Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-05-07
RS SUNDAY scaool.
international Lesson for May 3, 1896
FaIfh-E-uke n: $40.
IArIansed 10 Peloubet's Notes.l

Luke 1875
THE SEcrIoN.-,2early the whole chapter
can be used in this lesson in its bearing
upon faith. Verses Ia show the need OF
faith; verses ;. 6, together with the paFal-
lels, express the power of faith; verses Il.
10 show the faith through which help
comes; verses 20. 81. faith to see the unseen
kingdom and 10 be patient and faithful
The power OF faith. verse 6, has its paral-
lels in Matthew It: %. p: 1872; Mark i: 20-
"a; and John IA: y. Many examples of faith
are found in Hebrews H.
TIAfE.-Verses SIZE. December, A. d. -.
or January, A. ID. 90. The healing of the
lepers, in March. A. p. 50, shortly before
the crucifixion.
PLAcE.-on the border line between
Ephraim across the Jordan. and down
through Peree to Bet.cny.
LESSON NOTES
/. LORD, INCREASE Our FAITH.-v.
5. Those who had been ihe longest
with Jesus. who knew Him best, and
had the fullest and strongest faith in
Him, were the ones out of all the
multitude who most desired more faith
and most clearly realized their need
of it. ITO him that hath shall be
given" He that knows something is
most anxious 20 know more. lie that
uses earnestly his little faith is inn
pressed with the necessity of more
faith. Hence the prayer.
Ii. The POWER OF FAITH.-V. g. The
Lord answers their request by suggest
ing that faith is increased by using
the little faith they have to gain more,
for IF We had faith as grain of mus
tard seed (the smallest of garden seeds)
We might say unto the sycamine tree:
Be plucked up by the root, and be thou
planted in the sea; and it should obey
you." Plainly the Apostles understood
Jesus metaphor. Roofing up sycamine
trees, removing mountains into the sea
would have been useless works. But
they were to root up sin from human
hearts. and worldliness, and prejudice,
and hatred. and selfshness. Mountains
could be removed in time with pick
and shovel, but who can move these
greater moral mountains?
III. THE HuMnITY OF FAITH.-vs.
7-10. The parable of the blowing slave
is simply an illustration from daily
life. This parable expresses only one
aspect of Gods relation to His chill
dren. There is no gain to God in our
doing our duty. He can get ii done
in other ways if He would. We have
no ground for pride or self-righteous-
ness. These qualities injure US. Faith
tainted with them is like salt that has
lost its SAVIOR. Another aspect is given
in other Scriptures, where God loves
to show His regard for all faithful
service
Nv. FAITH AND LIFE, PRESENT AND
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES verse 10 and IL
belongs John IL, the raising of Lazarus
from the dead. The faith of His dis
ciples here received new impetus from
seeing the power of Christ over death, a
witness to eternal life beyond the grave.
V. FAITH AND EARTHLY BLESSINGS.
VS.. 11-19.-Jesus had continued His
journey to Bethany and Jerusalem,
raised Lazarus from the dead in Janu-
airy, and then on account of the intense
hostility of the Jews, retired to Ephraim
in the mountains north of Jerusalem,
where lie remained some time, probably
teaching His apostles in private, till it
was time for Him to go back to Jerusa-
lem for the final scenes. He was now
on His way thither, going in the middle
way between Samaria and Galilee, east
ward toward the Jordan.
Leprosy was common disease, and
groups of lepers were not infrequent.
Ieprosy is hereditary, constitutional,
semi-contagious, deceitful, loathsome,
impure, incurable disease. 1t was ten
such men that met Jesus. Their call
upon Him showed that they had some
kind and degree of faith in Him. They
had doubtless heard of those who had
already been cured by Jesus luke 5:I2.
49,. Faith loves to stand on facts.
When leper was cured, before he could
be restored to society, he was requested
to show himself to the priest, to make
an offering, and to be officially pro-
nounced clean. (See Lev. IA; Matt.
s:4. Christ's command thus implied
promise of cure. They were to act as
if they We're cleansed, and trust to
Christ that the cleansing would come in
His own time and way. Every miracle
is parable; in this is hint to those
NhS W eAb DtAOdC ClitCIIIE O1
Christian duty until they have received
some personal sense of Divine pardon.
To such the command of Christ is: Go,
assume that can and viii cleanse you /;
and begin the life of one who has been
cleansed.s
and one of them turned back" Not
IN disobedience to Jesus, for he would
quickly obey, but in obedience to tlse
higher duty of gratitude and love. The
others went on in their cold and formal
obedience. "And he was a Samar-
itan," unframed in the true religion,
and probably separated from the Others
as soon as they found themselves cured.
This man felt all the more the goodness
of Jesus in healing him. Where are the
nine? All had stood the test of faith.
but the others had failed IN the test OF
love.
AS all had been cured of leprosy,
Christ's saving: "Thy faith hath made.