Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-10
HEALING THE BLINDMAN
LESSON xI, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. IS

Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission Of IL s. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adelphia.l
L "And IN Jesus passed by lie saw a
man which was blind from his birth"
And being full Of compassion His heart
went out to this poor man, who had now
spent over score OF years in darkness.
both physical and spiritual (verse 2i(
= and His disciples asked Him, saying,
Master, who did sin, this man, or his par
ents, that he was born blindr
That all suffering Is the direct result OF
some sin on the part OF the sufferer or his
ancestors Is not only very old but very
common belief. That 1t Is sometimes the
case Is evident from the words of Jesus
himself Behold. thou art made whole; sin
no more, lest Il worse thing come unto
thee" John " ~ But to conclude that
~ Is always 30 would be directly contrary
to the teachings of, Scripture, for Whom
the Lord loveth He chasteneth."
.. "Jesus answered, Neither hath this
man sinned, nor his parents, but that the
works Of God should be made manifest in
him"
In the light OF the testimony of all Scrip
ture Is the only way to understand any
Scripture From this saying OF Christ
some might blndly conclude that we have
here sinless man-with sinless parents; but
whatsa the ScripturesY "All have sinned
and come short Of the Glory of God;'
"Therr Ii none righteous, no, not one
from Ill, 10, 23) The words Of Christ are
an answer to the question OF the disciples
concerning this mans blindness and the
reason OF 1t, aud lie simply says that there
was no special sin on the part of the par
ents by reason OF which they were given Il
blind son, but on the contrary this blind
man was going to furnish special oppor
tunity for, the manifestation of the power
OF God. See also the reason why Lazarus
WINS permitted to sicken and die (chapter
XXI, 4, 10, 40)
II must work the works of Him that
sent me, while 1t Is day; the night cometh
when no man can work"
Over thirty times In this gospel Jesus
says that the Father sent Him, and He con
stantly appeals TO the works MS evidence
that he was sent by God Chapters " 80; X,
%; xiv, 10; XIV, pa
8 "As long as am In the world am
the light OF the world"
This also lie often repeats, as In chap
ters viii, IL; xiii 49, a. He Is both Life
and Light, and neither death nor dark
ness can abide In His presence.
@ "When He had thus spoken He spat
on the ground and made clay of the spittle,
and He anointed the eyes of the blind man
with the clay"
Sometimes He made the blind to see with
a word, and Immediately mark X, 52) |
sometimes by the use Of a medium, as the |
clay and spittle and waters Of Sloan, as
In this case and sometimes gradually, as
In the case Of the man who first saw men |
as trees walking and then when Jesus put |
His hands on him second time he saw
clearly Mark viii 1925.
2. "And said unto him, Go, wash in the |
pool of Sloan (Which is by Interpretation, |
SENT. He went his way therefore, and |
washed, and came seeing"
Jesus was just rs able to open his eyes |
with a word, and on the spot, as in the case |
of the blind men at Jericho, but He saw |
fit to do as He did for some wise purpose. |
There may be q connection between the |
Significance Of Sloan (Sent) and the fact
that He so often speaks of Himself as Sent
by the Father.
8 "The neighbors, therefore, and they
which before had seen him that he was
blind, said. Is not this he that sat and
beggedp"
0. "Some said, This is he; others said,
And surely he ought to know. The
change In the mans appearance was so
great that he was barely recognizable even
by those who had known him best. Imy
self have seen one who had been n drunk
ard and blasphemer so changed even in
his features by the spirit of God In him
that his former friends would scarcely
know him.
TO- Therefore said they unto him, How
were thine eyes openedW
The change was SO great and so clearly
manifest that the people could not help
inquiring how 1t came about. When a
work of grace in ones heart becomes so
outwardly manifest In the life that people
observe 1t and inquire about it, then God
is Rlorifled.
II. HE answered and said A man that
ts called jesus made clay and anointed
mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the
pool OF Sloan and wash and went and
washed, and received ~, 1T"
This Is his testl .ony, simple, full
straightforward. The man called Jesus
did 1t ALL and he, the blind man, simply
obeyed. Where was the faith in this in
stance, either on the part of the man or his
parents or friends, before Jesus spoke to
himi Faith cometh by hearing the word
of God (Rom. X, l7).
8S. Jesus heard that they had cast him
out, and when He had found him He said
unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of
GodP"
80. HE answered and said Who is he,
Lord. that might believe on lIim"
The greatest question that can be asked
of any mortal is that which Jesus asked,
this man In the last verse, or Pilates ques
ton, "What shall do with JesusS" If
all were as ready as this man how blessed
It would bel
81. "And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast
both seen him, and it Is he that talketh
with thee"
The woman of Samaria said, IL know
that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ
9 Jesus saith unto her, that speak
unto thee am he" Nv, -, 26). And imme-
diately she went off to the city with the
tidings So Jesus now reveals Himself to
this man rs the need of his unsatisled
soul; even as after the resurrection He re
vealed himself to weeping Mary, the sor
rowful two, the perpleXed women, the fear
full disciples, doubling Thomas, the hungry
and disappointed fishermen, and in every
case tears, doubts, fears and perpleXities
all vanished, and there was JOY aud peace
and plenty "
8A "And be said, Lord, | believe. And
he worshiped Him."
Happy man; for as a believer he at
once received all the riches of Gods
grace In Jesus Christ. do not say
he at once enjoyed all the riches of
Gods grace, but he became possessor and
began TO enjoy Consider the possessions
of one who can truly say, Lord, l be.
neve." According to the infailible testi
mony of Gods word he has eternal life, Is
q child OF God, has the forgiveness Of sins,