The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1889-01-18
HEALING OF THE LEPER.
LESSON III, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. JAN. 20.

Text of the Lesson, Mark Z, 35-45-Com-
init Verses 40, 41-Golden Text, Mark
/, 42-Commentary by the Rev. D. NJ.
Stearns.
[comped! from 70 Lesson Helper Quarterly BY
delphial
IS. "And in the morning, rising up great
while before day, He went out, and departed
into solitary place, and there prayed"
And SO we find Him again at the close of this
lesson, after healing the leper; "He with
drew Himself into the wilderness and
prayed" Nuke v, 16) When the Lord sent
Ananias to Saul of Tarsus He said concern
ing him, "Behold he prayeth" (Acts ix, 11);
but what are we to say of this man, the Lord
Himself, who is ever going to some lonely
place to pray, sometimes continuing all
night, and sometimes rising up before daya
Luke speaks of seven different occasions on
which He is found praying Duke iii, 81; v,
10; vi, 70; TX, 1s, 20; xi, L; xxi, Al, ~,
but If ever man prayed without ceasing
it was this Man, and if ever man
needed not to pray, We would think
1t was this Man, for He was God
manifest in the flesh. Now if He found it
necessary to be alone and in communion
with His Father in Heaven SO much; if He
deemed it more important than rest for the
body, what conclusion can we come to, but
that we are wonderfully unlike Him and not
sensible of our need nor very intimately &c
quainted with our Father in Heaven? A su-
preme and all consuming desire to know the
love and power Of God and walk in fellow
ship with Him as His faithful Representatives
here on earth would surely send us to our
knees and on our faces before God more
often and more earnestly; if we have it not,
let us seek till We obtain 1t. that we may be
more like Jesus and more in sympathy with
Him in seeking lost souls.
36. "Simon, and they that were with Him,
followed after Him." Not to pray with Him,
but to find Him for those who were seeking
Him. 1t is practical and pertinent question
for those who have found Jesus and are saved
BY Him, do now seek Him and walk with
Him that 1 may be happy, or that may
learn through Him to win others to Him that
they too may be blessed7" The last is surely
the highest aim, bnt the self in us is more apt
to seek alsblessing than to be bless
Ing to others. Jesus pleased not Himself, nor
sought His own will or glory; oh, to be more
like Him.
81. "When they had found Him they said
unto Him, all seek for Thee" Seeing that
de had power over devils and disease, that
He healed all freely and spoke such wonder
tul words and with such authority, they were
trresistibly drawn to Him; but if they had
only known who He really was, does it not
seem as If they would have worshiped
Him in truth7 The disciples, not finding Him
IN the house when they rose in the morning,
went out and sought till they found Him.
DO we thus seek Him in the early morning7 4
3S. "And He said unto them, let us go into
the next towns that may preach there also,
for therefore came forth" In Luke iv, 43,
He says, II must preach the Kingdom of God
to other cities also, for therefore am sent"
In verses IA, Is Of this chapter it is written
that He breaches that the Kingdom of God
was at hand, and that they should repentand
believe the gospel. Tho time being fulfilled,
He had come to set up the kingdom spoken of
in Dan. ii, a, and elsewhere; these miracles
which Flo wrought We're His credentials, Us
the prophets had foretold lisa. xxxv, s, G; Xxi,
y; He must make it known in all Israel, for
He came forth from the Father, sent by Him
Us son of David, son Of Abraham, according
to Matthew's gospel, and as the servant
VI oOu3 nSCOIullS W bulS gospel.
80. "And He preached in their synagogues,
throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils" !"
Matthew says that He preached the gospel of
the kingdom and healed all manner of sick
ness and disease (Matt. iv, 23 What king
dom it will be when the devil and all his de-
mons are cast out forever, when the inhabit-
ant shall no moro say 81 am SICK" when
there shall be no more death, nor pain, nor
IN ,l,~
subdued oil things unto Himself, and the IN
heritance lost through Adams sin shall be
more than restored through Jesus Christ.
Hallelujahl what a Saviour! do let us
spread abroad His fame.
40. "And there came leper to Him, be-
seeching Him, and kneeling down to Him."
down from the mountain that this leper
came to Him (Alatt. viii, 1, q. Luke saws
that the man was full of leprosy, and that
he fell on his face and besought Him luke
Y, 19. A poor outcast, shut away from
some of oil diseases that sinful flesh
seems heir to, an utterly hopeless
case as far as human help is con-
cerned, doomed to lingering death
by slow but sure decay of tho whole body;
the wonderful power, for whether it was by
hearing the sermon OH the Mount or by
seeing or hearing of some of the miracles of
healing which Jesus had wrought, he has
some way become possessed of such faith in
Him that ho cries: "Lord, if Thou wilt.
Thou canst make mo clean!" (Matt. viii, 2;
Luke v, 13) He is sure that Jesus has the
power to cleanse him; lie las firm faith us to
that matter, and SO he just casts himself at
Jesus feet, virtually saying: ''Lord, if l
rise up again leper, it is because you refuse
to heal me, for believe you arc more than
man, and call heal me if you only will; SO
cast myself on your inercy.n
II. "And Jesus, moved with compassion,
put forth His hand and touched him, and
saith ucto him, l will; be thou clean" Five
times in the Psalms the Lord is said to be
full of compassion, Ps. lxxviii, IS; lxxxvi, Is;
cxi, 4 cxii, a; cxlv, 8; the same word being
translated "mercifulr i'll eight other places,
the first of which is Elk. xxxiv, 6, whero we
learn the name of the Lord; and he being
full of compassion, could not help having
compassion on this leper. He even puts forth
His hand and touches him, for He Is not
afraid; but best Of ell, He says 81 will" o
what thrill Of joy indescribable must have
gone through and through this poor man.
49, Gas soon as I1o had spoken, immedi-
ately the leprosy departed from him and he
was cleansed" With the word came the
health, and instantly tho man was whole.
43, A. "See thou say nothing to any man."
The reason of this charge and the result Of
the mans disobeyins it is seen in the next
verse. "Shew thyself to the priest" Jesus
i did not come to destroy but to fulfill the law.
45. "Jesus would no more openly enter
into the city, but was without in desert
places" This was the result of the mans
blazing abroad the matter. Oh, for thou
sands Of such publishers of glad tidings as this
leper; then would tho Gospel soon be
preached to cvery creature and the glorious