LESSON VII TESTING DISCIPLESHIP BY SERVICE.â€" Mark 10:17-31 GOLDEN TEXT â€" Come, follow me. Mark 10;21. THE LESSON IN ITS SETTING Time. â€" Late Febrviary or early March, A.D., 30. Place. â€" Peraea, the portion of Pal- estine on the eastern side of the Jor- dan, opposite Galilee. This fascinating story of the rich young ruler ia also found in Matt. 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-23. There is hardly anything in all the Gospels more gripping, more penetrating, with a lesson more important, than the meeting of Jesus with this young man. 17. And as he was going forth in- to the way. Of course this refers to Jesus, who ia last mentioned by name in verse 14. There ran one to him. Matthew tells ua that this person was both young and wealthy, and Luke tells-iis that he was a ruler in Israel, which, while in this place it could hardly mean that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, probably implies that he was one high in authority in some local synagogue. This pei'son had much to his advantage â€" youth, power, and wealth. This man also was one of high character, as we dis- cover in reading the story. And kneeled to him, and asked him. Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? To begin with, this man was not satisfied with what he had â€" his possessions, his author- ity, all the power and vigor and joy of youth, which he certainly possess- ed, were not meeting the deepest need of his heart, and he knew it. In fact, he did not possess the great thing â€" eternal life, by which is meant not only life that continues through- out all the eternities, but life which satisfies, which is always deep and rich and abundant, life that really comes from God, life that bestows perfect peace and abounding joy, life that grows more wonderful with ev- ery passing day. What he wanted was- what all men in their better mo- ments have longed for down through all the ages. Something To Be Done In the second place, we note that this man felt thct there was some- thing that he should do, some preat task he should undertake, to obtain that which his heart most longed for. In the third place, we must not fail to observe the true humility of this man. 18. .A.nd Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God. When the young ruler called Jesus "good" and asked what "good thing" he should do to gain life, the question was in what sense he meant "good." The ques- tion of Jesus was asked to bring home to the ruler the meaning of this word. To show what Jesus means, he points out that greatness in the true sense can be predicated only by God. So far is this from denying the Godhead of Jesus that it actually asserts it for him. The man is thus led to look at Jesus in a new way, that indeed Jesus may be God, essentially one with God as his Son. Duty To One's Nelshbour 19. Thou knowest the command- ments. Do not kill. Do not commie adultery. Do not steal, Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor thy father and mother. Having de- clared that only God himself was good, the Lord Jesus now points the young man to God's commandments, which, coming from God, are often called "good" in the Old Testament and were given for our good. The Lord cites only the commandments which regulate man's duty to his neighbor, probably because they ad- mit of a relatively simple applica- tion to the conduct of life. 20. And he said unto him. Teach- er, all these things have I observed from my youth. The young man ex- pected Jesus to make a great deliv- erance that would throw the needed light upon his own darkened souL 21. .A.nd Jesus looking upon him. Loved him. ."Vnd said unto him. One thing thou lackest. The verb here translated "lackest" is the same as that translated in Rom. 3:23, "fall short of the glory of God." Jesus knew and knows the human heart perfectly. He knew what this man needed without speculation or fur- ther questions; and when he Anally diagnosed his case, the diagnosis could be absolutely depended upon. Go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. Jeaus does not tell all men who â- follow him to sell their possessions. What he is getting at is the ot.e thing which this man has set up in hi« heart as an idol, the one thing that he thinks e hmust have, |pd that is, in this young man's case, his wealth. Now, no one can have eter- nal life when he puts his hope and trust in anything that belong to this earth, whether it be material things, a person, or an ideal. It should be a person, or an ideal. Eternal life can neither be had by giving up anything Expert* Are Hmm Seeking Pbnet For BriUin Aâ€" c or everything on this earth. No Sacrifiea Wanted 22, But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowfuL The verb here translated "his coun- tenance fell" is used of the sadden- ing of either the face of nature or the human face. The answer did not exasperate, but it gave him pain, which was visible on his countenance. For he was one that had great pos- sessions. This man wanted something better than he had, but he was not prepared to make any sacrifice to get it. If Christ could accept such, millions of people would join the church at once. He wanted God, but not at the cost of his gold ; he want«d life, but not at the expense of lux- ury. 33. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples. How hardly shall they that have riches en- ter into the kingdom of God! This young man was undoubtedly prepar- ed to do much and to meet Jesus half-way, but he was not ready to go the whole way and to put all at the service of Christ. 24. And the disciples were amazed at his words. Then, as now, there was an established relation in which wealth enabled its possessor to come to the front and occupy the more prominent position. But Jesus ana- wereth again, and saith unto them. Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God ! 25. It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus meant an ac- tual gnat and an actual camel, so here camel and needle's eye are ac- tual, Jesus means that it is impos- sible for a rich man who trusts in riches to go into the kingdom. 26. And they were astonished ex- ceedingly, saying unto him. Then who can be saved? â- 27. Jesus looking upon them saith. With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God. What Jesus meant was that God would be able so to change a man's heart by the movement of the Holy Spirit, by the sacrifice which the Lord Jesus Christ was soon to offer, that, however great the man's wealth might be, his heart would not be resting in his wealth; but- he would love God with all of his heart, with all of his mind, with all of his strength; and thus in spite of all of his wealth he would be saved. 28. Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have fol- lowed thee. From their position the question was inevitable. Instead of adding to their worldly goods this association had diminished it. They had borne everything for him. What return would be in his greatness make them? 29. Jesus said. Verily I say unto you. There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mo- ther, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the gospel's sake. 30, But he shall releive a hun- dredfold now in this time houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with perse- cutions; and in the world to come et- ernal life. When one gives up a life of sin and lives for Christ, he has a clearer mind, and a stronger body, and a peace in his heart he never knew before, and a wisdom that comes down from above, all of which will enable hin to do in his life what he could not so successfully do previously. There is a higher meaning to our Lord's words also. One house gone, but one hundred doors open. One brother in the flesh lost; but a thou- sand brethren in the spirit, whose love is deeper and whose kinship is profounder, gained. 31. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. Many who are first here in this life, even in religious matters, in church affairs, because of great gifts, or congenial personality, or because of self-seek- ing, will in the kingdom of God he last, i.e., they will have a minor place; whereas many who now are in ob- livion, whose names are not even known, will, because of the purity of their lives, the absoluteness of their love for Christ, be given first place in the kingdom where love and sin- cerity and holiness will be the vir- tues by which men will be judged by the King himself. Yomr Himdmi iHng Mmm IT Aof r«iMil Tom These five Britons arrived in New York aboard ih e Queen Mary bent on a study of the possibilities for purchasing military aircraft in the United States and C anada. Left to right, they are. Commodore Sir .\rthur T. Harris, commander of the Fourth Bombing Group; Reserve Commander James G. Weir; Commander Casper John, of the Fleet air arm; Squadron Leader Charles E. Horrex, and Frederick Rowarth, civilian engineer. kidiistrial Accidents Down But Traffic Toll Increases 9- Suftty Convention Is Told That akeets Are More Dangerous Thitn Factories; Industry Is PcHnting Way for RediietMM of Auto Accidents How Canada Wars On Forest Fires Industry can point the way In ac- cident prevention and a way must be pointed to stop the wholesale slaugh- ter automobile traffic is piling up to greater heights every year, Louis Blake Duff, of Welland, declared last week in Toronto at the annual con- vention of the Industrial Accident Prevention Associations of Ontario. Accidenta. in industry have been steadily declining, he emphasized, while automobile deaths are increas- ing to an appalling extent. Industry has been so successful in its accident prevention work that a man is safer today in the midst of whirling wheels and speeding machinery than he is in his home or en route between his home and the factory where he works. Home U Very Daogerout Home is one of the most dangerous places, Mr. Duff said, because a slip- pery rug, a bathtub or a chair that is not where the sitter thinks it is are gi-eater hazards than electricity or disease. Accidents in the home are responsible for 35 per cent, of all deaths, the automobile causes 24 per cent, and industry is responsible for only 17 per cent. "What shall it profit," he asked, "to save a man in the shop or save him in his home if he is to g^o out and get killed on the highway or kill someone else?" Last year automobiles killed 766 people in Ontario, as many men, wo- men and children as make up an av- erage incorporated village, the speak- er pointed out. The army of injured and maimed mounted to 12,092. If the automobile has any "luck" this week-end, Mr. Duff said, it will kill five persons and injure 40 in Ontario. One of Largest Job* "The job of accident prevention is one of the largest jobs we have in Canada. There is only one better field on this earth for activities of this kind, for Canada ranks second only to the United States in mortal- ity from accidental causes," he de- clared. Sftils For Hi» Home Canine Is Tried On Murder Charge Idaho, a dog which appeared in court in New York on a charge of drowning a small boy in a canal, has six months of a "jail" term still to serve. Although acquitted of wilful mur- der at his trial in August, 1936, Ida- ho was sentenced by Justice of the Peace Homer Benedict to 787 days' confinement. The sentence provided that he should not be allowed to leave his owner's yard. Paul V. Carroll, well known Scot- -ish teacher-author, sails from New York aboard the (jueen Mary, Car- roll arrived on this Continent with one battel ed suit'.'ase. He saile<l with three trunks full of clothing, bought here. OTTAWA â€" Constant experiments and research on the part of forest authorities in Canada during the last twenty years have brought about great advances In the development of equip- ment and technique for detecting and controlling forest fires. The use of the airplane for fire patrol and trans- portation, the development of light portable fire pumps and linen Are hose, light-weight radio apparatus for communication, hand spray pumps, and miscellaneous equipment are a few of the results. Locate Fire First In fighting a forest fire, the most important thing is to locate it as soon as possible after it has started. In an up-to-date forest administration high towers of wood or steel, usually with a cabin on top. are erected at suitable points. When a Are is spotted by the look-out man, he takes a bearing on the smoke by means of a special in; strument called a fire-finder and tele- phones this bearing to headquarters. It two or more bearings can be had in this manner from other lookouts, they are laid out on the map at head- quarters, and the point where all such bearings intersect is the location of the fire. Decrease In Area When a fire is located, it is import- ant to get fire-fighters to the scene as quickly as possible. The means of transport for men and equipment may be by motor truck, powfr boat, air- plane, canoe, or on foot, depending on the region and terrain. It the fire is small, or If there is no water available, it is controlled by removing all in- flammable material down to the min- eral soil in a strip around the fire. The fire is prevented from crossing this cleared strip, and burns itself out. If a source of water supply is available, gasoline fire pumps and long lines of fire hose are used, much as in a city fire. The men also use hand spray pumps fed from water bags or tanks carried on their backs. Reflecting the efficiency of Canada's forest fire protection organizations, statistics compiled by the Department of Mines and Resources. Ottawa, show a decrease of about 60 per cent, in the area of merchantable timber burned per Are during the period 191S-1937. Power of Pen One's pen is a very precarious thing to depend on for a living, but relying on it is a great adventure, ac cording to Leslie Gordon Barnard, president of the Canadian -Xuthor's .Association. In a world that is sharpening its sword, it is a good thing for the writer to sharpen his pen, that he may have some saving stimulus against indignation over the world's behaviour, he told the Canadian Wo- men's Press Club, at Montreal. "Never Too Seriou*" Mr. Barnard described "moments in the life of a writer." .\mong these "moments" he said, were the stories "that come as gifts from the subconscious;" periods of hard work and discouragement; when the job is done; when the cheque or acceptance comes, and seeing the story actually between the two covers of the book. The power of the pen and of the press mattered tremendously, declar- ed Mr. Barnard, and "wc must never take ourselves too seriously and be- come ponderous." Two essentials in writing, he found, were distinction and vitality. Must Indicate Proper We^[kt Bundles of Asparagus and Rl i u barb Come Under NsW Rcgulatiens In bunching asparagus and rhu- barb merchants are required tihia year by new government regulations to put them up in bundles of specified weight. Asparagus must be put up in eight ounce or 16 ounce bunches. A little leeway of one ounce is allowed for shrinkage after they are bundled at these weights. They must not weigh less than seven or 14 ounces respect- ively when sold. But when they are put up they must weight the eight and 16 ounces specified. And Baikets of Potatoes Formerly retailers could put them up in any sized bundles with the re- siilt that customers could not tell what value they were getting. Forced rhubarb can only be offered for sale in bunches from 16 to 17 ounces in weight when packed and not less than 15 ounces pet bunch when offered for sale. It is also required by the regula- tions covering fruit and vegetables that potatoes can only be sold by weight. A basket of potatoes must weigh ten pounds for six quarts and 18 pounds for 11 quarts. Are you disoooteated in the wi f!o« liM doiag^ t>o you feci that are a square pe^ ih » round hole tiod down to work tiiat is dtot* iltL to you? H.you are, you are but one of % vast number of people, for one ol the most frequent queries that it pu^ to me ia tiie host of letters I re- ceive ia: '"Caft you t^l from my haad- wri'ting whether I have any talent? I would like to get into work that ii more congenial and better-paid." Handwriting analysis plays an im- portant part in bringing relief to a< lot oi people. Because your hand-' writing DOES show what talent yooj have. It may be only a latent talent) that needs much developing before i* can be put to practical use, but it i^ there. And if you can but realise it, you tan set to work to elaborate' on it and realise your destiny. Some time ago a young man living;, in Northern Ontario wrote to ma. H«l was a grocery assistant, earning a beggardly pittance. He was natural* ly dissatisfied. Could I give >iiTn any, advice about possibilities of impro'^ ing himself? His handwriting showed two things plainly. He had musical talent, bu^j had not cultivated it to any extent.^ -And he lacked self-confidence. I told him frankly that ha neededi firstiy to develop more self-assurance," and then to cultivate his musical tal«j Mit. Without the one the second^ would be no use to him for he wouM, U<9k the confidence to impress others wi]^ his talent. It was a considerable time before I heard from him again, but when he did write it was to tell me thalj he was in Chicago and earning a fair-' ly good living in an orchestra. Aa he says himself, without a hand- writing analysis, he probably wouldj have been struggling along in a vil-! lage store. Do YOU wi»h lo know what talent you posses*? Would you like to knoi*' how to make the most of your owjli abiKties? Have you any friends whose real characters you would like to know? Send fairly Ion|; specimens of writing, and with EACH speoimon,' enclose 10c to help defray cost at'< handtinff. Enclose with Stamped ad*' dressed envelope to: Lawrence Hib- bert. Room 421, 73 West Adelaide St., Toronto, Ont. All letters are confidential. Stolen Pictures "White Elephant" They're Too Valuable to be Mar- keted by Thieves Anywhere In the World LONDON.â€" The sensational theft of £100,000 (S500,000) worth of Old Masters from Chilham castle was no nearer solution this week. Police inquiries yie'.dad no devel- opments. .\n art expert termed the robbery a "white elephant picture theft," saying: "There is no avail- able market for the pictures any- where in the world. They are too famous to be sold or to be enjoyed by a secret buyer." He predicted they would remain hidden in the hope they could be re- turned to the owner, Sir Edmund Davis, art collector and mining com- pany director, for ransom. One Was a Rembrandt The robbers entered Sir Edmund's castle in Kent County by cutting a pane from a window. They cut from their frames five celebrated paint- ings of which the most noted was Rembrandt's portrait of his first wife, "Saskia At Her Toilet." Two paintings by Gainsborough, "Lady Clarges" and "Pitt," "The Earl of Suffolk" by Sir Joshua Rey- nols, and "Man With Dog" by Van, Dyke, Flemish painter, completed the' loot. Fully Insured A special watch was set up to pre- vent the pictures from being smug- gled out of England. Detectives were inclmed to think the paintings might have been car- ried away in an airplane. One guest at the castle recalled being disturb- ed by a droning noise "like an aero- plane" the morning of the robbery. Sir Edmund said he was not wor- rying, as the pictures were fully in- sured, "not only against all risks but even against there being any disputs over the insurance claim." Ghandi Says His Days Are Ending BOMBAY.â€" M. K. Gandhi hai predicted his early death. "My days are numbered," the 69- year-old nationalist leader wrote ia the newspaper Harijan. "For the first time in 50 years I find myself in the slough of despond* ency. .\11 about me is darkness; I am praying for lights ... I have de- tected in me a flaw which is unwor- thy of a votary of truth." Englishwomen Turn lo Turbans For Sports Intent u;v i: s^.ou. ;;•.«" ;h'- avt;.>ii a". 1>; ooivlaiids Tra^k, England, thii f:iit- spectator is unaware of the interest in her chapeau, as she is pictured oy another photographer. mm