The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-02-27
JESUS AT NAZARETH.
international Sunday school Lesson for
March 2, 1890.


March 2, 1890.
Especially arranged from s. s. Quarterly.l
LESSON TExT--Luke 4:16-32.
GOLDEN TExr-Hc came unto His own,
and His own received Him not.--John
Iii.
CENTRAL TRUTH-The Gospel brings
light, comfort and Divine help to man.
TrME-April, A. ID. 2s, more than a
year after the last lesson.
PI.ACE-Nazareth in Galilee, Jesus
early home. Jesus, thirty-one years.
old, in the second year of his public
ministry. John the Baptist, in prison
at Castle Macherus since March.
INTERVENING HIsToRY--See table Of
chronology and harmony. After his
temptation Jesus was in Galilee, Febru-
ary and March, A. d. 81 John 2:1-11(;
then in Judea all summer and autumn
John 2:14 to 4:3); returns to Galilee
through Samaria, December, A. ID. 81
John 4:4-42); in Galilee January to
March, A. d. % (unrocorded); attends
second Passover at Jerusalem, March 80,
April 8 (John b:1-4T); then returned to
'Galilec (Luke 4:1<, u; Matt. 4:1e-17).
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs--18. And
He cane to NdfdrC<a: His homo for
Itwenty-eight years. It was then q town
of considerable importance in that re-
.gion. As HIS custom scds. Jesus set us
an example Of church-going and Sab
bath-keeping. Synagogus: building
very much like common modern
church. Stood up for to read: they al
ways read standing, and sat down whilo
preaching ". coy. II. Esaias: the Greek
form Of Isaiah. The book: roll. Found
tho place: Isa. 81. 1s. Anointed mo: 1. O.,
set Him apart, designated Him, as
Kings were designated to their Office, by
amounting. The Gospel: good news, glad
tidings. To the poor: literally and
spiritually; to all who were in need,
sins unforgiven, no hope of Heaven.
The Gospel brings such help to thom
that with 1t the poorest are better of
than the richest without the Gospel.
Captices: under the chains of sin, Satan
and bad habits. Blind: to God, and
Heaven, and eternity. 10. Aeceptabe
yocr: the time had como when the king
dom was near, and God was very ready
to accept all who would come. The
reference is to the year of Jubilee,
when slaves were released and alien
ated homestead property restored
(Lev. 25: s-13). 20. Minister: attend
ant. 20. Is not tbs Joseph's son?
one of the common people Of the
town, who had worked for them as q
carpenter. How could suoh man be
so greet az he had claimed? 25. In tie
days Of Elias: Greek for Elijah. (See
the story in 1 Kings ~ 81. Eiiseus::
Greek for Elisha. (See the story in 9
Kings 5.) The point Of these historical
illusions was that the prophets the
people most revered had done for others
what they had not done for their own
countrymen, just as Jesus had worked
miracles elsewhere, but not in Naz-
areth. He could not, on account of their
unbelief Matt. 1853.
LESSON PoINTs-Ours is most fasci-
mating story to-day. Jesus came to His
own town Of Nazareth, and rs His GUS
tom was, He went into the synagogue
and read the Scriptures. Then He made
an address to the people, during which
in some way or other He offended them,
SO that they actually went 80 far as to
try and kill Him. One would have
thought that the townspcople Of the
Master would have been proud to have
such wonderful miracle-worker in
their midst and would have welcomed
Him. But jealousy seems to have been
aroused in their hearts, 80 that tho
greater His fame the more they hated
Him. Truly of them He could say:
'They hated Me without cause"
In verse 18 we find stated the mission
OF the Lord Jesus. He came to this
world for purpose, and to the town of
Nazareth for particular reason. Let
us look at this reason, or rather at these
reasons, and then we shall SEQ how mis-
taken those men OF Nazareth were in
thus rudely rejecting Him. (a) He
came to preach the Gospel (glad Mdings)
to the poor. The poor have but few
comforts in this world, and all the more
reason why they should make sure Of
those blessings that God gives In the
next world to those who accept His Of
fer Of salvation. The people Of Naza-
reth were most Of them poor, 80 that
He had exactly what they needed most
Of all. But, unfortunately, that which
men most need is not al
ways that for which they most
His offer, and refused to receive that
which He wanted to give them. (b) He
came to Nazareth to heal the broken
hearted. There we're undoubtedly
many in that town who were broken
hearted, and to whom He could have
brought comfort. But In their blind
ness and jealousy they would have none
OF His comfort, and SO they turned Him
away. (c) He came to preach doliver-
anco to the captives. Many were there
who had been led captive by their sins,
and who were powerless to break tho
chains that bound them. All of these
He wanted to set free; but not one of
them, so far as we know, wanted to be
delivered. They preferred their chains
to spiritual liberty, so he had TO leave
them to their own devices. (d) He came
to give sight to the blind-not only to
those who were physically blind, but es-.
pecially to those who were spiritually