Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-28
JESUS VISITS NAZARETH.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 2.
Text of Che Lesson, Luke Nv, 16-32-Com-
init Verses 1S-21-Golden Text, John
/, I1-Commentary by tho Rev.
ID. NJ. Stearns.

/, I1-Commentary by tho Rev.
ID. NJ. stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per- |
mission of H. S. Hoffman, publisher Phiadel. |
pha
1G. "And He came to Nazareth, where He |
had been brought up" After the temptation
in the wilderness he returned to where John
was baptizing, and John pointed Him out as
the Lamb of God. Andrew and Simon,
Philip and Nathaniel are the first to follow
Him. Having returned into Galilee, He and
His mother and His disciples attend mar
riage at Cana, where He works His first
miracle He visits Capernaum and soon after
journeys to Jerusalem to keep the Passover.
There He cleanses the temple receives Nco-
demus by night and tells him of the necessity
of the new BIRTH On His way home He stops
at Samaria and talks with the woman at tho
well He returns to Cana where He had made
the water into wine, and there He healed the
noblemans son who was sick at Capernaum.
All these events intervene between the last
lesson and this one, and are consecutively
recorded in John j, 10; iv, "a. Then He came
to Nazareth his native town, and as His Gus
tom was, He went into the synagogue on the
Sabbath day. Nathaniers question, Can
there any good thing come out of Nazareth"
John i, 40 seems to imply that Nazar-
eth had very poor reputation, and
vet in this unenviabe place the Son
of God lived thirty years. The power of a
holy life must be within us not around us.
H. "There was delivered unto Him the
book of the prophet Isaiah" Iedid not open
it relessly but no doubt with the greatest
reverence Whether He read tho regular
portion for the day or not we are not told
but He unfolded the roll till He found what
we call Isa Xxi, l. and then He read, and He
surely read according to Neh. viii, S: obs
tnctly, and gave the sense and caused them
to understand the reading"
IS. 1.-The Spirit of the Lord is upon me'
As in Gen i, /, &c, so here we have in few
words the doctrine of the Trinity. The Son
is reading, and He says that the Spirit of tho
Father is upon Him, for presently He will tell
us that these words concern Himself This is
the fourth reference to the Spirit in this chap
ter. Jesus is said to be full of the Holy
/ Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to have re-
turned in the power of the Spirit into Cali
! lee, and now He reads from Isaiah words
concerning Himself, that the Spirit of the
| Lord is upon Him. Without being filled, led,
controlled by this same Spirit, we simply
'nObodiesn in Gods sight, and can do nothing
pleasing unto Him.
''He hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor" In lisa. Xxi, /, we read Good
tidngs unto the meek, indicating that 1.-The
poor does not necessarily refer exclusively to
the poor in this worlds goods, though as a
rule they are more likely to receive the glad
tidings than the rich luke xviii, 24), but to
the meek or poor in spirit lisa. Wi, Is; Xvi,
2; Matt. V, 81.
He hath sent me to heal the broken heart
ed.n Steir says that "a broken heart is the
foundation of all true theology" and the fol-
lowing texts indicate that such hearts are apt
to be very near and dear to God (Ps. xxxiv,
Is; Ii, Il; cxlvii, 81.
ITO preach deliverance to the captiveS,"
such as the Gadarene demonac, and the wo-
man bound by Satan eighteen years luke
viii, 27 xiii, TO-, and Tie multitudes OPP
pressed and led captive by the devil at his
will.
Recovering of sight to the blind" Those
both literally and spiritually blind, the latter
being in much the worse case Matt. tx, ~;
Mark viii %; John tx, 10, Al Rev. III, Il;
Ps. cxix, lS).
ITO set at liberty them that are bruised. "
This may refer more to the bodily Affections
inflicted by Satan, as Luke tx, 80 and the
other cases, such as those mentioned under
"Captives," while the captives may refer
more to the minds and wills controlled by
Satan, and may also have a much deeper
meaning.
10. ITO preach the acceptable year of the
Lord Can there be anything not included
in this wonderful commission to this most
wonderful man whose name is ''Wonlerfulf
lisa. tx, Z; Judg. xiii, IS, margl. Is it not ell
included in one of His far reaching sayings,
Come unto Ne all We that labor and are
heavy laden, and | will give you restf
l Thank God the acceptable year has not yet
passed, but even today il is true that Now
is the accepted time, now is the dag Of saliva
ton" The hour in which the dead shall heal
the voice of the Son OF God, and they that
hear shall live, still continues, and whosoever
will may take freely Matt. xi, IS; . Cor, vi
2; John V, 2jD.
p. This day is this Scripture fulfilled il
your ears" While all eyes wero fastened oI
Him, He began His discourse with this start
ling statement, which was equal TO saying
These words which | have just yead to you
t. from the prophecy of Isaiah were written, moi
: about himself, but about me- who now sit herr
before you, and whom YOU have known so long
+ as simply the Son of Mary the carpenter o
your town Mark vi, b; l am the Messiah
I whom ISAIAH fOgctold'
; -. "AIl all bare him witness, and won
Il dered at tpe gracious words which proceeded
c out of his mouth. And they said: Is not TIL
G Joseph's SON." His full discourse is not given
II but US QUE has said His words must hav
Q been ''ri:h in matter and sweet in manner
) %, p. Verify say unto you, No prophe
h is accepted in his own country We have
r similar saying to this effect, TOO much ia
e miarity breeds contempt When we rea
n that Mt one time Neither did His brethrel
IS believe in HIM John vii, y, and at anothe
h that Ills friends said, He is beside Himself
IL Mark iii, 2p, we do not wonder SO much tina
IS His townsmen did not receive Him, for il tn
y hearts Of those nearest to Him failed to nc
1t ceive Him, why be astonished at the rest
1t p, -. "A woman that was a widow. Naa
d man, the Syrian" In reply to their desir
!, for as mighty works at Nazareth as He ha
l. done elsewhere, He reminds them that il
% Elijah's day not every famished Household
d saw a miraculous supply OF food; nor i