso . 2'2 T 1 -«' lig h t o f th e b o d y :s th e e y e : if th e :v fo re m in e e y e b e s in g le , th y w h o le b o d y s h a ll be fu ll o f lig h t. 2% B u t .if th in e e y e b e e v il, th y w h o le
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker