The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-02-13
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
1, spared by H. X. ninas. A. NJ. n. D.
The Great Helper.
February 10. Luke 7;9.It

The Great Helper.
February 10. Luke 7.2-Ie.
Golden Text.-They gloriHed God say.
ing a great prophet is arisen among US.
Luke 7.18.
The occurrences Of this lesseu follow i'm
mediately those OF the last. From the
mountain height Of Hattin to tie vale Of
was a transition not more
marked in It's physical features than was
the contrast between the great truths de-
livered from that mountain pulpit, and the
humble and helpful service Immediately
rendered to poor suffering humanity, in
and about Capernaum. See this Man Of
Galilee, as He had gradually revealed
Himself by miracle and teaching as the
Messiah, and now in this mountain dis
course has reached the climax OF self
assertion, in that He spoke OF Himself as
Lord and Judge Of the earth. See Him
now descending from such an altitude Of
divine dignity and authority into the
vale OF humility, mingling among the
poor and suffering IONS and daughters OF
men, healing the sick, raising the dead,
and comforting the ~disconsolate. How
grandly and sweetly blended are the hu-
man and divinel This can be none other
than the Goldman.
THE CENTURION AND HIS SERVANT
Scarcely had he reached his Caperna-
um than came a request for help from an
nnsxpected source. Palestine wns a cons
qusred province OF Rome. Located in
e9sne Of the most populous and wealthy
<atflsf ssrry NpaiH ~ rosis zsrieaa
RSEhkn 5nicers and soldiers. for tho pur-
pase Of keeping the Jews in subiection 10
Roman authority. The Centurion OF our
lesson was such an officer, having under
command n hundred soldiers. He
was, OF course, a Gentle, and we can only
as to what extent he had
of the character OF Jesus. We are
bound to believe, however, that he had
witnessed or heard OF some of the mar
Vicious miracles OF the Lord and doubtless
of some OF His d~iscourses. OF His
servant we know nothing more than that
he was sick Of the palsy Matt. S:6) grew
ously tormented and very near death. 1t
is not improbable that this servant, who
twas dear unto his MASTER, had oppor-
tunities OF seeing and hearing the Great
Physician as he passed in and out Of the
cities and at his request the indulgent and
loving Centurion had sent for Jesus; and
thus we may have here again another ex-
ample OF the corporation OF faith. The
seeming discrepancies between Matthew
and Luke disappear by the application OF
the ordinary rules OF interpretations
Matthews count is brief and he speaks
Of the Centurion as coming in person to
Jesus in the same sense as we often speak
Of doing things ourselves that are lone
by our direction. Following Luke, we
End the Centurion sent elders OF the Jews
beseeching Him to come and heal His
servant. These elders promptly and
earnestly delivered the message, enforc-
ing the request by the statement that he
who made it was worthy, having loved
their nation and built their synagogue.
Jesus Immediately responded, and as He
came near the house the Centurion sent
other friends to meet Him saying: "Lord
trouble not myself; for / am not worthy
that thou shouldest enter In under my
roof; wherefore, neither thourht / my
self worthy to ONE unto thee; but say in
q word, and my servant shall be healed.
For l also am a man set under authority
having under me soldiers, and l say unto
one, Go, and he goeth; and to another
Come, and he cometh; and to my servant
Do this, and he doeth It,"
No need Of any comment on his Ian
guage. Here was an illustration Of faith
that commepds itself to every one; apt
no wonder that Jesus marvelled INT pait
him the tribute He did: II have seer
so great faith, no, not in Israeli" And il
Matthew it is added: Sand Jesus sale
unto the Centurion, go thy way; and a
thou hast believed so shall 1t be untt
thee. And his servant was healed in tn,
selisame hour" Only or one occasion
is it said that Jesus "marveled" and tina
was at Nazareth, where faith was expect,
ed, but not found. Mark 6:8. Nothing il
this world seemed to give him SO mucl
pleasure az the exercise OF human faith
In contemplating this scene DIR. Parker
exclaims: 80 that we could have seei
that marred and sorrow-ridden face wheI
He lifted it up and marvelled. He Him
self had seen a miracle; His own miracles
viewed as mere expressions OF power, fel
into i%nsignidcance before the mifacl
performed by the Centurion, the mil acl
OF all-trust, living, loving, simple, un
questioning, undisputing trust. A grea
wave OF emotion swelled His heart
forecasting the ages, He saw the crow
already rounding into shape that was u
set upon His own head, and though tn
cross lay between Him and that crown
He endured the cross and despised tn
shame. We have it in our power Il
gladden. His heart. How pleased He al
ways was with faith. II a man locke,
trustfully at Him He called him a son @
Abraham; : a woman touched the hem G
His garment and He called her 'daugh
ter and sent her home with peace. II
does not ask our intellect, our pomp, GU
grandeur: but when we look up to Hir
and say Lord, ] believe it fills His sou
with Joy. He keeps back nothing fror
faith"
THE WIDOW OF MAIN.
The great physician had now entere
all the realms OF nature and made he
laws obedient to His divine will. He wa
no specialist" in the profession Of med
cine and surgery, but all diseases an
physical defects were equally under I'll
control. He used no medicines or sur
gical apparatus. BY the simple word c
His power all diseases fed and the lam
and hind -and deaf were made whol,