Your ShelfYour Projects

The Sabbath-School

4%

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 29, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 29.

Read the full edition

The Sabbath-School.

Tithes and Offerings.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST EXEMPLIFIED.

(Lesson 6, August 10, 1889.)
1. Or what does godliness have promise? "For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." 1 Tim. 4:8.
2. How much should a man forsake to be a true follower of Christ? "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33.
3. How extensive is the promise to all such? "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:29, 30.
4. How long will such be in remembrance? "A good man sheweth favor, and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." Ps. 112:5, 6.
5. In what manner does real devotion manifest itself? "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always." Acts 10:2.
6. How is such devotion of mingled almsgiving and prayer regarded by God? "He saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." Verses 3, 4.
7. What instruction did the angel give Cornelius? "And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do." Verses 5, 6.
8. What do we learn from this circumstance?
9. After the healing of Simon from his leprosy what did he do in honor of Christ? "And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head." Mark 14:3. "There they made him a supper; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him." John 12:2.
10. What scene transpired while he sat at meat? "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." John 12:3. "And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment." Luke 7:38. "And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head." Mark 14:3.
11. What language would imply that this woman had not been invited? "And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment." Luke 7:37.
12. Who was this woman? "Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.") John 11:1, 2.
13. Who found fault with her? "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." John 12:4-6.
14. In what way did Christ comfort her? "When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me." "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." Matt. 26:10, 13.
15. What shows that Simon questioned the propriety of her conduct? "Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman that is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner." Luke 7:39.
16. In what manner did Christ reprove Judas? "Then said Jesus, Let her alone; against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." John 12:7, 8.
17. How did Christ reprove Simon? "There was a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?" Luke 7:41, 42.
18. What response did Simon make? "Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged." Verse 43.
19. How did Christ apply his teachings? "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven." Verses 44-48.
20. What lesson can we draw from this? ### NOTE. THE love of Christ flows spontaneously from the heart. It is heavenly in its nature. It labors not for a reward but it always receives a reward. It forgets itself in its labors for others' good. Angels are interested for the development of its principles. They watch its development in individuals who possess it. They know all the circumstances of their daily life. This is illustrated in the case of Cornelius. All this shows the tender care which God has for his people. An important lesson is taught in the case of Simon the leper. He loved Christ, but he never realized how much the Saviour did for him in forgiving his sins. He appreciated his blessing of health to a limited extent, but the forgiveness of sin was of far greater value. Mary realized the blessing of the forgiveness of her sins. She showed the love she had for Christ on all occasions. She was the last at the sepulcher, and the first to greet her Lord when he arose. Simon must have known Mary's character before the Saviour forgave her sins. He had suspicions of her when she came and anointed Christ. He did not appreciate her motive. But her love knew no bounds. This arose from the fact that she realized how great a sinner she had been. But she was now free from the power of Satan.
"The Saviour had observed all that had taken place, and knew the motives of all who were there assembled. He read the object of Mary in her costly offering. Though she had been very sinful, her repentance was sincere, and Jesus, while reproving her guilt, had pitied her weakness, and forgiven her. Mary's heart was filled with gratitude at the compassion of Jesus. Seven times she had heard his stern rebuke to the demons which then controlled her heart and mind, and she had listened to his strong cries to his Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive everything impure was to the unsullied mind of Christ, and she overcame her sin in the strength of her Saviour. She was transformed, a partaker of the divine nature. Mary showed how highly she prized the Saviour when she accounted the most precious gift none too costly for him; but Judas valued Jesus at the price for which he sold him. His niggardly soul balanced the life of the Son of God against a paltry sum of money. The same cold, calculating spirit is manifested by many who profess Christ to-day. Their offerings to his cause are grudgingly bestowed, or withheld altogether under various plausible excuses. A pretense of wide philanthropy, unlimited by church or creed, is not unfrequently one of them, and they plead, like Judas, it is better to give to the poor. But the true Christian shows his faith by investing in the cause of truth; he is known by his works, for faith without works is dead. Jesus in mercy had pardoned the sins of Mary, which had been grievous, and her heart was full of love for her Saviour. She had often heard him speak of his approaching death, and she was grieved that he should meet such a cruel fate. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of precious ointment, with which to anoint the body of the Saviour at his death. But she now heard many express their opinion that he would be elevated to kingly authority when he went to Jerusalem, and she was only too ready to believe that it would be so. She rejoiced that her Saviour would no longer be despised and rejected, and obliged to flee for his life. In her love and gratitude she wished to be the first to give him honor, and, seeking to avoid observation, anointed his head and feet with the precious ointment, then wiped his feet with her flowing hair. Her movements had been unobserved by the others, but the odor filled the house with its fragrance, and published her acts to all who were present. Some of the disciples manifested displeasure at this act, and Judas boldly expressed his disapprobation at such wasteful extravagance. Simon, the host, who was a Pharisee, was influenced by the words of Judas, and his heart filled with unbelief. He also thought that Jesus should hold no communication with Mary because of her past life. Judas, the prime instigator of this disaffection among those who sat at the table, was a stranger to the deep devotion and homage which actuated Mary to her deed of love."
We learn a very important lesson from this: First, we appreciate Christ in proportion as we realize our past sinfulness, and the blessing of pardon which has come to us; second, our offerings to his cause show that appreciation; third, consequently our offerings are a manifestation of the appreciation of the Saviour as a sin-pardoning God to us. In taking this view of the matter we might well inquire, "How much owest thou my Lord?"