one. T h e y d o n o t sens e th egrac e o fGod. No J e w b u t a r e n e g a de w-ouid n a v e h e id t h e place. J e s us i su efrien d o fpuolican s an dSinners ; H e s a v es t h e cuief a s r e a d u y a n d e a s i ly a s h is f o l l o w e r. G et t h a t i n to y o u r i.ead a n d h e a r t ! T h e re a r e n o b i g a n d l i t t le s i n n e rs i nGod's eyes. « . "Mat - the wth epublican, " th ecousi n o fJesus . O ur L o r d 's r e l a t i o ns w e r e, t n e n, n o t a i l r e s p e c t a b le peopie. H e d i d n o t b o a st o f a n c e s t r y. W i .y s h o u ld w e ? H e d i dn o " t u r n d o w n " H i s r e l a t i v es w h o w e re d o w n. W h y s h o u ld w e ? "Rana b th eHarlot " ( Ma t t. 1:5), a n d J u d a n ti.e a d u l t e r e r, a n d P n a r e s his b a s t a r d ( Ma t t. 1:3; Gen. 38:2) w e r e a m o n g J e s u s' a n c e s t o r s; yes, A d a m, t h e o l d A d a m himself (l^k . 4:38). A s t o y o u r " f a m i ly line," s a ys one, "you m a y find it w a x ed a th e o t h er e n d ," o ry o ur f a m i l y t r ee m ay t a k e ti.e s h a pe o f a ni n - v e r t e d L .7 ."Follo w Me. "An d h efol - lowe d Him. " S o me a r e called i na b u s i- n e s s t h ey c a n f o l l ow w n i ie f o l l o w i ng Cnr-ist. o t h e r s m u s t f o r s a k e all t o f o l l ow H i m. T h e fishermen could r e t u r n t o t h e ir fisiiing; Levi could n e v er t o nis t a x g a t h - e r i n g. Y o u ng f o l k s s h o u ld n o te t h i s: I f y o u g e t i n to a b u s i n e ss n o Christia n c an f o l l o w; o r d o i ny o ur b u s i n e ss w h a t n o ' Christia n c a do, i twill be so m u c h h a r d e r to b e c o me a C h r i s t i an a n d f o l l ow G..rist B u t H e c a l ls y ou t o f o l l ow now , a n d t h a t will k e ep y ou o ut o f a l l mischief. III . TH E FEAS T O FLEVI . 1. "Lev i mad e Hi ma feast " (Lk. 5:29). L e vi o p e n ed t h e door, a n d he a n d t h e L o rd s u p p ed t o g e t h er ( R e v. 3:20). T h o se w ho f e a s t J e s u s s h a ll b e f e a s t ed b y J e s u s ( L k. 22:30). 2 .Othe r Guests . "Man y puolican an d sinners. " N a t u r a l ly . L e v i 's g u e s ts w e r e L e v i 's a c q u a i n t a n c e s, h is o w n social c a s t e. B u t h en a t u r a l ly b e i ng s a v ed t h o u g h t a t o n ce o f his o w n f r i e n ds ( J n o. 1:40, 41 , 45). H e w a n t e d t h em t ok n o w H i m who- s a v ed h i m, f or h e f e lt t h a t " t o k n o w H i m " w o u ld b e " to love H i m ." T h a t if t h e y a t e wit h H i m, t h e y m i g h t e a t o f H i m ( J n o. 6:54). 3 . "Sa twit h Jesu s an d disciples. " W e a r e f o r b id t o"si ti n th e sea to f th escornfu l o rstan d i nth ewa y o f sinners " (Ps. 1:1). B ut t h a t m e a n s c o sit a so n e o f t h e m. B u t t o c u l t i v a te f r i e n d ly r e l a t i o ns w i th u n b e l i e v e r s, t oe x- c h a n g e c o u r t e s i es w i th t h e m (1 Cor. 10:27) is good, p r o v i d ed w e t a k e J e s u s a l o n g a n d c o mm e nd H i m t o t h e m a s t h ey see "Chris t i n us. " IV . TH E INTRUDERS . 1 . A strang e custo ma d e i tp e r m i s s i b le f o r a n y p e r s o ns t o e n t e r a sp e c t a t o rs o n s u ch o c c a s i o n s. 2 . "Tn e Uninvite d Guest. I o n ce s a w a p i c t u re w i th t h a t title. A p i c n ic lunch' w a s s p r e ad o n t h e g r o u n d a n d a s m a ll s n a k e w a s s q u i r m i ng o n t o t h e cloth. T h e s n a k e s a th is f e a st w e r e "Scribe s an dPharisees. " 3 .Wha t the y said , n ot f r a n k l y t o J e s u s, b u t a s i de t oH i s d i s c i p l es ( a devil's f a s h i on o f slyly b e - t r a y i n g t h e m i n to c r i t i c i sm a n d a l i e n a t i on f r o m t h e ir L o r d ), ''Ho w i si t tha tH ecat - et hwit h publican s an dsinners? " B l e s s ed J e s u s, i fT h o u d i d st not, w h o t h en c o u ld be s a v e d! 4 .Jesus ' answer . I t i sg o od t o let J e s u s H i m s e lf a n s w e r c a v i l l e r s. Open H i s w o rd o n t h e m. H e said, "The y tha i ar ewhol e n e d no t a Physicia n bu the y tha tar esic k ( d o ) "; " Icom e no tt ocal l th erighteous , bu t sinner s t orepentance. N o t h i n g could b e m o r e s e a s o n a b l e, n o r r e a s o n a b l e, t h a n t h a t a n s w e r. J e s us will sit d o wn a n d e a t w i th w h o é v er will e a t w i t h H i m; a n d w h o s o e v er will m a y d t h a t . R e m e m b er t h i s, w h i c h e v er o fy o
to sa y "Ris e an dwalk" ; b u t i t i sa sh a r d to h e al a s t of o r g i v e. T h e a c t o fh e a l i n g, e v i d e nt t o s e n s e, p r o v es t n e t a e t o fp a r d on e v i d e n t, a l o n e, t o . f a i t h. U n t il t n e body c u r e, t h e soul c u re l a c k ed p r o o f. C h r i st c u r ed a s H e f o r g a v e by H is hat , "Le t i tb e so, an d i t was. " . P h y s i c al h e a l i ng i sn O proof o f a d o c t r i n e. P h a r a o h 's m a g i c i a ns do t h e s a m e w i th t h e ir e n c h a n t m e n ts ( E x. 7:11.). B u t w h e n w e see t n e o n e - t i me c a p - t i ve o f sin "wal k i ntn e light " (1 J n o. 1 :'<), "Wal k b yfaun " ( 2Cor. 5:7), "Wal k i n Love " ( E p h. 5:2), "Wal k i n th eSpirit " (Gal. 5:16), "Le d b y tn eSpirit " (±tom. 8:14) ; tlie n w ebeliev e h ei sforgiven . LESSO N XII .Marc h 24 . TH EFRIEN D O PPUBLICAN S AN D SINNERS . Mar k 2:13-22 . X. B Y TH E SEA . 1 . "Again. " I t s e e ms J e s u s l o v ed t h e o u t o f d o o r s; t h e h o u se n o t m a d e witli h a n d s; t h e t m p le H e H i m s e lf h a d b u u t ( J n o. 1:3). i ' r om i t s s p a c i o us a u d i t o r i um n o ne n e ed b e t u r n e d a w a y f o r w a n t o f r o o m; i t s a c o u s t ic p r o p e r t i es a r e p e r f e c t, Its s y s t em o f v e n t i l a t i on i sw o n d e r f u l; i t s l i g h ts a r e c l e ar a n d t e m p e r ed t o t h e eye; Its f r e s c o es a r e o f c e i e s t i al d e s i gn a n d r e- s p l e n d e nt l o v e l i n e s s; i t s w i n d o ws a r e «.domed w i t h p i c t u r ed hill a n d d a le a n d sea, a n d " h u m a n f o r m divine. 2 . " H e taugh t them. " T h is m i g h t b e i n t e r p r e t ed «H eindoctrinate d them" ; f o r t h e r e b e i ng first a s i n c e re d e s i re t o p l e a se God a n d b e p l e a s ed i nH i m, a ll t i . at a soul n e e ds i st o be taugh t t h e d o c t r i n es o f s a l v a t i o n, t h a t both p e a ce a n d p o w er m a y b e t h e i r s. 3 . Tn e la wwa s promulgate d I n t n e "terribl e Wilderness " (iJeut, 8:15) b y "th emoun t tha tburne d wit hAre " ( H e b. 12:18), b u t t h e g r a c i o us Gospel b y t h e p e a c e f ul s e a- side, a n d t h e f r t i le lields a n d slopes o f Galilee. Mo s es led t o t ne m o u n t o fw r a t n , I . "A s H epasse d by. " Jesu s o fNaza - ret hnasset h by. ""B e o f goo d cheer , H e callet n fo r thee. " T n e call t oL e vi w a s " e f f e c t u al c a l l i n g ." I s i ts ow i th y o u? 2 "Th e so no f Alphaeus " ( o r C l e o p a s ). H i s m o t h e r w a s M a r y, s i s t er o f M a r y t n e S o t h e r o f J e s u s ( J n o. j f f f j H e w a s blood r e l a t i on t o t h e L o r d. I t w a s n ot f o r t h i s t h a t h e w a s called. J e s u s i sn or e - s p e c t er o f p e r s o n s. H e fills H i s c o u rt i n - deed o n t h e p r i n c i p le o f nepotism , b u t o f o b e d i e nt f a i t h, n ot o f b l o od ( Ma t t. (12 50). 8 "Sittin g a tth e receip t o fcustom. " I t i s h a r d t o g e t t h e e a r f o r t h e m a i n b u s i n e ss In b u s i n e ss h o u r s. Men a r e a p t t or e s e nt i n t e r r u p t i o n. T h ey will p u t y ou off f o r a m o r e " c o n v e n i e nt s e a s o n" ( A c ts 24.25). T a c t w i ll n o te t n e f a c t. B u t r e m e m b e r, "Preac h t eword , I nseason , ou to fsea - son " ( 2 T i m. 4:2). T o u r v e ry a u d a c i ty a n d u r g e n c y i n"th eKing' s business " ( 1b a . 21 ? 8) m a y w i n a b u s y b u s i n e ss m a n . M a n y a soul h a s b e en s a v ed "a th e receip t o f custom. " 4. Th e Publican " ( Ma t t. 10:3). P u b l i c a ns collected t h e R o m a n r e v e n u e s. T h e s e w e r e " f a r m ed o u t ," b y m e n w h o b o u g h t t h e r i g h t s o f t h e G o v e r n m e n t, t o s u b o r d i n a t e s, w h o, a s a s s e s s o rs a s w e ll a s collectors, s q u e e z ed a s m u ch o ut . of t h e ir c l i e n ts a s t h e y c o u ld s t a n d. I tw a s a s c a n d a l o us p r a c t i c e, a n d J e w i sh p u b l i c a ns w e r e b i t t e r ly d e s p i s e d ^ a nd h a t ed b y theh- f e l l ow c o u n t r y m en (1 K. 3:12, 13). o. Some , in tha t Jesu s chos e thi spublican , t r y t o s h o w t h a t h e m a y h a v e - b e en a n h o n e 3t J e s u s d r e w t o t h e p l a c id sea. XI . TH E CAL L O PLEVI .
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