The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-02-26
JESUS At NAZARETH.
International sunday-School Lesson for
March e. 1890,


International Sunday-SchoOl Lesson for
March e, 1890.
Especially arranged from S. s. QUARTERLY
LESSON TExr--Luke 1859.
GOLDEN Textile came unto His own,
and His own received Him not.-John
Iii.
CENTRAL TRUTH-The Gospel brings
light, comfort and Divine help to man.
TIME-April, A. d. 2s, more than
year after the last lesson.
PLAcE-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-
airy and March, A. d. ~ John 2:1-1D;
then in Judea all summer and autumn
John 2:14 to 49,; returns to Galilee
through Samaria, December, A. d. 81
John 4:4-42); in Galilee January to
March, A. d. % (unrecorded); attends
second Passover at Jerusalem, March 80,
April John 5:1-47); then returned to
Calico luke Ala, Is; Matt. 4:12-1D.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-16. And
lie came to Nazareth: His home for
twenty-eight years. 1t was then town
Of considerable importance in that re-
gion. As His custom soas:: Jesus set us
an example Of church-going and Sab
bath-keeping. Synagogue: building
very much like common modern
church. Stood up for to read: they al
ways read standing, and sat down while
preaching ". 20). II. Esaias: the Greek
form of Isaiah. The book: roll. Found
tho place: lisa. 81. IS. Anointed me: i. g.,
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 them
that with it the poorest are better of
than the richest without the Gospel!
Captipes: under the chains Of sin, Satan
and bad habits. Blind: to God, and
Heaven, and eternity. 10. AeesptablI
yacr: the time had come 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. Is: s-13). 30. Minister: attend
ant. %. IL not th1 JosepNs sonl
one of the common people Of the
town, who had worked for them as 9
carpenter. How could such Q man be
so great as he had claimed? 25. In tn
days of Elias: Greek for Elijah. (Set
the story in Kings ~ 81. EEseus
Greek for Elisha. (See the story in
Kings 81 The point Of these historical
allusions' was that the prophets tn
people most revered had done for other
what they had not done for their owl
countrymen, just as Jesus had worket
miracles elsewhere, but not in MAJ
areth. He could not, on account Of thei
unbelief Matt. IS: 5S).
LESSON POINTs-Ours is most fasci
mating story to-day. Jesus came to Hi
own town of Nazareth, and as His Gus
tom was, He went into the synagogu
and read the Scriptures. Then He mad
an address to the people, during who
in some way or other He offended then
80 that they actually went SO far as I
try and kill Him. One would hav
thought that the townspeople Of tn
Master would have been proud to hav
such q wonderful miracle-worker i
their midst and would have welcome
Him. But jealousy seems to have bee
aroused in their hearts, 80 that tn
greater His fame the more they hate
Him. Truly Of them He could sa!
''They hated Me without cause"
In verse 16 we find stated the missio
of the Lord Jesus. He came to thi
world for purpose, and to the town {
Nazareth for q particular reason. Ii
us look at this reason, or rather at thes
reasons, and then we shall see how mil
taken those men of Nazareth were
thus rudely rejecting Him. (a) h
came to preach the Gospel (glsd tiding'
to the poor. The poor have but fe
comforts in this world, and all the MOI
reason why they should make sure {
those blessings that God gives in th
next world to those who accept His o.
fer of salvation. The people Of Naz,
reth were most of them poor, SO th:
He had exactly what they needed MOI
Of al. But, unfortunately, that whic
men most need is not a
ways that for which they mo-
long. So these people rejecte
His offer, and refused to receive tn;
which He wanted to give them. (b) 3
came to Nazareth to heal the broker
hearted. There were undoubtedl
many in that town who were broker
, hearted, and to whom He could ha,
| brought comfort. But in their bin,
ness and jealousy they would have nor
of His comfort, and so they turned Hi
away. (c) He came to preach delive
ance to the captives. Many were the
!, who had been led captive by their sin
and who were powerless to break Il
chains that bound them. All of the
, He wanted to set free; but not one
/ them, so far as we know, wanted to
{ delivered. They preferred their chail
to spiritual liberty, so he had to lea
!, them to their own devices. (d) He can
to give sight to the blind-not only
those who were physically blind, but e
pecially to those who were spiritual
l blind. He had already done this
, many cases, so that those whom
: healed could say: "Once l was bin