LESSON V.—SABBATH, AUGUST 4, 1894.
31. In that very hour there came certain Pharisees, saying to him, Get thee out, and go hence; for Herod would fain kill thee. 32. And he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out devils and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected. 33. Howbeit I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; and I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 1. And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. 2. And behold, there was before him a certain man which had the dropsy. 3. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not? 4. But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. 5. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw him up on a Sabbath day? 6. And they could not answer again unto these things. 7. And he spake a parable unto those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seats; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, 9. And he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place, and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. 11. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 12. And he said also to him that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. 13. But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; 14. And thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just. The thirteenth chapter closes with the touching account of Christ's slighted love for Jerusalem. Review the entire chapter so that you can give the leading topics, not forgetting previous chapters. In that part of the lesson included in the fourteenth chapter we have the healing of the man with the dropsy, instruction concerning self-exaltation and the exaltation that comes from humility, and instruction as to invitations to a feast. - What warning did some give to Jesus?
- Was Jesus alarmed? What did he say?
- Where did he say he must suffer?
- How did he feel toward the city that had not received him?
- Where did Jesus go one Sabbath day?
- Whom did he see there?
- What question did he ask the lawyers and Pharisees?
- What did they have to say?
- What did Jesus do?
- What question did he put to them to show the righteousness of what he had done?
- What could they say to it?
- What did Jesus notice in those who were invited to the dinner?
- What did he say to them?
- What will follow seeking a high place for one's self?
- How should we do when bidden to a place?
- Who only are really and permanently exalted?
- What did Jesus say also to the makers of feasts?
- Why should not the rich be invited?
- Who should be invited? Why?
- When will the recompense be given?
1. It would be a matter of interest to collect all the recorded instances of healing on the Sabbath. We would find that they are very numerous. Some of Christ's most remarkable cures were performed on the Sabbath. What was his object in this? If we recall what a burdensome yoke the scribes and Pharisees and lawyers had made of the commandments and of the whole service of God, and then remember that the commandments of God are not grievous, but are ordained unto life, we shall see the reason. It was to let people know that the Sabbath should be a day of joy and blessing. 2. We have the choice given us whether we will receive our reward now or in the future. God does not bestow his rewards until the second coming of Christ (Matt. 16: 27; Rev. 22: 12); and therefore whatever reward we get now must consist wholly in the empty applause of our fellow-men. But they who are content to wait till the coming of the Lord and the resurrection, will receive eternal riches. WORD THOUGHTS.—Will kill (v. 31), the thought of the original is, Herod wills or determines to kill thee.—Devils (v. 33), always better "demons."—I am perfected, Vincent says, "The meaning is, I come to an end; I have done." Perhaps his life, perhaps his career of healing.—Would I have gathered (v. 34), literally, "I desired to gather."—Watched (v. 1), were engaged in watching, that was their business there.—Chief seats (v. 7), couches, the strife for the highest places was as common in our Lord's day as now.—Feast (v. 13), reception, used only by Luke. See chapter 5: 29.—Recompense (v. 14), we owe God all service, and whatever we receive is a gift, and so we should call it. But God calls it a reward; he has respect to the love which prompted the service.