The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-02-12
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LEssON FOR
FEBRUARYN16.
Lesson Text: "The Great Helper,
Luke viii, 2-16-Golden Text; y
Luke vii., 18-Com- ~
mentary. .,'s. =

heuIdES '..f. ~
2. There being 80 many verses in this les
son. we will omit quotations from the text OF
the lesson. We now find Him in Capernaum,
which In Math. ix.. 1, Is called His own
city," probably because when reject:d at
Nazareth He made Capernaum His Galilean
center and there wrought go many OF His
mighty works. The first fact OF this lesson,
next to the presence of Christ, Is that Ro-
man centurion had a servant who was very
dear to him. and this servant was at this
time very sick, and it seemed as if heSwould
die. Matb. viii. 6, says that his sickness was
the palsy. and that he was grievously tor
mented. He was helpless man. s..
8. This centurion seems to have known
somewhat of Jesus. either having heard or
seen some of the things which He had done,
and hearing that he was in the city he sent
some OF the elders of the Jews to ask Him to
come and heal his servant. We may imagine
that the centurion lost no time. His dear
servant seemed to be dying; there was no
hope for him, no human helper; the only one
who could help was in the city; the one
thing to do was to have Him come quickly.
Jesus Is the very same to-day. II helpless,
IS. When the elders came to Jesus. their
plea was that the centurion was worthy be-
cause he had shown his love for the Nation
oy building synagogue. The same thought
Is in many minds to-day. for there are many
who think that II they build church, or
give so much to the church, or to the Door,
or to missions, or to some good cause, they
will thus merit the favor of God, whereas
the fact is that grace means favor for the
undeserving, the poor and the helpless and
even those who are rebellng against God.
all Ill -oI
passages until you SEQ the meaning Of grace.
6. Jesus at once went with them, not be-
cause the centurion was worthy, but because
of the need Of the poor, sick and helpless
servant, but other servants met Him, from
the centurion, with this message: II am not
worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my
roof" The grace Of God was doing some
thing for this man, for II Is only by grace
that we get true humility. Job thought a
great deal Of himself till he, saw God; then
he abhored himself and magnifed Goo.
Compare Job xxx. with Kill, 6, and see also
lisa. W.. 5. and Dan x..
2. Not only did the centurion feel unworthy
to have Jesus come into his house, but he
also felt unworthy even TO cometo Jesus and
now sends by these servants this message:
''Say In word, and my servant shall be
healed" or, as in Math. viii, 8, ''Speak the
word only" Isit possible that he hadsbe-
come familiar with these words OF Scripture,
SPY the word OF the Lord were the heavens
made" he spake, and 1t was done," HE
sent bis word and healed them" Cps. 1xxiii.,
6, 8; evil, 20) And was he thus led to have
such unbounded confidence in this One
whom he evidently believed to be God or
sent of God?
8. He knew what 1t was to obey and to be
obeyed, and somehow he had faith In this
Man that He could command diseases and
demons at pleasure. It is written In the
Psalms, from which book we have already
wanderingly quoted. that "6re and hail. snow
and vapors and stormy wind fulAll His
word" and that the angels who excel in
strength do His commandments, hearkening
unto the voice of His word (Ps. cxlviii., g.;
Gill;, 2O), and that, though the Lord be
high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly (Ps.
cxxxviii., 81. Did this centurion learn bis
faith and humility from this book?
9. Such faith was go pleasing to the Lord
that He spoke Of 1t to the people as excelling
ny.faith that He had seen in Israel. With
out faithit is impossible to please God (Heb
xi., 81, but by believing Him and having con.
fdence In Him we can please Him. That
the disciples receivedthe words OF the Lord
made Him so glad that He spoke OF 1t to His
Father in His prayer on the night before His
crucifixion. (John xviii, 80. Consider also
the faith of the Syro-Phoenician In Msth.
xv., 49,
10. When the messengers returned the SER
want was well. 1t would appear from the
account in Matthew that, having sent the
elders and then the servants. he afterward
went himself tc meet the. Lord, and that the
Lord said unto him, $50 thy way, and as
thou hast believed so be It done unto thee. "
We are reminded Of the nobleman OF Caper-
naum whose son was sick, and to whom
Jesus said. $50 thy way; thy son Iveth. :
The man believed the word and went and
found as Jesus had said (John iv., 500: As
surance and Joy and peace all come by be.
lieving (Rom. xv., 1S).
II. We now find Him entering the city OF
Main, accompanied by many OF His disciples
and much people. Being sent OF God and
filed with the Spirit, he went about doing
good and everywhere taught and healed. He
was truly the Comforter in the power OF the
Spirit. He has given us the same Holy
Spirit, whom He calls "the Comforter, that
He in US may still go about doing good In
His name. for we are here in Christ's stead
to magnify God.
70. AS He entered the city the body OF q
dead man was being carried out for burial,
and he had been-the only stay Of his poor
mother, and she widow. In very short
time the body would be laid away out OF the
sight Of that broken hearted widow.
IS. The Comforter, the Almighty helper.
the Resurrection and the Life, meets ner. BE
is sorry for her, and He says. Weep not. "
The time is coming when He vii wipe away
all tears and there shall be crying no more
even on this earth (Rev. VIII, II; xxi, a.
but until that time the tears come. and come
again even though we wipe them away. Yet
there might be fewer tears II there was more
faith in Him.
IA, is: At His word the procession stops
He speaks to the dead man, the man lives
sits UP and begins to speak, and Jesus, In
stead of saying to him, Follow Me- give;
him back to his mother. What word Is this
It Is even the same that created the world
that spake and it was done; the same word
that at the appointed time will bring all dead
bodies from their graves (John ", 2S), the
righteous at the beginning and the rest al
the end OF the hour, or thousand years Grew
Xxx, 5.6).
16. They acknowledged Him as a great
prophet and glorifed God, saying that BIC
had visited His people. BY and by BE will
come in power and glory, and Israel shat!
say: "This is our God. We have waited
for Him, and He will save u.s." Then will
He swallow up death In victory and wipe
away all tears Qsa. XIV, 8, 81. Let His
word enter US now and give foretaste ol
+baza th;noc II osaon Halndr