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of love and compassion in the human heart! We must have a Saviour through whom we can express the love of God to men. 3. "And to love him . . . is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" (Mk. 12:33). The scribe here uttered a great truth. It is suggestive of the emptiness of mere formalism in religious service. Offerings and sacrifices, the forms and ordinances of the church, have their place. But they never can be a substitute for a heart-devotion to God. They are pleas ing in the sight of God only if they are the expression of hearts that are right “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22). 4. "Thou art not far from the king dom of God" (Mk. 12:34). This scribe was not far from the kingdom of God in the sense that he recognized that true righteousness consists in the ful- iillment of these two commandments which Jesus had just given. All this man needed to do was to confess him self devoid of this righteousness and receive the Saviour for himself. It may be that this scribe was among the “great company of the priests [who] were obedient to the faith” shortly after the day of Pentecost (Acts 6:7). But it is also possible that though he was so near the kingdom, he never came in. Golden Text Illustration J o h n 13:34 An army chaplain, with his Bible under his arm, stooped down and said to an injured man, “Would you like me to read you something from the Bible?” The wounded man said, “I’m so thirsty, I would rather have a drink of water.” The chaplain hurried off, and as quickly as possible brought the water. After the man had drunk the water, he said, “Could you lift my head and put something under it?” The chaplain removed his light over coat, rolled it up, and, tenderly lifting the head, put the coat as a pillow for the tired head to rest on. “Now,” said the man, “if I only had some thing over me; I’m so cold.” There was only one thing the chaplain could do and that was to take his coat off and cover the man. As he did so, the wounded man looked up in his face, and said* “If there is anything in that Book that makes a man do for another what you have done for me, let me hear it.”— The Christian Intelligencer. What Makes Christians? M a r k 12:28-34 MEMORY VERSE: “Let us love one another, for love is of God” (1 John 4:7). AIM: To show that love for others is one of- God’s rules, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who
When His followers love one an other to the extent of being willing to yield their rights for Christ’s sake, patiently- accepting unjust accusa tions, and even being willing to lay down their lives, if need be, for others, then all who behold may know that they are true disciples of Christ. III. T h e N e w C o m m a n d in F r ie n d s h ip (John 15:10-14) Christ’s own joy should be experi enced by all His disciples. This joy will be theirs when love controls their actions as love controlled His. The manifestation of that love is found in obedience-obedience t h a t has no other desire than to please the Father. As His disciples keep His command ments, they experience His joy. And as they openly reveal their love, even to the laying down the life if need be, they become His friends. This re lationship is. based solidly upon the atonement of Christ for sinners; there can be no fellowship apart from the acceptance of Christ’s finished work on Calvary. This accomplished, however, then the friendship betweefi Christ and the disciples is like that between Him self and the Father: a constant fellow ship, continual understanding, ' and mutual delight. Points and Problems 1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart . . . soul . . . mind . . . strength" (Mk. 12:30). This first commandment has to do with man’s relation to God, and takes in all the commandments of the first tablet of the law. Note the scope of the love with which man is commanded to love the Lord: (1) with thy heart, that is, with sincerity of thoughts and feel ings; (2) with thy soul, that is, with emotional warmth and fervor; (3) with thy mind, that is, with intellect and reason, and (4) with thy strength, that is, 'with energy and enthusiasm. As man comes face to face with such a command as this he realizes his un done condition. He needs a Saviour. 2. "The second is like, namely this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self" (Mk. 12:31). This second com mandment has to do with man’s re lation to his fellow men, and takes in all the commandments of the sec- -ond tablet of the law. It should be noted that we are not to- love our neighbor with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Man in no sense, is to be worshiped. His worship and supreme affection is to be reserved for God. But there is always to be such a sincere concern for the welfare and spiritual upbuilding of our neighbor as we should desire for ourselves. Again we find that such a command as this condemns us. There is so little
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