Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-22
CHRIST AT NAZARETH.
LESSON VIII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. "a.

| VII i~-cOnmentary Dy the Kew. ID. M.
stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II. S. Hoffman. publisher Phila,
delphia.l
l. And He went out from thence" that il
from Capernaum, where He had just healed
the woman who had been twelve years sick.
the little girl IL years old who had Just died
the two blind men and the dumb demoniac:
where also he had on previous occasions
healed the man in the synagogue with an I'M
clean spirit, Peters wife's mother, the sick
with the palsy, the nobleman's son. the CEN
turion's servant, and many others not men,
toned individually. Mark i, ii, v; Matt.
tx, Luke vii; John iv) How highly privi-
legged Capernaum was; how many mighty
works were done therei
"And came into His own country After
the people of Nazareth rejected Him and
sought His life He made Capernaum His
home If he could be said to have a home,,
and it was called His own city" Matt. tx, |;
Luke iv, 1881; but Nazareth was His own
country where he had been brought up. How
patient, forgiving and long suffering He is.
and how earnestly he continues to seek those
who reject Him, If perchance they may re-
pent; for He is not willing that any should
perish. I'll Pet 3-9)
His disciples follow Him." Some follow
fully and some follow afar off; some seek and
serve Him with the whole heart and some do
anything but that.
2. "When the Sabbath day was come, He
began to teach in the synagogue" He had
been at it early and late all the week, teach
ing, healing and journeying on foot or by
boat from place to place. but every Sabbath
day is filled also, and it would seem that they
were among his busiest days If we serve Him
only on the Sabbath day, or if our work
through the week is such that we cannot
heartily serve Him even on that day, or if we
find the one day given wholly to Him a
WEAKNESS, is it worth while to call ourselves
His followers or profess devotion to Him7
These things wisdom
mighty works" They had to confess that
they had never heard such wisdom, nor seen
such mighty works, but where He got the
wisdom or how He did the mighty works,
they could not tell
g. as not this the carpenter7" They had
known Him many years as the carpenter
and the carpenters son Matt. xiii, Soy His
mother also they knew and His brethren and
sisters, and while they could not but wonder
at His wisdom and His mighty works, it was
too much for them to receive Him of the
humble home as their Messiah and they were
offended at Him. Had they considered the
facts in connection with His birth in the light
of lisa. vii, IA; Hos. XII, |, or His miracles in
the light of lisa. xxxv, 5, 8, or had they OBJ
served lisa. lii, l-3 in reference to their own
conduct they might have been convinced
but they needed not these things, and because
He came not as they thought He ought to
have come they knew Him not.
4. "A prophet is not without honor, but in
his own country, among his own kin, and in
his own house." On two other occasions did
He speak the same truth luke iv, "a; John
iv, A. and John vii, 5, tells us that at one
time even His own brethren did not believe
in Him.
5. HE could there do no mighty work"
With the exception of healing a few sick
folk, His power was not manifested in His
native town because of their unbelief, Matt
xiii, IS. How gladly He would have healed
all their sick, and magnifed the name Of the
Lord among them if they had only received
Him; how His heart must have yearned to
tell them more fully the good news of the
kingdom, but their ears were stopped, and
they compelled Him to turn away, and
"He marveled because of their unbelief."
So long as Israel were separated unto God
and believed God, He did wonders for them
Him they ceased to see and know His power
Wherever in the world to-day His power is
seen on behalf of His people there is faith in
Him at the bottom of it; and where His
people, either as churches or individuals,
neither enjoy nor see the power of God in
holy lives and the salvation of sinners it
must be due to lack of faith in God
z. HE called unto Him the twelve and
began to send them forth" The praying ones
are now going forth to answer their own
prayers, and then he sent forth other seventy
also, still encouraging them to continue pray
ing for more laborers luke <, |, q.
T.. 0. Nothing for their journey,
no scrip no bread, no money, no extra
coat" They were evidently not on a pleasure
tour, nor going to make much out of this
financially. They did not take up q co lee
tion to defray the expenses Of the mission,
nor delay their going till the funds were
raised, but with the promise that 1.-THE work
man was worthy of his meat" Matt K, l0
they went forth. They were on the Kings
business, and He would not fail to provide
for them by the way nor to recompense them
for their work, but they must simply leave
all that to lin and fulfill His commands.
III. in what place soever We enter into an
house, there abide till We depart from that
luey were not TO enter any or
every house, but to inquire for worthy
house, and ii after entering they should find
the house not what it was said to be, they
were to leave it. Matt. K, lli3j The fol
lower of Christ is not to expect that either
Heor His message will be well received by
all, nor is he to thrust himself where he is
not wanted, nor seek help from those who
know not the Lord. but lovingly and pa
tiently is he to go in his Masters name. bear
ing his Masters message OF peace and good
will, content to be faithful to him, bearing
all things for His sake, and coveting above
ali things His approval
IL. More tolerable for Sodom and Gomor-
rha in the day of judgment, than for that
city" Althoug b this sentence is not in the
Revised Version, yet it is found in Matt x,
Is; XII "A, and shows US the greater response
bility of greater privileges, and how fearful
will he the doom Of those who refuse to hear
or receive the Lord Jesus Christ, or those
whom He sends forth us His witnesses
I2. And they went out and preached that
men should repeat" Between this verse and
the last the whole of Matt K, 1912, seems to