Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-24
From tho New York Observer.
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
Lesson 9:
Christ Healing the Sick.
prErv. .r.r. Rootrs. I. n.
LrKE5.l22C

'fffFdt IfNtt 'fFuH il'Nfh ht1 lfoH'
er TO deal with sin and its effects.
The effect of the preaching of Jesus
in the synagogue at Nazareth was to
stir up the JEALOUS fury of the Jews,
who were filled with wrath, because
they were disappointed in his declining
TO perform any wondrous works for
their benefit, and justified his refusal
by reference TO what the prophets
Elijah and Elisha had done in their
day for the benefit of the Gentllcs.
Nothing ever so aroused the spite OF
prejudice Of the Jews as any Intimation
that the GehiiIes were To have any share
in the blessings of Messiah's kingdom.
They had Rn intense hatred OF out.
siders. srrogating to themselves the
title Of 1.-The chosen people" and claim.
ing that all the blessings OF the cove.
nant belonged exclusively to them as
the children OF Abraham, So. on this
occasion, the people rose up against
him, and endcavored to drag hum to
the brow Of the hill. that they might
cast him down hcadlong, but he avadcd
them and escaped out of their hands
This whole transaction strikingly illus.
trated the fact that " he came unto his
own. and his own received him not.
After this incident occur the miracles
narrated in the lesson, the healing OF
the leper and the paralytic. The exact
chronology here Is uncertain, but prob.
ably the date was about the early sum.
mer \. ID. -.
These two miracles are recorded by
the three Eyangeists, Matthew, Mark
and Luke, and are quite important in
their teaching The first case WAS that
of a man afflicted with that disease 50
common in the Etst--yet 40 loathsome
and terrible-the leprosy. Ii was dis.
ease which was supposed to be direct
and special divine visitation, attended
with the most revolving symptoms, and
Of an incurable character. \ detailed
account would be too revolving tor our
pages. The Talmud says that the leper
was counted "a one dead. The disease
was hereditary to the fourth generation.
The leper was forbidden TO reside in -
walled town, or TO associate with others
and was an object OF dread and abhor.
renee to his fellow men. The descrip
ton OF St. Luke, OF this case is "a man
faH Of icprosy.' and it signifies that the
disease Was of the most yirulent kind,
probably that known IA the white
leprosy,' which most prevailed among
the Hebrews and is described in Levitt.
icus l3.
Jesus, at the earnest request OF this
afflicted man, consented to heal him by
his miraculous power. The man evi.
dently believed that he could relieve
him if he would, and he expressed his
faith in his willingness as we'll as in his
ability. lie called him Lord" which
was an evidence of his filth, which Je.
sus recognized and rewarded 10y the
touch of his healing hand.
The fame of this cure, which was
perhaps the first instance of the kind
which Jesus had performed, at once
spread through all the country and ex.
cited the greatest interest among the
people, so that they came IN great
crowds TO hear Jesus preach and to re.
ceive healing at his hands.
So he withdrew himself, rs was often
his custom. into less irequenIed neigh
borhoods, and spent much time in
prayer.
But he was soon found by party OF
persons, who brought to him friend
who was suffering from a stroke OF par
slysis. confined TO his bed and helpless.
for whom they asked his aid. Their
earnest faith, and the pains they took
TO bring their suffering friend into the
very presence of the Lord, impressed
| Jesus, who at once assured them that
not only bodily maladies, hut spiritual
disorders also, could be healed through
faith that not only palsied limbs, but
/ a sinful soul, could be restored To health
and purity by him. To prove this, he
at once spoke the word of physical
healing, and restored the paraly tic to
health. lie thus rebuke6 those who
said that he was usurping divine pre-.
rogatives, and vindicated his right and
power TO heal bodily maladies.
lIs success astonished all, and led
them TO ascribe the glory OF Christi
wonderful works to divine power and
authority, and they glorified God and
we're filed with admiration, saying +;
ave have seen strange things to-day" F"
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
|. There IL no disease In the body 80
much to be dreaded as Elm, which may
be called the leprosy Of The soul.
Like the leprosy, ain is
|. Hereditary. z. II taints the whole
man. 3. II is sure 10 be fatal. 4. IL is
incurable by human means. 5. There
is only one Physician who can cute Il
6. Faith i essential TO any cure. 7. II
Christ undertakes the cure, he is always
successful. 3. Sin attacks all classes,