The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-02-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY. AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.

SUBJECTS CAREFULLY. AND
ABLY CONsIDERED.
Scholarly Exposition OF the Lesson
Thoughts worthy Of Calm ,Refec-
tion-Half an Hours Study OF the scrip-
~tures-1ime Well Spent.
Tie lesson for Sunday, March 2. may be
found III Luke w.. 1882.
INTRODUCTORY.
We find Jesus in this lesson fully launch
ed upon his ministry. Galilee Is the centet
and. In . sense. the commencement OF
labors was there. That Is. h.
there began to publicly preach the king
dom. But between the events Of the last
int. I, stinz incidents in the life Of Christ
occu rcd. for the narration of which
we are indebted in the main to Johns eos-
pei. 1t seems to have been Immediately
q ter his temptation that Christ appeared
again upon the banks OF tho Jordan and
began the calling of his disciples. John and
Andrew being the first. The marriage In
Cana OF Gaiilee comes next. Christ having.
as 1t appears, returned home at once. But
not to remain long. John 2: 12). Present.
OF a new and fearless prophet by
casting the money-changers out OF the tenn
pie. Here, according to the same gospel.
ne wrought miracles and was visited by
N1codemus. On his way to the north again
Jesus passes through Samaria and talks
with the woman at tire we'll. Reaching Gal
lice again, he heals tho noblaman's son at
Capernaum John 4: 49, 54), going thence to
his native city, Nazareth, which brings us
to our present lesson.
I'll LESSON SAYS.
Nazareth. One of the smull interior
towns OF Galilee. not far from CAM. where
Christ went with his family to u wedding
shortly after his baptism. working there
his first miracle. It was the place where
Jesus had spent by far the largest part Of
his life. 1t Is some distance from Caper-
naum, from which city Christ has but lately
started on this his first circuit o. Galilee.
HID boon broueht up. The Greek ex-
preston Is o peculiar and at the same time
q strong one. AS nearly as it can be rem
deredi it Is. where he was during his bring
ing up. Verb and perfect participle.)-
AS his custom. By its position in the
original this belongs particularly to the
verb which follows: j. e., it was his custom
to attend worship in the synagogue.-
Synagogue. TIL place OF popular religious
captivity.-The Sabbath day. Our Lords
RESPECT for the day set apart for holy
things.-Stood up to road. On the bema,
or raised platform. where the reader al
ways took his stand.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS year. Propi-
tions or happy. Usually applied to the year
Of Jubilee. Here it means the time OF gra-
cious manifestation. The literal meaning
or this Is very similar to that conveyed bv
tho ,rn ,els ut Bethlehem. Goodwill toward
men," or men in whom he Is we'll pleased"
Wevision) Luke 2:14.
WHAT H LESSON TEACHES.
And he came to Nazareth. This had beer
his home and we know to some extent the
crucial nature OF tho ordeal. Christ was
wholly human as we'll as wholly divine. anG
wa I1ya no prn11plS for t,nlio vim ~ th at I,
Is humanity he felt not the peculiar self
testing quality of q first sermon at the ole
home. But there was this added butde1
that Christ as prophet must needs speal
rebuking words to friends and kindred
How mnnfully. how divinely he meets thu
requirements OF the hour! How altogethel
humanity and overwhelmingly his neigh
bors mcet the test! No. Christ was not a de,
velopmentfrom his surroundings. He mus
come to Nazareth rs any other place. anc
| as II to accentua ate this very truth, when he
came. to his own" his own received hin
not"
IS his custom was. We lave here an.
other intimation OF Christ's early habit 0
LIE. Church attendance was no suddenly
formed fashion with him.. He does no
startle his %neighbors OF his return by hi:
immediate resort to he sanctuary on the
Lords day. Such had been his custom
from OF old in the place OF his rearing. Per
haps he had before stood and read. What
4 To- Q UIlCLl WtS llldl, ldUDl-llkG, ulI6E lNe
reading he should seat himself to teacf
them. the light of his recent amounting oil
the Spirit in his eye. What a picture the
young man Christ must a made in thai
ancient s%ynagogue! O.. for a pencil or brush
that could SGT forth the image ones mine
conceives Of the intense. thoughtful eyes
and the puie. expressive face! What 4,
privilege to listen to such an one! What /
privilege to speak before such an one
Those Nazareno villagers lily realized thu
| honor that was theirs.
He found the place. The incarnate Wor,
searching for the written word. What con
descension was there! The Son Of Coz
humbling himself to fnl our level Of lif
and living. putting himself under the linn:
tat ons to which earthly minds are subject
unrolling the book his own ineffable spiri
has penned until he finds the reading an
let's his eyes follow the rude contrivanc e
Of human speech that we call letters. Til
other day our friend was telling US of
father and mother back at the old place
who have sent their deaf child to a inst
tute for the mute. and are filling up tn
evenings while he is absent studying sue
awkward signs and symbols OF language Il
must be used by thos. whose tongues ar
halt. lhey are nbasing themselves for love
sake to the lads level of speech hat the
may talk With him. See the Lord OF gIor
finding the place in the book. Was he NO
doing tho same when, cross-burdened. h
climbed GoIgsotha' finding the place o
The Spirit OF the Lord is upon me. Her
We have the signs of the Spirit. when tina
Spirit has unhindered sway. And what ar
they? A gospel for the poor healing TO
the broken-hearted, deliverance for cap
tive souls. enlightenment for blind eyes
liberty for the down-trodden. What
blessed reign is the reign OF the Spirit
Have We yet seen such at its full? NOV
and then tho Spirit is received by paste
and people, and straightway we see tn
/ moor lrnl1rht into on -pnnrnhnncinn nP IN
help the gospel has for them. Some an
guished hearts are comforted, some dark
ened minds illumined. some oppresse
backs set free. But. oh. to see it who'll
SO and continuously so! Then should W
realize the acceptable year of the Lord.
Let US keep on praying thy kingdo1
como" till not in part or in measure. bu
always and everywhere. In one heart an,
in all hea. is. the mind Of the Spirit sha
rule.
This day is this Scripture fulfilled in you
ears. Is It? This Scripture is fulfilled TO
you when upon the mental and moral vis;o
there rises II smitten FORM. on whom 70
see the wounding marks of your transgres
sions. the chastisement Of your peace upo
him. Look up and away: from the worl
and self. You see the Christ with the boo
in his hand. Your eyes are fastened upo
him. You wonder at the gracious word
that proceed out Of his mouth. And whu
OF it all! You are ready. like those Naza
lCAcS l IL = loIA yOoL upOu ILL
and to cast him out of your heart. Br
wait. Look again and see him lifted III
tbs thorn-p print on his brow, the mark {
the nail in his hand. the love OF a soul thu
has utterly given itself for you in his eye
When you begin to descry such an One, in
diligently. heartily. then one more poy
erty- stricken heart is having the gospt
preached INTO it.: one more burdened SO,
is going tree. Your acceptable time he
come. and this Scripture is blessedly fu,
filled for you.
Thrust him out. Who would do SO hear
less a thing? Any one. Any one who re
jects his message. The young man {
young woman who listens to the appeal
this lesson and refuses to accept the rel
subject OF appeal. the Lord Jesus Christ.
actually thrusting him out of the hear
Yea. is taking him to the edge of the cru
steep, as it were. to cast him over. "
fear not for the Divine Son of God. But,
child of earth. how often. think you. will
brook such ingratitude and such indignit,
It is, alas. yourself that may be thrust O,
and cast away. and that by your own han
Went his way. There is deepsuggestive
ness in the picture sketched by these fe
lines. They rose up to cast him out ar
were with him even to the cliffs edg
thinking to hurl him over. He let them e
They thought they were taking him, but |