Smyrna times., 1888-01-18
WHOLE NO. 1896.
JESUS AND THE SICK,
FOURTH LESSON OF THE INTERNAL
TIoNAL S. S. SERIES. JAN. 22, 1888.

Comments by Rev. William Neuto,
d. D.-Text of Lesson, Matt. Nv, 21-s1.
Golden Text, James v, I3-Memorize
Verses 1880.
IRON Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission
OF H. ). Hoffman, Philadelphia, Dublisher.l
Notes.-Thence, l. e., from the place
where he replied to the Pharisees from
Jerusalem 9 Tyre a celebrated city Of
Phenlcla, on the eastern coast Of the Medi-
Gerranean sea twenty-one miles from Sidon.
1t was a great city in the time of Joshua
1444 B. c. Sidon, probably the oldest cit,,
IN the world. 1t was named after the grand
son of Noah, 221S B. c. Gen. K. Is. Canaan
a descendant Of original inhabitants of tho
land. Son Of David, prophetic title of the
Messiah
V. q. 1t is an easy, yet a sad and touching
thing to see Jesus on his way to Tyre and
Sldon. Why does he go therel Why does
ne turn his back on his own country and 90
TO the Gentilesl Is not the reason plant Did
not this deputation of Pharisees from Jerusa-
lem, now offended at his doctrine and their
own manifest discontinue, mean an ACCUSE
ZION against him for heresy before the San
hedrlmf 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.
V. y. 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 mer' For she was
bound up with her child, and the mercy ex-
tended to her would tell first upon herself.
= The title by which she addressed him.
Thou Son of David" And what right had
she to thlsf In one sense, none. In another
the highest and fullest. For, had she not
great need. Had not he abundant means Of
supplyl And faith assured her that was the
most sacred claim. And
3. 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 vexedp by it. and her
mothers heart yearned for her relief. And
how does he receive herr
V. %. He answered her nothing. Was this
like him? Did it tell Of his gentle ministry.
who would not break the bruised reed nor
quench the smoking flaxl Just at that point
1t 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 casel And did he not seek thus to show
her what her faith could do, and thus to
strengthen'itl
V. "A. These words seem like a still far
Their reputation of her claim. He was noS
sent to her. l. e., not primarily to her ITO
the Jew first" is the order of the divine man
hesitation. Did she know Of this, land also
to the Gentilesf' Alas! who was to teach il
to herr Not the Jews, for they did not be-
heve 1T Not the Gentiles for they did not
know it. Only the Divine Spirit could have
wrought this faith in her
V. 25. There seems to have been a gather
ing of all 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-
MED
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 children's breadi Was it right to
take it from them and cast it to the dogsi
Now this might seem like a 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. 10
was all just as he said And she asked for
no more than the privilege accorded to tho
little dogs, i. e., that of gathering up the
crumbs that fell from the masters table.
V. %. Her faith triumphed She had
reached the point he meant her to gain.
Forth from the masters lips burst the
graciOusly approving words: 80 woman,
great is thy faith: Be it unto thee even as
thou wilt"
V. -. 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 Samaria?" John iv, T. But his
end was 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
himself from observation, by going up into a
mountain, but he could not be hid.
V. SO-S1. 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 us.
1. ManifeStly two opposing powers are
here-One of sickness, one of health One Of
blight, the other of blessing One Of death
and the other of life. For all the different
forms of disease are only messengers in ad-
vance of death. They all mean death That
is the word they spell out, when written in
full Clearly, therefore, they are as the
master put, "the power Of the enemy.n They
are fruits on the tree Of humanity, from the
blight of sin. So we say that every form of
bodily ailment is the work Of sin, and there
fore of broken laws This was on one side.
What on the otherl
The very antagoniSm of all this e. Jesus.
as the healer of sin, commencing his course
by healing sickness And he himself tells us.
we may know that he has power to do the
first because he did the second. Every act
of healing, therefore, was sign Of what he
came to do. 1t showed to men the presence
Of one who could deal with unseen cause and
so put away the visible result. It told too of
the coming day, when his work should be
fully unfolded
GENERAL LESSONS.
l. Had Jesus been condemned by the coun-
Gil for heresy, he would, like Stephen, have
been stoned But it was written of him that
he should hang on the tree, as the bearer of
our sin, and thus become curse in our stead.
And so he quietly withdrew from the power
OF his enemies until the time when the chief
priests should deliver him to the Gentiles, and
he be adjudged to the cross.
2 Love always makes the sufferings Of the
loved one its own. This Canaanitish woman's
prayer was, Lord, help me;n while it was
her daughter that needed help. Yet did not
she feel that daughters sufferings more keen
ly than that daughter herselfl Even so the
Lord Jesus in his glory, felt as done to him
self, the persecution which Saul was direct
ing against his people Hemakes their cause
his own.
Unlucky Vessels Names.
Ha NTicbfoon oorA,s,, n,,,o