The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-01-10
SUNDAY MEpITATIoN.
Practical Duties Taught by Study Of the Inter
national Sunday-schOOl Lesson Appointed FOL

Our Savior was about to start out on an ex-
tended missionary tour along with his Disei-
pies. As preparation he sought privacy for
prayer. ". 3D. Then he went into a num-
Der of the towns of Galilee teaching the people.
(V. 49, Where he could do so he met his
hearers in their synagogs. (V. 49, The Dis
ciples could not think of being separate from
him, aud SO he invited them to accompany
him. ". 49, This was Christ's first tour for
mission purposes. We are specially interested
in particular incident which occurred during
this circuit of preaching, to wit, in the miracle
of Christs cure of the leper. We make this
our study.
This is our Savior's sixth specific miracle It
is his first case of leprosy. 1t illustrates the
need of the afflicted doing their part toward
restoration. 1t shows mortals should help
themselves as much as possible, and not throw
all labor and responsibility on God. Besides
the account given by st. Mark, one should read
the reports of st. Matt, (8:2-4,) aud st. Luke,
Is: 12-16)
l. Time.
This miracle was performed probably in
February, a. ID. 27-1,86l years ago. Christ
was in his 32d year of life and the second year
of his ministry He had been at work since his
baptism, which took place one aud one-half
years before.
2 Place.
st. Luke says, (5:12) 90 When he [Christl
was in certain city" Verse 10 of st. Marks
account refers to Christs exit from said city.
The Comprehensive Commentary says it was
Capernaum Benson agrees. Dr. 4. Clark says
it was Bethsaida in Galilee or Chorazin. NOone
knows. We remember our Savior had set out
on an extended tour, and this miracle occurred
somewhere in the route.
g. The Miracle Yorker
The miracle was performed by Christ He
came as the Messiah. The people demanded
| proof, and Jesus attempted to convince his
hearers that he was not an impOster. 1t had
| been prophesied in the Old Testament that
| when the Messiah appeared he would do Won
! derful acts. Hence miracles became q needfuI
credential. Wenotice the following facts as to
! Christs relation to the miracle: /. a con-
| 1irmed leper came to him, full of leprOsy. 2.
| Christ pited him-had compassion on him.
| Jesus is always very tender in the presence of
| distress. g. Christput forth his hand. We do not
! know which hand. He touched the leper. That
was very unusual act. Persons kept away from
| all contact with that foul disease. 1t was
| great condescension on the part of Christ. The
! Mosaic law forbade one to touch a leper But
| Christ would evidently not be infected by
! touch which could remove the leprosy. Touch
/ ing the leper would inspire the afflicted man
! with confidence in his cure. He thus knew he
was touchabie fact not true were he yet I'M
| clcaused Perhaps the man was cured before
! Christ touched him, and Christs touch was for
| the purpose of showing the man he was no
longer a leper. Jesus bore our sicknesses, and
! seemed to stretch cut his hand to snatch them
| from u.s. (St Matt, s: 10 4. He pronounced
| the man clean. There is power in ChriSt's
word. He has authority. 8. He required tenn
porary silence on the part of the cured leper.
! 6. He required the recovered man to be in
spected by the priest and to offer for his cure
the proper ceremonial gifts. z. He recognized
the authority of Moses. s. He confOrmed to
/ The legal ceremonial law of the Jewish economy
Of nf,clTr
lepars was one proof (St. Matt, IL :: 3; 10:S)
10. lie showed great wisdom in telling the man
to 90 to the priest. a. Had he said nothing to the
cured man about going to the priest the Jews
would have charged him with being Indifferent
to the Mosaic law. b. Moreover, in such case
sighted personally, aud would at least have
feigned great anger.
A. The Patient.
Wenotice the followingas to the afflicted man :
l. He was full of leprosy. His was very bad
case Of a most distressing disease. 2. He was a
Jew. This is clear from the fact Christ re-
CURED him to go to the priest. (St. Matt,
l:44.) g. 1t is unknown how long he had been
I sick. We do not know his age, name, whether
married or not. 4. He fed into Christ's presence
in city. This is surprising fact, since lepers
| were carefully excluded from within city walls.
No wonder that in St. Matthew's account it
says, Behold there came leper" He was
presumptuous. He was utterly desperate,
breaking over all legal restraints. (St. Luke,
II: I2.l 5. He was polite. Oriental salutations
were excessive and to us quite silly. tGen.,
1872; 1877, u; ST. Matt, Is: %, 29) Wor-
SHIPPED" (St. Matt, S:2), and fell on the
face" (St. Luke. 12), and kneeling" in st.
Marks account, are similar in meaning. Neither
relates to religious worship. Politeness in
the East was measured by the exaltation of the
party approached. This mans great etiquet
showed profound regard for Christ g. He was
very earnest. He pleaded for cure. He re-
allied his condition, and really meant mis-
prayer Z. He recognized Deity in Christ by
the fact he believed Jesus had power to work
a miracle. This was a special recognition
of Omnipotenca. he had faith Christ could,
and only doubted as to whether he uotld.
Grand faithl None before had ever been cured
by Christ of leprosy, and hence the mans faith
had no example for a precedent. 8. Anxious
rs he was for remedy, he yet submitted his will
to that of Christ. He virtually said, o Lord,
make me clean if thou wilt" 9. He was
cleaused at once. Kneeling a leper he rose with
flesh as of babe. Compare XII, 5 14.) 10
lie was charged to report at once to the priest,
so as to secure certificate of his cure and
thus be able to regain social privileges. A lepeT
|, was debarred any entrance into society and
ordered to keep out of the city, away from
people. The cured man was also required te
go to Jerusalem and offer the sacrifices de-
manded by the Mosaic law of those declared to
be free from leprosy. II. He was charged tc
keep silence for the time being as to his cure
Christ had reasons for such requirement.. The
man, however, did not obey, but made the cure
public as possible.
s. The Cure.
l. CausesP l. Prayer. V4O) q Faith
3. Compassion of Christ. " AL 4. The
hand of Jesus, the touch of the sympathetic
God Man. 5. Omnipotence.
f 2 Time required for the miracle to be effect.
ed. No time. See Immediately" (Y. Az
3. Proofs2 The man was cleansed. The
change from leprous condition to soundnesE
is too great to be mistaken. Then Christ was
, DESTROYS the man should aud present himself
, to the priest, submitting to the severe legal
tests as TO the commences of ones claim to be
perfectly free from any leprous germ.
4. Witnesses? The Apostles. Perhaps 8
goodly number of other persons saw the won.
, derful deed. 1t was not done in corner.
, 3. Effects? l. On the leper who was cured
He was restored to perfect soundness He was