The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-30
THE SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
FEBRUARY 2.
Lesson Text "The Power OF Jesus"
Luke w., 17-26-Goldcn Text:
Luke W, 21-Com-
mentary.


Pharisees and doctors OF the law sitting by,
which were come out OF every town of Cali
lee and Judea aud Jerusalem. and the power
OF the Lord was present to heal them" The
title Of this lesson Is "Thc Power of Jesus"
and 1t Is seen In this chapter In the draft OF
fishes, the healing OF the leper and OF the
paralytic, but specially in the forgiveness OF
sins. As He was teaching on this particular
occasion the house was full OF leading and
influential religious people, but He, the
humble carpenter OF Nazareth in their esti-
nation. thought not Of their opinion and so,
rs always, pleasing the Father, He preached
the word unto them MARK H., 2). Although
the power OF the Lord was present Co heal,
they hal come not TO be healed, nor to be
blessed. and they got neither.
IL. "And, behold, men brought in u bed
man which was taken with palsy, and thry
sought means TO bring him in and To- lay him
before Him. The pharisces and doctors
needed no help, I'm their own estimation. but
here Is n poor, afflicted. helpless man sally
needing help and very conscious of IL.
There IL n saying that "God helps those who
help Themselves" but the whole story and
teaching OF Scripture are 10 the ercct that
"God helps those who cannot help thcm-
selves the utterly helpless and hopeless,
humanity speaking. as the lepcrs. the blind,
the dumb, the deaf and the paralyzcd. and
such a. could give Him no rccompcnsc but
themselves In gratitude for Ills loving kind
uess.
~. They went upon the house top and
let him down through the tling, with his
couch, into the midst before Jesus Their
sympathy was practical. they were very per-
scycring. they manifested their faith 10y their
works 1t may be that each Of tho four had
himself been healed OF somo intlrmty and
therefore thcy could truly sympathi1e with
their friend. and having each for himself
seen and known tho power Of jesus they
knew thut could they only get him to Jesus
the thing would be- done.
/ 90. "And when IIe saw their faith. He said
| unto them, Man. thy sins uro forgiven thee
We rcnd in Math. viii. S-l3, Of the faith that
said. "Spcak the word only and my servant
shall be healed" and without oven seeing
/ the sick one Jesus healed him. The faith of
these men seems hardly 80 great as that ot
The centurion, but u was real faith In J"sus,
though different IN degree, and II pleased
the Lord. "WithOut faith 1t IL impossible to
please Him (H y. XII, G). The man was
brought 10 be n In OF HIS palsy, hut Jesus,
like n skillful physician. sees the true sources
oi his troubles aud begins the cure at tho
fountain head. \ sickness IL tho direct
result Of inuiyidual SIN, but sometimes u II
80. a. IN John ". II.
n. 'Wno can forgive sins but God alonr2'
Thus reasoned the scribcs and Phari-oes as
/ they heard the words OF Jesus TO the sick
clan. We may imagine their CONSERVATION
/ aud possibly scowls and anger az they saw
.
trast tho perfect calm Of Jesus, unm"Ned by
having his discourse interrupted. or by the
disturbance overhead, or by the hatred in
their hearts, the very essence OF peace and
1uietncss, II" who said TO winds and waves,
"Peacc, be- still" was Himself always peace
'ul aud still, for He lived In the presence Ot
God, the God OF peace.
%. "But when Jesus perceived their
thoughts He, answering, said unto them,
What reason We In your hcartsY' II Is writ
ten of Him, Il know the things that como
into your mind every ono OF them Geek
xi., 81. He unierstaudcth even the imag-
nation OF the thoughts of the heart Il Chron.
xviii, W. He understands our thought
afar of (Ps. cNNNiN., -. II isa great com
fort TO u sincere heart that trusts in Him
that He eau read the heart aud that lie
thoroughly understands rs. II T., on the
contrary, anguish 10 the unsavcd when they
allow themselves to think Dt It that thciI
every thought j. known TO the scarchcr oI
hearts See Jcr. xvii, 10.
%. whether II Is r1soir TO say, Thy sins
be forgiven thee, or 70 say, Rise up Hnd
walk An ordinary physician may effect n
cure for the body; but only God can hna
the soul. one has said that the work o
creation was completed in six days, hut The
work Of redemption kept th" Son of God or
earth for over ihirty-thrce years. Concern
ing the first, lie spake AMI IL was done. bu
to accomplish the second God became maI
and suffered nd"scrhablc agony OF body
and soul for our sins. To forgive sins Il
surely the greatest work, for It cost God th'
most
a. "Thc Son OF Man hath power on earth
10 forgive sins" Therefore the Son OF Mar
is none other than the Son Of God. even Goo
Himself. Instead OF sayinS, rs their unbelie
said, "Who can forgive sins but God aloneg
faith would have said, "He iorgiveth sins
therefore lie must be our God, according
70 la, kill, 20. What Joy that He still
iorg;res SINS have hG"n glad io" ."'tnty
two years that lie has forgiven my sins, an,
ilrst saw It In John H., IL. ! have hat n
dream. On yisiJ3 about II, but believe God
| rest in the finished work OF the Lord Jesu
Christ and just take Him at His word. be
liove also that as truly as He redoems tn
soul He will In due time redeem the body.
25. "And Immediately he rose up betor
them and took up that whorcon h9 lay an,
d.Uarted 10 his own house. glOrilying God.
We read at least seven times in this goSp'
"of glorlfying God" The shepherds glor
fed God when they had seen the babe In III
! mauger, the people glorihed God when the
had seen the widows son raised To lie, IN
woman who was bowed down eighteen year
glOrlned God when she was made strnigh
one Of the ten lepers glOriiied God, the bin
man gloriiled God and the Roman centurio
gloriiled God d., 20: ", 20, 20; VIII, II
xiii, -; xvii, 10; xviii, i3; KILL, 4D. W
|
when we make II manifest to others that v
have confidence in Him. and do actual
trus, Him, when we, by patience and meeI
ness, by love and Joy and long suffering an
kindness. make II very plain 10 others thu
Christ Himself is living In us and that v
belong TO Him.
20. "And they were all amazed, and the
gloriled God and were filed with Tea
saving, We have seen strange things Z
day." They had seen an impossibilty, h
: manly speaking. They had seen the supe
natural. They saw sin sick soul ma
clean and whole. n sick body made well, al
they saw preacher undisturbed by an !
, terruptei discourse, or by the anger OF Il
, influential people in His audience.
these things were supernatural and gloi
fed God, and they gorited God when IN
, acknowledged His hand In the healing
the pasied man.-Lesson Helper.
A Lesson Misapplied.
, II seems strange that n chlld's min