82
February 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
V. 45. Who were the lawyers ? By what title did this lawyer address Jesus? Is it sufficient to think of the Lord Jesus merely as a teacher? How did the law yers recognize that the charges against the Pharisees applied to themselves also? V. 46. In what way did the lawyers “load men with burdens” ? Were the ceremonial requirements laid down by the religious teachers difficult to understand and impossible to obey? Did the teachers themselves obey their own prescriptions? Were they, then, the more guilty because of their hypocrisy? V. 52. To what is knowledge likened? Did the scribes and lawyers claim to be able to open the temple of knowledge? Did they hide the “key” ? Did they them selves enter, in through the Scriptures? Did they, by refusing the right of private interpretation of Scripture, hinder oth ers from knowing the truth? Are many like them today, claiming to be teachers but proving to be hinderers rather than helpers ? Vs. 53, 54. What groups combined in opposition to Christ? Had they been en raged by what He had said? Why did they ask Him many questions? Were they able to trap Him into saying any thing which would be a proper ground for an accusation ? ♦ * * P ractical P oints 1. Mary’s usual place when in the presence of Jesus Christ was at His feet. In this lesson we behold her as a learner. On another occasion she was a suppliant (John 11:32). Still later, she was a worshiper (John 12 :l-3). 2. Work for the Lord is important. Listening to His Word must not be neg lected. 3. Much of the fret and worry would be removed from Christian service if workers spent more time in communion with their Lord. 4. “Dost thou not care?” How cruel such an unkind and unjust rebuke of the compassionate Saviour! Who has ever cared for us as tenderly and faithfully as He? 5. It is wrong to be anxious about many things or few things or any thing (Phil. 4:6, R.V.). 6. The “one thing” needful for the needy minister is to know Jesus Christ (John 17:3). 7. It will be well with us if, like Mary, we choose that which we never can lose. Unfortunately, many choose the “many things” which are of value only for a season. 8. Carefulness in tithing will not ex cuse carelessness in the performance of other duties. 9. God’s great men are never found seeking popularity or preeminence (Lk. 14:7-11; Rom. 12:10). 10. Hypocrites may deceive their fel low men for a time by wearing a mask of religiousness. They can never de ceive God. 11. The preacher who does not prac tice what he preaches soon loses his in fluence. 12. Those who profess to be Chris tian teachers, but who seek to destroy the Scriptures or fail to teach the Word, are worthy of God’s severest judgment. There are many modern Pharisees who are guil ty in this respect. 13. Enemies have always been lying in wait to find some word of the Lord
Jesus for which they could accuse Him. After nineteen hundred years of such at tempts, He still stands before the world unrebuked. * * * , G olden T ext I llustration Travelers among the Alps tell us that they come to have a peculiar feeling, un like any pther, for their Alpine guide. It is not a feeling of companionship, of fellowship, or of friendship alone, but a combination of all three. This feeling, they say, is produced by their obedience to the guide’s commands, and the men who have guided them through the Alps always seem to them different from oth er men. Our Guide once said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love”—that is, in Him. Simple obedience, then, will produce in us a feel ing of confidence in Jesus Christ that all the religious zeal and fervor in the world cannot produce without obedience. Obed ience is the key that unlocks the door to the indwelling Christ. —Record of Chris tian Work. * * * Jesus Among Friends Luke 10:38-42 Memory Verse .—“Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus” (John 11:5). Approach. —Jesus told us in our story of last week how a real friend would act. Today we find Jesus Himself in the home of some real friends. Lesson S to r y .— Although they were sisters, they didn’t always think alike. Martha thought that the best way to treat Jesus was to get a big meal ready for Him to eat. So she became very busy about her cooking. But Mary thought that the most important thing was to visit with Jesus, to ask Him questions, and to learn from Him. She knew that He would be with them only a short while, and she didn’t want to lose any of that time. Martha said to herself, “Jesus is our honored guest, and we must show Him our respect by treating Him well.” Mary said, “He has so much to tell u s ; I’ll sit right down so I won’t miss a word.” Which one do you think was showing the most love for Jesus? It was Mary. Martha was mistaken. It was important to take care of Jesus, but Martha thought it the most important thing. She was even a little cross because Mary didn’t come and help her. But Jesus showed her that Mary was right. He said: “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” March 22, 1931 The Use and Abuse of God’s Gifts Lesson: Luke 12. (Lesson Text: Luke 12:16-21, 41-48.) Golden Text: “Be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). These sisters and brother loved Jesus dearly and were al ways glad when He paid them a visit. On this day, Martha and Mary were at home together, and the story tells us how they received Jesus.
L esson in O utline I. The Folly of the Worldly Wise Man (16-19). 1. Trusting in riches. 2. Consulting self-interest, ignoring God. 3. Planning for “many years,” neg lecting thought of eternity. 4. Following a false philosophy bf life—“eat, drink, and be merry.” II. The Fool Branded and Upbraided ( 20 , 21 ). Because he did not: 1. Recognize the frailty of man. 2. Acknowledge God’s claims. 3. Seek heavenly treasure. 4. Live for God’s interests rather than his own. III. Wise and Foolish Stewards (41-48). 1. Peter’s question (41). 2. A steward’s responsibility (42). 3. A wise steward’s reward (43, 44). 4. A foolish steward’s doom (45, 46). 5. The standard of judgment—ac cording to light (47, 48). * * * A pproach to the L esson 'T 'HE great discourse in Luke 12 grew out of an unexpected and seemingly unimportant event. Jesus had been speak ing to a large crowd when, in a moment of silence, a man in the multitude sub mitted a matter to the Lord concerning his personal needs. It would appear that he was displeased with the division of his father’s estate. He asked Jesus to plead with his brother for a more gener ous division of the goods. The Master saw here ah occasion for instruction about the danger- of covetousness. The first part of the discourse was addresed to the multitude (vs. 15-21). There followed words of warning to the disciples concern ing the danger of undue anxiety about earthly goods (vs. 22-40). Then Peter and the twelve received special warning (vs. 41-53). The lesson closes with the last warning to the people which an nounced the threatening character of the times (vs. 54-59). It is very evident that the man who in terrupted the message of the Lord Jesus to the multitude failed to catch the spirit of what Jesus was saying. The last words spoken by the Master before the inter ruption (v. 12) w’ere concerned with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the promised Advocate who «was to be a guide and helper after the Lord Jesus had gone back to heaven. The questioner was more concerned about values of property than he was about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. * * * H eart of the L esson I. The Folly of the Worldly Wise (16- 19). V. 16. A certain rich man. The man is not named, nor_is anything told of ,his private life. He is not painted as a bad man according to the world’s standards. He is not presented as a thief, but the in ference is, rather, that he had gained his wealth by honest toil. He is not con demned for having goods. But, as we shall see, he is severely dealt with be cause of the wrong use of his goods. V. 17. Reasoned within himself. He did not let any one else enter into debate with him over the question which he was
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