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.September 2, 1914.
A JfAMlLY PAPEIt
Inthe Sabbath
School
Lesson XII. September 20, 1914.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS.
By Rev. Owen P. Thompson.
Golden Text.—Inasmuch as ye did it not unto
one of the least, ye did it not unto me. Matthew
25:45.
Lesson Text—Matthew 25:31-46.
Time—April,-A. D. 30. Place—Mount of Olives.
Suitable Psalms.—2, 50, 89, 60.
Exposition.—This account of the Judgment is
not in the form of a parable as tbe former nart
of the chapter is. It is the description of an
actual event that is to take place. It may be
that some question about the last sentence of the
parable of the pounds led Christ into giving this
account.
What a time it will be for us all when we stand
before God and hear judgment pronounced. On
Friday evening there was often a spelling match
at school. How anxiously each one waited till
their name was called and how a thrill went
through them as they realized that they were on
the side that they expected to win or on the
other.
Can you imagine the time when you will stand
before God with that great multitude and how
anxiously you will watch one after another as
they take their place among the saved or the
lost And what of you -when your name is called
Are you to thrill with unutterable joy or are you
to feel your heart sink into the depths as you
hear your condemnation
There are many lessons to be drawn from this
passage. We might notice first that it teaches
the certainty of the judgment. A great many persons
in the world today say that they do not believe
in a judgment other than the working
out of the laws of nature. A man judges himself
and condemns himself to his rightful punishment
or at least to all that he is to receive. But Christ
says that there is to be a judgment in which he
is to be the Judge and it is not a saying to he
passed over lightly when we read, Prepare to
meet thy God!
God does not value time as we do but he doe^
value justice far more than most people in the
world now seem to do.
We are taught in this passage that there is a
place of happiness which we commonly call
Heaven. To .believe in Heaven and to have a
hope of reaching that place does not mean as
some think that we are dreamers and have lost
interest in all practical things. It is a solid fact
and it is a fact that will make one stronger and
bettter in every way if it is looked at as it should
be.
Another thing that we are taught here is that
there is a place of punishment. A great many
say that they do not believe in eternal pui.ish-
least of these my brethren yo have done it unto
me.
Sometimes we think that we do not have a
chance to serve Christ. He shows us here how
we are to do it. We mee-c with Christ in every
one about us and our treatment of them is our
treatment of the Savior.
We serve Christ when we serve but a single
soul. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto ONE."
You are not wasting your time when you are
interested in individuals and worKing with
them. Men are coming more and more to realize
that the most effective work is done with individuals
and that the work with the crowd which
seems so important when we read the figures
does not mean so much in the end. I think we
do not put the right value on a single soul. Christ
said that a man's soul was of more value to himself
than all the world beside and the soul is
of more value to Christ than to yourself.
We serve Christ when we serve the LEAST
or the lowliest. "Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of THE LEAST." You hear persons
say sometimes tnat if they could only get this
one or that one to come, the rest would be easy.
They are depending on their help or their presence
as an advertisement and forget that It is
God's strength that will -win. How often the
rich and the well dressed or the popular are
sought rather than the poor and so called undesirable.
It was not so with Christ. He sought
the lost.
We serve Christ when we serve those immediately
about us. "Inasmuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of THESE."
Your first duty is toward the person at your
side. If several persons were drowning and you
were in a boat would you row past some close
at hand to save another far oft in the water
But if you could row faster in your boat and
there were others at hand to save tuose close,
then ought you to go past in order to save
others farther off. We are called sometimes to
leave the salvation of those at home in the hands
of others to go to foreign lands, but we are never
called to leave one by your side without a
chance to hear the gospel in order to take the
gospel to those who are in foreign lands.
We serve Christ when we serve his BRETH­
REN. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these MY BRETHREN."
Christ's teaching is plain enough as to those
who are called brethren. Every one who is in
need of a brother. It is our duty to help all.
But there is a special sense in which this word
brother can be used. It means one of our o.vn
household. We have a special duty to those of
There are far more angels than there are people
in the whole United States,, "ten thousand times
ten thousand and thousands of thousands," and
they will all be with God. We will use these
white pieces of paper cut out to represent angels.
Will many people stand before God's throne on
the Judgment Day,, Ellis "Everybody will be
there." Yes, "Before him shall be gathered all
nations." There will be so many you cannot
imagine the size of the crowd. Everyone who
has ever lived will be there, both good and bad.
All who are in their graves—old and young—
when they hear God's voice, will come before
him, all that have been buried in the sea—all
that are dead shall come and those who have
not yet died. Could the earth hold them all,
Alvin "No, they will have to meet in the air."
Use these clothespins and sticks,, a great, great
number, for all the people, and stand them in
the sand before the throne.
Did you ever see a flock of sheep and goats
grazing together At this end of the table we
will stand these cardboard sheep and goats in
the sand. Use black for the goats and white for
the sheep. This clothespin is the shepherd. Here
he stands facing his flock. As they come toward
him one at a time, with his staff he turns the
sneep to the right and the goats to the left. Now
he has all the gentle sheep grazing in one fleld
and the goats in another. Jesus says the sheep
stand for good people and the goats for bad.
In this great throng before the throne, would
it be easy to separate the good from the bad,
Ellsworth -lou would think the bad could
hide." But each one must come up, one at a time,
and stand alone before God. Here comes a little
girl like Mildred, who one day gave a thirsty
tramp at ;the gate, a drink of cold water, just because
she loved Jesus. As she stands before
God he looks at her, then turns her to his right.
Now comes a girl who turned a thirsty old man
away from the door because she did not want to
bother running to the kitchen for a drink. God
.turns her to his left. This woman coming up, always
gave food to hungry people,, even if she
had to go short herself. God turns her to his
right. This one put a sign on her gate, "No
beggars allowed," and never in all her life gave
food to a starving man. Where will she go,
Marion "On God's left." Here is a boy who
was given a new overcoat. On a stormy night a
tramp shivered at his door. This boy ran with
his nice warm coat to the tramp, and the next
day went to school without any himself. As he
comes before God where is he placed, Charles
"On God's right." The next man who comes was
wealthy. He always dressed warmly himself, but
let his servants go out in the rain and cold without
enough clothing to keep them warm and dry.
He is turned to God's left. Now comes a man
who visited those in prison., telling about Jesus
and trying to help them. And here is a young
girl who called on the sick and brought flowers
and fruit. Both these are placed on God's right.
But where is this man sent who would not go to
see those in prison and this woman wno would
our own household. It is often a neglected duty
but it is one that ought to be especially pldasing
to us. It is harder for many to speak to
their own people in their home than to speak
to strangers about their souls.
ment Others do not believe in punishment at Now then when you think of doing some'-iing
all except what comes to one through the working
out of the laws of nature. They speak of the mind that they are not deserving of it and that
for another and the thought comes into your
Judgment Day as though it were a theory of the they have treated you in some way that was
dark ages which no one holds nowadays except
Lesson wrong, XII. or that they are your September enemies, 20, or 1914, that
a few old fogies. That is like stretching a cloth
not visit sick folk because it made them sad
they are LESSON filthy and FOR loathsome THE CHILDREN. so that you are
over a broken br'dge or a washout on the road.
Yes, David, they go on God's left. This boy whg
ashamed to By be Anna seen Pritchard helping them, George. then remember
that THE they JUDGMENT are brethren OF THE of Christ NATIONS. and that
It is all right to talk about but when you try to
comes up now, felt sorry for new boys in town,
go over it you find there is nothing in it. Christ
and took them into the games. He was always
you will count Matthew it an honor 25:31-46. some time to have
does not preach theories. He speaks as one who
a friend of strangers and made them happy. Yes,
been We the will means talk today of bringing about the them time back when into God the
has authority and Christ says that the wicked.
Polly, God places him on his right. But this girl
will family come and and the sit home as a of king God, on the his throne Father. to judge
are to he punished in hell.
who would say, "We don't -^ant that strange boy
the The world. last What thing is that a king's I will throne speak of like,. in Joe this
There is this interesting thing as it is given
in our games," and who made strange lonely
"A passage great is big that chair." the wicked Some thrones are condemned are beautifucause
high they backed neglected chairs Christ of carved and not wood. because God's of
be­
to us in the passage. It speaks of the place prepared
for the devil and his angels. God made all
places with those on his left. So the whole
boys and girls stranger and lonelier still, God
throne certain when evil actions he comes or flagrant to judge sins. the world, It was will for
men to be saved a:nd the place of punishment
crowd is divided. Some are placed on God's
be sins far of more omission. beautiful We than often man forget can that make. what His we
that the wicked are sent to is the place that was
right and some on his left.
throne have omitted will be to a do glorious often one. measures "Then our shall lack he of
prepared for the devil and his angels. Those
Now God says to those on his right hand,
sit love high more upon than the our throne mistakes of his or glory." actual sins We do. can
who have thrown in their lot with the devil in
"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the
only Neglect use this and small ingratitude chair with is a harder high back. to forgive First
this world will find that their lot is still cast in
lay than a thick actual piece offence.
wood on the sand tahle -for a
with him and his in the world to come.
world; for I was hungered,, and ye gave me
platform, and place the chair on it.
Another thing, to notice Is that the place of
meat; * *-* and ye came unto me." These folk on
God will not come alone, but with him will he
the blessed is a place prepared especially for
God's right do not understand. "Lord," they say,
""into _ ness ooing dead. teaches sign stered way their preparing them shows inasmuch True The Let Jesus by the through of coming the humility. from next to that me service just faith place Jesus most as for speak God thing the some as to that ye and keenly of their Christ. had for plainly him. foundation Those happiness have a to form that we little Christ. a notice welfare special done who that The if then often is there saved because is Bihle feel works always interest faith and that the unto is fortieth their by teaches arranging ones and they are world. not faith characteriz­
one unworthi­
the love ministry who his are had verse,— of all but elect That sure sent
min-
for the are
it "all in heaven the holy Bud angels." "More Are than there I could many count." angels these him from his to helping done drink and "when stranger, God Now the sick, games, of into replies, me, it of people, did God the poor unto boy Jesus,, man water, or and heaven. ye we least (Continued they naked,, turns gave "Inasmuch cursed, me." and visited the who, see and of all his boy to sick When you or for these God into helped overcoat those took hungry, as and prison, Jesus' woman everlasting the takes prisoners,, my page ye the lonely, Jesus, little have to brethren, his 10,) sake, and strange them fed girl flre,prepar-
thirsty left, helped done and were the And cold over gave boy ye the "Depart hungry, ii tramp, so really you" and kind have with unto into the girl all a