The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-01-19
JESUS AND THE SICK.
FOURTH LESSON OF THE INTERNA-
TIoNAL S. S. SERIES. JAN. %, 1888.

FOURTH LESSON OF THE iNTERNA-
TIoNAL S. S. SERIES. JAN. %, 1888.
Comments by Rev. William Newton,
D.-Text of Lesson, Matt. XIV, a1-31.
Golden Text, James v. 1s-Memorize
Verses as-30.
From Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission
of H S. Hoffman. Philadelphia publisherl
Notes-Thence, / O., from the place
where he replied to the Pharisees from
Jerusalem. Tyre celebrated city of
Phenicia, on the eastern coast of the Medi-
terranean sea twenty-one miles from Sidon.
It was great city in the time of Joshua,
1444 B. C. Sidon, probably the oldest city
in the world 1t was named after the grand
son of Noah, 221S B. G. Gen. x, Is. Canaan,
descendant of original inhabitants of the
land. Son of David, prophetic title of the
Messiah.
V. 81. It is an easy, yet a sad and touching
thing to see Jesus on his way to Tyre and
Sidon. Why does be go therea Why does
he turn his back riis own counfry and 20
to the Gentilesa Lfnk tbs5 feasoEs plaifzt Did'
not this deputation of Pharisees from Jer1lsa-
lem, now offended at his doctrine and their
own manifest discontinue, mean an accusa-
tion against him for hgesy before the San
hedrima And his hour was not yet come.
And so we see him on his lonely way. His
own country closing itself against him, and
he waiting for his decease, which he should
accomplish at Jerusalem
" %. Some of the people of the land had
remained here since the time Of Joshua, and
this woman was one of their descendants.
And in her case, we notice
l. The tenderness of her appeal She
identifies herself completely with her daugh-
ter. ''Have mercy upon meln For she was
bound up with her child, and the mercy ex-
tended to her would tell first upon herself
2. The title by which she addressed him,
''Thou Son of David" And what right had
she to thiss In one sense, none. In another,
the highest and fullest. For, had she not
great need? Had not he abundant means of
supply? And faith assured her that was the
most sacred claim And
g. The case presented for relief We do
not know the special form of this possession,
for there were divers forms of them But
she was ''grievously vexed" by it, and her
mothers heart yearned for her relief And
how does he receive hers
V. %. He answered her nothing. Was this
like hima Did it tell of his gentle ministry,
| who would not break the bruised reed nor
quench the smoking fax: Just at that point
it did not. Just at that point it rather
showed him to be cold, hard, unsympathiz-
ing. But is it much to believe that, as he
treated no two cases alike so he saw in every
case the reasons that determined his mode of
| treating it? Did he not see such reasons in
this case? And did he not seek thus to show
ha., hat foi+ 40 sol -
strengthen''ita
V. "a These words seem like a still far
ther reputation of her claim. He was not
sent to her, i. e., not primarily to her "To
| the Jew first" is the order Of the divine man
| Hesitation, Did she know of this, :'and also
| TO the GentilesP' Alasl who was to teach it
| to hers Not the jews for they did not be-
| lieve it. Not the Gentiles. for they did not
know it. Only the Divine Spirit could have
| wrought this faith in her.
V. %. There seems to have been gather
| ing Of ell her powers of unyielding resolve,
| as, on hearing these chilling words, she came.
\ and throwing herself down before him cried
out: Lord, help mel" She would not be de-
| nitd
| V. 26-27. The trying of her faith was not
| yet ended. Indeed, he seemed harder and
colder and sterner still What right had she
| to the childrens bread2 Was it right to
take it from them andzcast e 70 the dogs!
Now this might seem like most unfeeling
rebuff. In one point of view it was So But in
another it was just the medium through
which her deeply tried faith was to shine
| gloriously forth. And so it was to her. 1t
was all just as he said. And she asked for
no more than the privilege accorded to the
little dogs, i. e., that OF gathering up the
crumbs that fell from the masters table.
Y. 2S Her faith triumphed. She had
reached the point he meant her to gain.
Forth from the masters lips burst the
graciously approving words; go woman,
great is thy faith: Be it unto thee even as
thou wilt"
V. 90. Had Jesus now accomplished the
real end and purpose Of his visit to the coast
| Of Tyre and Sidon? Was the relief of this
troubled one his real objective point-as his
teaching of that benighted one by Jacobs
| well was the reason why "He must needs
pass through Salnarias" John iv, 4. But his
end wes gained; his enemies were thrown off
their pursuit, and he must by slow degrees,
return to his own people. Accordingly, he
departed thence; passed round the sources OF
the Jordan, and came again to the eastern
shore of the sea. Here again he withdrew
| lIOlll ODStTfGIlOl, ny SOiuS uP lAto Q
mountain, but he could not be hid.
V. 30-31. The news of his coming soon
spread. Every one had something to tell OF
the great teacher, and his wondrous words
and works. And the result was soon mani
fest. From all parts of the country round
about, they brought unto him their sick
Let US note the lessons the narrative may
teach u.s.
1. Manifestly two opposing powers arr
here-one of sickness, one of health. One o1
blight, the other of blessing. One of deatl
and the other of life For all the different
forms of disease are only messengers in ad
vance of death. They all mean death. Tha
is the word they spell out, when written il
full. Clearly, therefore, they are as th'
master put, .'the power of the enemy" They
are fruits on the tree of humanity, from th'
blight of sin. So we say that every form o
bodily ailment is the work of sin, and there
fore of broken laws This was on one side
What on the others
The very antagonism of all this. e., Jesus
as the healer of sin, commencing his cours
by healing sickness And he himself tells us
we may know that he has power to do tn
first, because he did the second Every &C
of healing, therefore, was sign OF what b
came to do. 1t showed to men the presenc
of one who could deal with unseen cause AM
SO put away the visible result. 1t told too o
the coming day, when his work should b
fully unfolded.
GENERAL LESSONS.
/. Had Jesus been condemned by the coun
ell for heresy, he would, like Stephen, hav
been stoned. But it was written of him tina
J he should hang on the tree, as the bearer O
our sin and thus become curse in our stead
And SO he quietly withdrew from the powe
, of his enemies until the time when the chic
priests should deliver him to the Gentiles, an
he be adjudged to the cross.
2. Love always makes the sufferings of tn
: loved one its own This Canaanitish woman
| prayer was, 'Lord. help me-" while it wa
, her daughter that needed help. Yet did nc
she feel that daughters sufferings more keer
ly than that daughter herselfs Even so th
Lord Jesus in his glory, felt as done to hin
, self, the persecution which Saul was direc
ing against his people. He makes their caus
ais own.