The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-08-07
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by Study of the Inter-
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
Aug. IL. 1890. st. Luke, I7:1I-i9.

Practical Duties Taught by n Study of the Inter-
national Sunday schOOl lesson Appointed for
Aug. IL. $780, st. Luke, IL Hid.
| Zone reading those notes should first carefully
study tho paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| Indicated above.l
SUBJECT: The Ten LEPERs.
j. Data
We have only this one account, given by st.
Luke, written in chapter II 11l9 st. Luke,
| 1T would seem, was the fittest Gospel writer TO
report miracles relating TO the physical, to wit,
To diseases, cures, restrictions, etc, seeing
that he was physician.
g Time.
The incident occurred in the latter part of
September Of the year % A. ID. That was five
to six months before Christ's death.
3. Place
E. Christ set out TO 20 from Capernatim to Jeru-
salem. (St Luke, Q: 5f.) Tho account states,
" no passed through the midst of Samaria and
GaIilee" ". H. Two views are held as to tho
route.
a. Leaving Capernaum. Christ went south
till he reached the bOundary-line between
Galilee and Sumaria; then he went east ON said
line till he reached ScythopCis, where no
crossed the Jordan there being bridge mt
that place; then he went on south along the
eastern bank of the Jordan till he came to tho
neighb0rhood of Bethabara, about due east
from Jericho; then he reCrossed the Jordan,
passing on southwest Till no arrived at Jcrusa-
lem. This view suppoSes that through the
midst of" means betiUceH Various explana-
tions are suggested rs to why Samaria is men
toned before Galilee. The following express
this first view: De Deu, Wetstein, Campbell,
bloomfield, Barnes, Jameson q Co., Bengel,
LANCE.
b. Others hold Christ went through Samaria
Relerence is made to 9: u, %. We know that
ia the early part of his ministry he did enter
Samaritan city. (5t. John, "A, 81 This view
IS beid by DR.. A. Clarke, Calmet, Robinson in
ms Harmony, Dr. james Strong in his Har-
mony, Neander in his &" Life of Christ"
"A certain village" (Y. l2.) We cannot say
definitely whether this was in Galilee Samara
Perea, or even Judea All we know is that it
lay somewhere in Chri5t's route from Caper-
naum to Jerusalem.
The position taken by the lepors was out of
the village and OF one side from tho road lead
ing into town. The Levitcal law required
leper5 to keep at a distance out from towns
clties, etc, and away from persons. And when
they heard persons coming they were com
manded to give warning of their presence.
lev, l3 ID. 46; NJ, So, g. 2 XII, Is: 81
The Rabbis do not agree as to the distance pro-
scrlbcd for epers 10 keep away from habitations
and persons. In verse IL IL is said " there met
him 10 lepers." The word met" in Greek
does not imply nearness, but oppositeness, and
does not define distance. Ii does not imply con-
tact but the contrary Any leper who iutruded
within the forbidden distance was logged with
10 stripes save one. (See Caruos Letters from
the East" p. 62.)
4. Leprosy.
The word loprosy is derived from q Greek
original, which means scay or scabby The
Hebrew word for leprosy signifies a heavy
shifting. leper is n man severely smi.ten or
sconrggd of God The thought in the Jewish
mind was that this disease is a special in1ction
from Deity. The Arabic root of the word lep-
rosy means TO cast down, 10 PROSTATE, referring
to the terribly weakening, collapsing, disjoiut-
ing effects OF this malady. The Chicago
Herald, abiding TO the ease of leper in that
city, said
Johnson. the leper, lies in a room of from the
contagious ward. lie Is hideous. His hands aud
hairless face are opcruated with sCae-ke blotcbes
of reddish brown The face shows most distinctly
the ravaRes OF the horrible disease The lower lids
of the eyes are drawn down and turned inside
out The lips are blue, and the nose IS swollen TO
twice iis natural size. His back and abdomen are
covered with huge tubercles. These scales slightly
change color from time to time. (see Lev, 81 2, 8,
9-ii)
Leprosy. 1t Is believed, is incurabls 1t is
customary to separate lcpers. The Sandwich
Islanders devote one island to the exclusive
habitation of epers, to wit, Mookai. DIR.
Thomson, in Land and Book" thus describes
the disease;
The scRb comes on by degrees, In different parts
of the body; the hair falls from the head aud eve
browa; the mails loosen decay and drop of; Joint
alter joint OF the fingers AID toes shrinks up and
slowly falls away; the gums are absorbed and tho
teeth disappear the nose the eyes the tongue and
the pnlate arc slowly consumed. aud finally tho I
wreichcd victim shrtnks into the earth and disap-
pears while medicine has power To stay tho |
rRvaEes OF the disease. even 10 mitigate sensby
its fortunes.
Sin is so terrible that it is often spoken of as
"a leprosy of the soul
Christ's sixth miracle was in the case of a !
lepcr. tSee st. Matt, S:24 St Mark 40 |
Do st. Luke. ) : 12-16. Add St Matt. 26:61 |
We read of lepers in the Old Testament
Moses, Ex.. 30; Miriam, M, ~: 10; Naaman,
2 Ki 5: /; Gehazi, 2 XII. 5 ~; Uzziah, , Ch., |
80 10, 20 Refer in general TO Lew. I3 2, 3, |
OIL; Deu., "a /: s; 2 XII, 7;3-5
The euro of leprosy was thought impossible |
save by Deity himself, and hence miracles in !
volving cure OF that disease we're sufficient |
credentials for Christ to furnish
). analysis.
!. Data. 81. Luke, IL :Il-Ie.
2 Time Sept A. ID -.
8. Place. Near village between Capernaun, |