The Heart of the Lesson By T . C. HORTON
L esson III.—J anuary 18, 1914 Golden Text,—Mark 13:31
of the Son of God in behalf of sinful man. Who cannot see the manifold compassion of the great heart of Him who journeyed from fheaven’s glory to life’s highway to minister to our need, to take our place oi> the cross and give us His place on the throne. Here is love whose limit is the extremity of human need and here is ad monition from the lips of Him who is pic tured as the Samaritan but who is indeed the gracious Saviour. Go thou and do like wise. The choice of the Golden Text is unfor tunate, for it does not relate to service in this dispensation, but to service rendered to the Jews, the brethren of Jesus in the next dispensation. The lesson itself deals with the true spirit of service, and a better Golden Text would have been John 12:26. “ If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.” The illustration of the text would be found in the Mary, of our lesson, whose name has made fragrant the centuries by reason of her unselfish devotion to Christ. Acceptable service must be service rendered to the person of Christ Himself. There are two modes of service-one the restless ac tivity of the flesh, the other the restful activity of the Holy Spirit. Mary was in ho sense an idle woman, although Martha judged her to be. She was a true servant of her Lord and as actively engaged as Martha, but she was a wiser worker. Her service was performed in the energy of the Spirit and in the restful consciousness of the Master s approval. Mary was one who could have been counted upon to follow Him whithersoever He chose to lead. She would have turned her back upon the home and severed all of the ties at His bidding and you could have relied upon her when she put her hand to the plow to set her face like a~ flint toward the cross of cduci- fixion. At His feet Mary had imbibed the true spirit of service. She had caught the L esson IV.—J anuary 25, 1914 Golden Text,—Matt. 25:40
Who is my neighbor? Here is a heart searching question and a heart-satisfying answer. The law cannot answer the ques tion, but the Gospel does, and this beautiful parable is the Gospel in action. A certain Samaritan—not by chance, but guided as are the steps of a good man by the Lord—came where he was. He saw him. He did not pass by on the other side. He stopped; he saw what the priest and Levite missed—an opportunity to bestow a blessing. He sympathized with him. The word com passion is said to ibe one of the strongest words in the Greek language to represent deep yearning of soul. His heart was drawn out to the helpless one. He stooped down. Dismounting from his beast he. got down by the side of the man. He came into living and loving touch. He was not the man’s friend but rather his enemy. No doubt if able the man would have despised even the proffered he’p from a Samaritan; He succored him. He washed away the blood, poured oil upon his wounds and wine into his mouth. He bound with ten der toùch thè bleeding wounds, and min istered to his every need. He substituted him. He lifted him to his own place on the beast and he took his place on the road. Having begun a good work he prosecuted it to the end. He would not leave the man where he would be in further danger. H e supplied his needs. He conveyed him to the inn; he put him into the safe-keep ing of the host and made provision for the future. He left nothing undone which could be done. He made full payment and prom ised to come again to settle any unsettled account. This is the Lord’s picture of a neighborly act. This silenced the scribes and should, instruct us. Pity the man who cannot see in this picture of the Samaritan the work
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