Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-03-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AN INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON CONSIDERED.

Wholesome Food for Thought - Study
ing the Scriptural Lessons IntelIigentIy
and Probably.
The lesson for Sunday. March 20. may be
found In Luke 5: 17-26.
INTRODUCTORY,
Tho verse preceding The les son is sug-
| gest.ve one; And he withdrew himself
iaio the wilderD ess and prayed" 1t is
/ pfesunable that this is the same occasion
OF solitary, vigls re erred to In its chrono-
logical order in the preceding chapter
luke A.: Az. some Will find in It another
instance OF devotional retirement. It mat
ters little; Christ was maniiostly praying
man. and in the times when ople were
thronging upon him. no took time to go
aside for communion with Col Was It
nos n necessity OF his nature2 There was
great drain upon his sympathy and his
gracious energy, and he must needs retire
o.ten for refreshment And II we of to- day
were doing moro for God, would not the
constraint OF prayer be oftener upon us
Yea. does not the infrequency OF our d.
yotions reveal the weakness of our service.
in his nameY
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS.
On ceitain day. AS before suggested.
LuAe does not seem to bo following In this
cnapter the strict chronological ol der. but
Is relating, as they occur to him. some in
teresting details OF our Lords ear IL ministry
In Gal. l.loe.-Teaching. AS was Christ's GUS
tom. The term useI here is the one Il ON
which comes our English word didactics.
(Didascoy. .-Phaiisees and doctors OF the
law. Themselves the teachers of the peo-
pie. They have come to learn OF this new
prophet whose name Is gone abroad. Christ
Ia ad not as yet tncu red their fierce enmity.
Sit ing by. AS with the boy OF twelve
years. before. In the temple at Jerusalem.
And Judea. Calico appears TO have been
at this time the scene OF our Lords labors.
and his fam, would bring men there from
all over rPalesttne.-Present to heal them.
4 resent" is notin the original and the
them" is omitted from some manuscripts.if II
1ischendori See Variations. The mean
ing. in any case. Is that while CHRIST could
teach he could also heal. as opportunity
offered
Behold. As Introducing "a notable Incl
dent. Men brought in Tel. The Greek
Is more graphic: Behold. men bringing on
a be1.-Taken with palsy; with paraly-
sis, we should say. name that comes
directly from the Greek term and here
para luo: to unloose) Sought means.
Omit -means"-absent from the iginal.
They were seeking to Lr.ng him in. The
verb Is In the realistic imperfect Before
him. In mute appeal for help and healin ?.
Thus interruptihg his discourse for the
sake OF his power to heal" And why not?
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
The power OF the Lord was present to
heal. Unappropriated power. Whether
the power spoken of was present to heal
them especially. or to heal any one In gem
eral. there was healing energy there In
mortaly sick. Jailed TO avail themselves OF
1t. Why? They were merely standing by
and reasoning and criticising. while the
palsied man was receiving aud rejoicing.
Christ Is here with power to heal to-day.
In this Suaday- school. in this class. Who
VIII be healed? Those who will accept.
VINO will be pas; cd by? Those who sit aud
wonder ard reason--and nothing more.
Take and llve-neglect and die.
They sought means to brin him In. An
nf 0f fnIr n q hall MO
member" The four were there to help.
and the one was there to be helped. And
vet. doubtless. all were blesst together.
Ihere is something stii ring In the spirit OF
persistence here displayed. Having begun
TO seek, they kept on seeking. their very
failure. In the first attempt new provoca-
ton to endeavor. Do you see? when
tuey could not find by what way"-then
whatg Give up = confess themselves
worsted? That Is the fashion OF some OF
US, OF all OF us at times. But no, when they
could not. then they must They tiled
n, wv tack. They went upon the house-top.
has our faith carried US thus far? We have
gIace TO go In at the 'front.' door. IN sort OF
-cotous fashion. with our burden. But
have We this dead-in-earnest spirit that
will leap over wonted walls, and treak
through conventional ceilings? Perhaps
right here is the reason the burden still
remains.
Into the midst be- ore Jesus. What a plea
none. Just a cot let down to the feet OF
Jesus. and in the cot a helpless man. Hero
was the eloquence OF action. Think you 1t
did not appeal to the heart OF tire great
Physician sitting there? We can imagine
the b.eathloss silence that would ensue.
fEoabht 4 aRittipG 49d lS2f5ShG v vMhat .t X ne
lut can iaith be seen? Well, be assured,
faith that cannot b, seen Is OF very little
account Dead" James calls 4. The Mas
tor looks at those straining aims. reaching
down through the thatch. and then We may
imagine. at the anxious eyes OF ths sick
mal-and now he Is about TO speak. Lis
ten Never man spake as this man. -Son.
thy sins are forgiven theel" ., TO have
seen the face OF that paleled man at such
an utterancel He had asked an aims and
gotten an annuity; he had prayed Tor a
crumb and gotten crown. And then to
have looked up and seen those eyes peer
ing down from above-happy eyes-brim-
full. we fancy. with JOY born not short OF
heaven.
But that ye may know. Do we know IT ?
Havo we apprehended the mission OF the
miracle2 II 1t simply stir an interest and
hold, for q few moments. our curious thou ;ht
we are no better than the skeptics and
scoffers OF old The marvels which Christ
wrought and which his apostle wrou sht af-
ter him were for this pre-eminent pu pose,
to prove him as the Son OF Go with power.
Power for what? Power to forgive our
sns Once for all that was demonstrated.
on the spot, at the first proclamation OF
Christs risen majesty. That testimony is
no less strong to-day--nay. centuries have
made the foundation all the mere solid.
Our duty day is to build upon IL. and,
knowing that the Son OF man hath power
upon earth TO forgive sins. to accept him at
once a. a personal Savior. His power on
earth" was forever proven by the miracle
OF healing. arise and walk the power
in heaven each must know by the voice
within. saying. Thy sins ae forgiven
thee"
They glorified God. 1t was the contagIon
OF praise. First went the healed man orth
-Qlorifying God" and then, the next mo-
ment, we sec all the multitude streaming
forth, tn cir mouths filled with homa &c. for
they too -glo; flied God" How long has
it been since such praise has been lifted
from this and that community We long
to hear II break forth In the house Of God.
Well know that IL must have a beginning.
Let some heart como to a lively sense OF
sins forgiven and praise him for his re-
deeming grace. Straightway the accents
are caught from either side and tie echoes
ring. Do you wish to see God glorifled In
this place? Very good. Here Is tue Christ
TO heal. the Word and the Sririt revealing
him. And here is the sick man to be g.
stored. What yet Is lackinR2 Just four
pairs OF hands. In faith. TO help--that is
all.
Next Lesson: Quarterly Review" Tenn
perance Lesson. Gal. 6: 1-5.