Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-02-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES. FEB. %.


In the order ~ events this lesson probably
preceded that OF last week IL is the only
one given 70 vs. from tl8af whole section
OF J0hn's gospel from chapter VII, ?, 70 X
u. in which We find jesus az Jerusalem
teaching in the temple and hated by the
chief priests and Pharisees Ia chapter
viif. -. IS. He proclaims Himself "a the
liaht Of the world and the light of life
speaking only what the Father told Him
aud doing always those things that please
Him, not seeking His own glory lycrses
80, 50l.
.. And His disciples asked Him, say
ing, Master, who did sin, this man or his
parents, that ne was born blindg 1t il a
common thing to suppose that special suf
fering is caused by special sin and that
sickness is the result of individual sin.
This is sometimes the case as with the
men whom Jesus healed at the pool Of
Bethesda lchapfer viii, IA, but let rs
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 sin, sui
fering would not have been, yet we must
not suppose in the case Of any individual
that there has been any special sin or that
there is any lack OF faith in God back Of
| the suffering.
.. JESUS dAcNtItls 4NtititA IetAH t1io
man sinned nor his parents. but that the
| works Of God should be made manifest in
| him. There can be no con tradictions
| in Scripture, and as it is written that
all have sinned" (Rom Iii, 23) Jesus
did not say that neither this man nor his
parents had never sinned, but in answer
to the disciples question He said that this
blindness was not the result of any spe-
cial sin. Why, then, was this man born
blinds Here is the answer, That the works
of God might be seen in him. We are re-
minded of the question in Tx. iv, IL,
who maketh the dumb or deaf, or the
seeing or the blindg Have not |, the Lordy''
A. Il must work the works of Him that
sent me while it is day. The night cometh.
when na man can work. Jesus delight
ed to honor the Father and to call Him
self sent of God" More than 80 times
in this gospel He is SO called, and when
He finished His ministry He said gladly to
His Father, Il have glorified Thee on the
EARTH John xvii, A. AS to all the works
wrought by Him, He confessed that il was
the Father in Him who did the works
(John xiv, 100. For our comfort He
tells us that, as the Father sent Him,
80 He sends MS (John xvii, IS; Xxx, 2l);
that He is with us all the days having
all power in heaven and on earth; that
He will hold our hand, be with our mouth
and work in us both TO will and to do
OF His good pleasure (Math. xviii,
90; lisa. XII, 10; Ex. iv, IL; Phil. ii, 49,.
s. As long as am in the world am
the light of the world" Compare chapters
viii. 12, and XIII 80, SO. See proof of His
divinity, for what mere man would dare
to use such words, being in his right mindg
Then hear Him as BE says to His disciples,
Ye are the light of the world (Math. V,
l41, and consider well the fact that wheth-
er blind or seeing, deaf or hearing, dumb
or speaking, sick or well, rich or poor,
unto each one is given the offer Of having
God work His works in US, and of having
Jesus live His life in us. The wordcr is
that He takes sinners to do this. Hc c;.iic
to save sinners, to take lost ones anu re
deem them, filthy ones and make them
whittier than snow; that in these redeemed
and blood washed souls He might repro
duce His life and speak the words and
work the works of God III Cor. iv, Jn.<l1).
8 When He had thus spoken, He spat
CT tho ground and made clay of the spit
tie, and He anointed the eyes of the
blind man with the clay" Sometimes
with a word, sometimes with touch and
sometimes without being present at all
He wrought His works and glorifled God,
but whether we may see it or not there
must have been always a reason for the
way He wrought On other occasions we
read OF His using spittle, as in Mark vii,
3S; viii, 90, and by means of this spittle
from His tongue both sight and hearing
are restored either instantly or gradually
as it pleaseth Him.
And said unto him, Go, wash in
the pool OF Sloan (which is, by interpre-
tation, Sent). He went his way, there
A
is suggestive. Jesus is the Sent of Cod
Goal. Nv, A.. He also is the fountain of
living water (Jer. ii, 49,. He was God
manifest in the flesh Il Tim. iii, 16), so
that both spittle and earth and Sloan
are suggestive of Him by whom the blind
eyes were made co see. On the part of the
blind man there was simply submission
and obedience, and thus the victory.
s. sThe neighbors, therefore, and they
which before had seen him that he was
blind, said, Is not this he that sat and
beggedg'' The poor blind man had been
utterly helpless, he could give nothing
and he could do nothing by which to merit
or obtain his sight. Such is truly the real
condition of all the unsaved, but because
they fancy they are not blind (verse AID
and not helpless they insist on saying,
I'VE see, y and I'VE can do very well, I"
anu tit0c tAtt NOAt&AAuU b4AAAN- ttAAcats
however, any become willing TO be healed
by Jesus and are truly healed, their old
acquaintance can hardly tell whether 1t
is they or not, the change is so great
2. Some said, This is he; others said,
he is like him, but he said, am he. If
any man be in Christ, he is new crea-
ture. Old things are passed away, and all
things arc become new. Only one who
was always blind and had his eyes finally
opened could sylnpathize with this man in
his newly found joys and experiences. He
was in a new world, world of which he
had heard and something of which he had
felt, hut which he now saw for himself.
TO- Therefore said they unto him, How
were thine eyes openedsn Since the world
began no one had ever heard that a man
opened tho eyes of one born blind (verse
Ss), and this was such an unheard of thing
that some now questioned as TO whether
the man ever had been blind (verse 49,
To doubt the miraculous is still common
sin. The difficulty now is that the pro
fessed followers of Jesus are. many OF
them, filled with these doubts and so zeal
ously proclaim them that many are affect
ed thereby. but not for good.
IL. He answered and said, A man that
is called Jesus made clay and anointed
mine eyes and said unto me. Go to the
pool of Sloan and wash, and l went and
washed, and received sight These ere