The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-02-21
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON TOE
FEBRUARY "a.
Lesson Text: "Cbrist and the Man
Born Blind" John TX, Lii
Golden Text: Johnix
documentary.

j. "And as Jesus passed by He saw man
which was blind from his birth" In the or
der OF events this lesson probably preceded
that OF last week. II Is the only one given
to US from that whole section OF Johns gos-
pei from chapter vii, 2. to ", q, in which
we find Jesus at Jerusalem teaching in the
temple and hated by tho chief priests and
Pharisees. In chapter Will, ~, 2S, He pro-
cninls Himself rs the light OF the world and
the light of life, speaking only what the
Father told Him aud doing always those
things that please HIN, not seeking His own
glory oversees 20. 50).
2. "And His disciples asked Him. saying,
Master, who did sin, this man or his parents
that he was born blindY" II IL common
thing thing Z suppose that special suircrins. is
result of Individual sin. This Is sometimes
tho case as with tho men whom Jesus healed
at the pool Of Bethesda (chapter viii. lH,
but let us carefully observe the teaching OF
Jesus in this lesson. and we shall see that
while sin lies originally back of all sickness
and suffering for had there been no ain. sui.
tering would not have been. yet we must not
suppose in the case OF any individual that
there has been any special sin or that thcrc IL
any lnck Of faith In God back Of the suffering
3. Jesus answered, Neither hath this man
sinncd nor his parents. but that the works Oi
uod should be made manifest in him" There
can be no contradictions In Scripture, and as
IL Is written that "all have sinncd' (llom.
ILL.,, 23), Jesus did not say that neither this
man nor his parents had never sinned. but ir
answer to the disciples question He said that
this blindness was not tho result OF any spc.
cial sin. Why. then. was this man born
blindY Here is the answer That the work,
OF God might be seen In him. We are re-.
minded OF the question In Ex. iv., IL, "Whc
makcth the dumb or deaf. or the seeing oi
the blind? Have not I. the Lorb?"
4. 81 must work the works of Him that scnt
Me while 1t Is day. Tho night cometh. whcp
no man can work. Jesus delighted TO honor
the Father and to call Himself "Seut of Cod
More than thirty times in this gospel lIa Is SO
called, and when Hc finished His ministry lie
said said gladly TO His Father, Il have gloriile1
Thee on the earth (John xviii, ~. As tO al
tho works wrought by Him, He confessed
that II was the Father in Him who did the
works (John xiv, 10Y. For our comfort lie
tells us that, ~ the Father sent Him. so lie
sends us (John xviii. Is; Ky, 81 that lie Is
with US all the days having all power IN
heaven and on earth that lie will hold our
hand, be with our mouth and work In us both
to will and to do of His good pleasure (Math
Xxviil., 22i lsa. xii, l3i Ex. w., II; Phil
H., iS).
g. "As long as am in the world am the
light OF tho world Compare chapters viii.
IL, and xii, 80, SO. See proof oi His divu.
ity, for what mere man would dare to use
such words. being in his right mindg Then
hear Him ns lie says O. Ills disciples, "Nc ARE
the light II the world" (,la,h. v. IA, and
consider we'll the fact that. whether blind or
seeing, deaf or hearing, dumb or speaking,
sick or well, rich or poor, unto each one u
given the offer OF having God work lIis
works In u, and Of having Jesus live His
life in Us. The wonder Is that lie takes sin.
nen to do this. lie came to save sinners,
10 take lost ones and TO redeem them. illthy
ones and make then whittier than snow; that
In these redeemed and blood washed souls
He might reproduce His life and speak th,
words and work the works OF God (ll Cor
w., 10. IL.
6. "Whcn He had thus spoken, He spat on
the ground and made clay Of the splttle, and
He anointed the eyes OF the blind man with
the clay" Sometimes with word. some.
times with n touch and sometimes without
being present at all He wrought His works
and glOriiled God, but whether We may see
II or not there must have been always u rea.
son for the way He wrought. ON other oc.
casions we read Of His using Spite, n il
Mark VIII, 33; viii, 23. and by means Of thi.
spittie from His tongue both sight and hear.
Ing are restored either instantly Og gralu
ally, as it pl"asnth Him.
Z. "And .Gid unto hin, Go. wash IN the
pool OF Sil IN (Which H., by Interpretation,
SenD. He went his way, therefore. and
washed md came seeing All Is suggestive.
Jesus Is the "Sent Of God' (Gal. w., -. He
also Is the fountain of living water (Jcg. H.,
l3). He wRs God manifest IN the Iiosh i
Tim. ill.,, l6), 50 that both spittlo and earth
and Sloan are suggestive Of Him by wnum
the blind eyes were made - s'c. o. the
part Of the blind man there was simply sub.
mission and obedience, and thu, the victory.
\, THE ncghhOrs, therefore, and they
which beioEc had seen him that he was
blind, said. j. not this he that sat and
begGedY' The poor blind man had been ".
terly helpless, h. could give nothing and hs
could DO nothing 10y which 10 merit or Obtain
his sight Such is truly the real condition
Of all the unsavcd. but because they fancy
they are not blind (verse il) and not help.
less they insist on saying, "We soc,' and
'Wc can do very we'll, and thus they con.
tnue blind. When, however, any become
willing 10 be healed by Jesus and are truly
healed, their old acqunintanccs can hardly
tell whether 1t is they or not, the change l.
60 great.
.. Some said, This is he; others said, H
Is like him, but he said, | am he" II any
man be in Christ, he is u new creature. Old
things are passed away, and all things are be-
come new. Only one who was always blind
and had his eyes finally opened could sympa-
thize with this man in his newly found Joys
and experiences. He was In new world. "A
world Of which he had heard and something
OF which he had ielt, but which he now saw
for himself.
10. Therefore said they unto him, How
We're thine eyes oponedy" Since the world be-
gan no ono hNd ever heard that man opened
the eyes Of one born blind (Nerse j2), and this
was such an unheard of thing that some now
questioned rs to whether the man ever had
been blind (verse lS). To doubt the mrGcu.
lous Is still common sin. The difficulty
now IS that the proiessel followers OF Jesus
are, many OF them, nll-i with these doubts
and so zealously proclaim them that many are
affected thereby, but not Tor good.
IL. "He answered and said, man that Is
called Jesus made clay and anointcd mine
eyes and said unto me- Go % the pool Of 81.
loan and wash. and | went and washed. and
] received sight" These are the plain. sim.
pie. unyarnished facts given by IA competent
witness who could say. lone thing / know,
that whereas was blind now sae" (verse
25).-Lesson Helper.