The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-02-13
rHe SUNDAY SCHOOL.


ARRANGED from Peloubet's Note8.1sA
GOLDEN TExr.-They glorined God, say
ing; That . great prophet u risen up
THE sEcr1oN.-1n this chapter We have
four ways in which Jesus helped men. a.
The centurion's servant, help In sick.
ness. (O Raising the widows son. help in
death. 90 The prisoner Of Macherus, help
In spiritual depression. ~ Salvation, new
life, for Pharisees, publicans and sinners.
Parallel accounts to two Of the stories
found in Matt S:1s; II :2-16
TrME.-Summer Of A. D. a. Seventh
month Of the great Galilean ministry.
PLAcD.-Capernaum, on the northwest
town rs miles southwest of Capernaum and
seven miles from Nazareth.
LESSEN NOTES.
I. The CENTuR1oN's SERvANT.-Vs.
9-1O. centurion in the Roman army
was the captain of 100 men. A legion
was made up of 80 of these companies,
or Centuries" His servant was dear
unto him." Note how delightful the re-
lation of master and servant can be,
when both are filled with the right
spirit. This servant was sick of the
palsy and at the point of death. And
the centurion sent to Jesus that He
might heal the servant. And elders
Of the Jewish government begged
Jesus urgently, because the centurion
loved their nation and had expressed
his interest and faith in their religion
by building synagogue. Then Jesus
went with them, for the plea of the
Jewish delegation showed that their
centurion had faith, and was pre-
pared to receive the larger spiritual
blessings. In this sense he was worthy,
but he himself felt 81 am not worthy"
Humility and faith naturally abide to-
gether in the same soul. Then the CEN
turion showed the unusual greatness of
his faith by sending other friends with
the message: "Say in a word, and
my servant shall be healed" For the
centurion conceived of the position of
Jesus as somewhat like to his own, that
is, as authorized by a higher power,
therefore authoritative. The centurion's
word was all powerful in the ranks
he commanded, and he believed that
Jesus had the unseen forces over dis
eases, over angels and spirits. Jesus
was filled with admiration at the CEN
turion's faith. None such had been
manifested before anywhere, and now
it appeared, not in jew, but in Cen
tile. "And they that were sent, re-
turning to the house, found the serv-
ant whole that had been sick"
II. THE WIDow OF NAIN.-Vs. 11-16.
Soon after this Jesus went on tour to
the southwest and came near to Main.
Here He met funeral procession. The
dead was the only son Of widowed
mother. The condition of widows in
the cast, especially childless ones, was
so sad and dependent as to give added
poignacy to this widows sorrow.
Jesus did not wait for her to ask for
help. The Lord knows our deepest
feelings and unuttered hopes and long
ings. Every need is a prayer, every
hopeless sorrow is petition. Jesus
gently bade her weep not" He would
remove the cause of her weeping. Then
He spoke the word of power, which re-
called the soul to the body, like the
voice that on the resurrection day all
the dead shall hear and obey, and gave
him back again 10 his mother. "And
there came fear on all: and they
glorified God, saying, that a great
prophet is risen up among us; and that
God hath visited His people"
III. The PRISONER OF MAcHERUs
(vs. s-35).-About 100 miles from
where Jesus was doing these marvel
Gus works of mercy John, the forerun-.
ner, was languishfng in dungeon Of
Castle Macherus. He was having a
bitter experience, a season of doubt.
One reason for this dependency may
have been that Jesus in Galilee, with
His twelve working men, presented So
different a picture from Johns idea of
the Messiah. Then, again, only 100 miles
from his dreary castle Jesus. the Re-
deemer from God, is preaching the Cos
pei for the poor, deliverance to the
captive. Why does He not deliver the
captive, His friend and helper? 1t was
dark for John. But the report of
Jesus marvellous works reached him,
and he sent an embassy directly to
Jesus for explanations and assurance.
This is the true way for all in time of
doubt.
". HELP FOR PHARIsEEs, PUBLIC
ANS AND SINNERS Tvs. 36-50) To
Pharisees, class who prided them
selves on their eXclusiveness, and who
were bitterly intolerant of all outside
their narrow circles; class against
whom Jesus denounced His bitterest
woes for their conduct. (2) To an
outcast, disreputable sinner, who