Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1888-01-11
WHOLE NO. 1884.
WALKING ON THE SEA.
THIRD LESSON OF THE INTERNA
TloNAL S. S. SERIES, JAN. IS, 1883.


Comments by Rev. William Newton, ID.
D.-Text of the Lesson, Matthew xiv.
@@-36-GOlden Text, Matthew xiv, 81,
MemOrize Verses 27-3I.
lFrom Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission
OF II. 5. Hoffman, Philadelphia. publisher
Notes.-Constrained, urged with great
force, or induced by most weighty reasons
Ship, i. e., fishing boat Other side. l. e.
OF the sea, or lake. Evening, the second
evening or night. Fourth watch, or about
5o'clock, the darkest portion Of the night
Il spirit, the Revised Version says IAN an
partition" The meaning is clear; they
thought it was a disembodied spirit and 50
were afraid Saw the wind. or the efFects ~
The wind in the bOisterous state Of the sea.
Doubt, or thiLk I would let thee perisbl
Gennesaret, small, crescent shaped plain
on the northwest Of the sea. It is mentioned
only twice in the New Testament. Matt.
xiv, "a and Mark vi, 50.
v p. The effect Of this feeding the ; 600
was SO great that the people determined to
take him by force and make him their king.
Oopld not he, who could do such mighty
works, break off the Roman yoke and restore
the power and splendOr Of Davids thronef
ana the disciples probably shared the peoples
enthusiasm and entered into their design Il
would be a great thing for them-for would
they not be high in Office when he was kingl
Jesus perceived all this, and at once his action
was determined on. Not from their hands
would he accept his kingdom. Not under
present surroundings would he reign. His
Kingdom was not Of this world ''He con
strained them to depart as he said. e., 70
go to the other side OF the lake before him.
sailing along the coast, or in order to take
him up, after he had sent the multitude
away. This done, he went up into a noun
tain alone to pray.
Jesus alone on the mountain top in PRAYER.
What a sight to awe the spirit. and to
touch the heart. And wherefore was he
therei Were there not two reasonsi Did he
not yearn, amid the noise and tumult Ct the
worldly minded multitude, for the calInness
and quiet Of communion with the fatherl
Was not his humanity like our own, in al
things, yet without sinf' Did he not move
In the presence Of what might be danger,
calm, and steady, and true, because he met IL
in perfect accord with the fathers wil'
And only in that is there safety always. be-
cause only in that is there perfect truth. He
would have us do as he did-hee from the
danger, and strengthen ourselves by com
munion with God.
V. 1924 What a striking contrast do these
verses present. Jesus alone on the mountain
in prayer; the disciples in midnight darkness
and storm Manifestly, the storm had burst
upon them suddenly, and driven them out Of
their course, for they were now 'in the midst
OF the sea"-instead Of sailing quietly along
the coast And yet they were exactly in The
position which He intended them to occupy.
lie saw 1t all before they sailed. This sudden
outburst Of supposed dsnger-real enough
but for his knowledge and intention about
it-this darkness, this bowling wind, these
bolsterOus waves, and his own bodily absence
from them, all entered into his plan, and even
meant TO point the lesson he intended them
to learn.
V. 25 This verse tells US Jesus had not for
gotten his disciples The midnight darkness
had not shut them from his sight. He saw
them toiling in rowing and his heart
yearned toward them in their utter HELPLESS
ness. And just when their danger seemed
greatest, and the darkness deepest, in the
fourth watch Of the night he moved in
their behalf. But he is on the mountain and
they ''in the midst Of the sea-" How shall he
reach them! There is no difficulty here. Is
it not written, that "all things serve theeT-
And so the sea bows down its waves before
him and spreads them for path for him 70
walk on And so he came to them walking
on the sea"-teaching them and US that no
creature Of his hand can come in between
him and his peoples need. It is in vain FOR
us to speculate on how this was done. We do
not know the how Of any process by which
God works in nature.
V. 1921 How intensely human the poor
disciples were How exactly like ourselves.
For with all our boosted attainments in
science and philosophy, we should have bean
as frightened as they We may call it supersti-
ton or whatever else we choose No one
thinks Of accounting for something that is by
referring 1t to an agency which he believes is
not. At once Jesus soothes their fears. He
bids them be of good cheer, and speaks the
good words which have rung through the
ages in every storm and brought the sweet
ness Of peace, wherever faith has heard them:
at is I. Be not afraid"
V. 81. No attestation could have been
more fitting than this: Thou art the Son Of
God" None so perfectly justified by all the
facts of the case. The feeding Of the
5000, the walking on the sea, the ceasing
of the wind as he entered into the ship. and
immediate arrival Of the vessel at land,
John vi, 21. What else could these things
mean TO those who saw them!
V. 1885, This land Of Gennesaret was on
the western side Of the lake. And the Incl
dent here related is one Of great simplicity
and beauty, and brings, very distinctly, three
lines of thought. e.:
l. The men Of the place came to learn who
Jesus was
2. Learning this they went out and brought
to him all the sick in the country round
about; and
8. All who touched MIN were made per
fectly whole What volumes Of truth are
condensed in these lnesl
GENERAL LESSONS.
1. The meaning and the power Of faith. II
We ask what is faithl the answer will be, it
is belief. And while this is certainly true, it
is not all the truth. Does not the present
lesson show thisi Does not the eleventh
chapter of Hebrew show it, Faith connects
the soul with God, and so becomes factor in
the kingdom of God, as all these cases show.
As we stand before Jesus on the cross, faith
becomes the medium through which his
saving power flows into our souls. Il is all
''of grace through faith And in all the
acts of the Christian life, through which this
same power manifeSts itself, faith is the
medium through which it acts. It holds up
every sinking Peter, and makes US victors in
the good fight" and winners in the heavenly
race.
2. Our most subtle temptations may often
times be found in seeming zeal for the cause
of Christ, just as those people seemed to be
jealous for Jesus when they sought to make
him King. He saw it was snare, and fied
from it. Is there a certain test and guide
for usl Yes. Under all circumstances the
revealed will of God will guide US in the ouly
way we can safely tread.
s. Jesus, in bodily presence, walking on the
sea to go to his disciples in distress IS simply
an object lesson of this same Jesus present
by his spirit wherever they are in need.
Present everywhere, in all the tenderness Of
his love, in all the might Of his power
Therefore he could well say to them: at is
expedient for you that go away" For his
spirit makes his presence universal