Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-01-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 2.

24-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
II. "And it camc to pass on certain
day as lie was teaching that there wero
Pharisccs and doctors of the law sitting
by, which were como out of every town Of
Galilcc and Judca and Jerusalem, and tho
power of the Lord was present to heal
them" The title of this lesson is "Tho
Power of Jesus. and it is seen in this
chapter in the draft of fishes, the healing
of the lcpcr and Of the paralytic but spe-
cially in the forgiveness of sins. As He was
teaching on this particular occasion tho
house was full of leading and influential
religious people, but He, the humble car
penter of Nazareth in their estimation,
thought not of their opinion and so, as al
ways, pleasing the Father He preached
the word unto them (Mark ii, p. AL
though the power of the Lord was present
to heal, thcv had come not to be healed,
nor to he blessed and they got neither.
IS "And. behold, men brought in bed
a man which was taken with palsy. and
they sought means To bring him in and to
lay hiln before Him" The Pharisecs and
doctors rrrGpd 10 help. in their own esti-
nation at here is u poor afflicted, help
less mqr sally needing help and very con-
sHious Of it,. There is saying that Good
helps those who help themselves" but tho
whole story ana teaching of Scripture are to
the effect THAT "God helps those who can
not help themselves tho utterly helpless
and hopeless humanity speaking, as tho
lcpcrS, the blind. the dumb, the deaf and
the paralyzcd. and such as could give Him
no rCcompcnsC but themselves in gratitude
for His loving kindness.
10 "Thcy went upon the house top and
let him down through the thing with his
couch, into the midst before Jesus. " Their
sympathy was practical, they were very
pcrscvorng, they manifested their faith
by their works. 1t may be that each OF
the four had himself been healed of some
infirmity and therefore they could truly
sympathizc with their friend, and having
each for himself seen and known the pow
or of Jesus they knew that could they only
get him to Jesus the thing would be done.
20. "And when He saw their faith, Hu
said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven
thee" We read in Math. viii, S-13, of thu
faith that said, "Spcal the word only and
my servant shall be healed, - and without
even seeing the sick ono Jesus healed him.
Tho faith of these men seems hardly 81
great as that of the centurion but it was
real faith in Jesus, though different in de-
gree and it pleased the Lord. "Withuut
faith it is impossible to please Him (llcb.
xi, 81. The man was brought to he healed
of his palsy but Jesus. like a skillful ply
stefan, secs the true source Of his troubles
and begins the cure at the fountain head.
Not all sickness is the direct result Of in
diVidual sin but sometimes it is So rs in
John Y, IA.
2l. "Who can forgive sins but God
alonc:' Thus reasoned the scribes and
Pharsccs as they heard the words of Jesus
to the sick man. We may imagine their
CONSERVATION and possibly scowls and AN
ger as they saw the roof broken up over
their heads Contrast the perfect calm Of
Jesus, unmovcd by having His discourse
interrupted, or by the disturbance over
head, or by the hatred in their hearts, tho
very essence Of peace and quietness, He
who said to winds and waves, Peace, be-
stillu' was Himself always peaceful and
still for He lived in the presence of God,
the God of peace.
%. "3ut when Jesus perceived their
thoughts He, answering, said unto them,
What reason We in your heartsy' 1t is writ
ten of Him, II know the things that coma
into your mind every one of them" (Ezek.
xi. 3D. He UNDERSTANDABLE even the mag
nation of the thoughts of the heart q
Chron. xviii, -. He understands our
thought affair off ops. cXXXiX. p. 1t is Il
great comfort toa sincere heart that trusts
in Him that He can read the heart and
that He thoroughly understands us. 1t is
on the contrary, anguish to the unSaVcd
when thrv ALLOW themselves to tbinl, nf il
that tbcir every thought is known to tbo
sn.rcb,r of hr,rts Sec Ter xvii 10
On "Wbcther is easier to saw. INV sins
he frpivru tbcr or ia saw. Rise nm ana
I,oll,.,i An nrdin,,,, uh,.icion nnv rffn,,t
n curn for tho In,I,. hnt nnIv cod can hroI
thn sn1I Ono b,. said thnt tho ,vorl, nf
crcotion was co,nuIrtnd in six DAYS INT
thc worl, of rnd.nution krnt the Son of
Gnd an n,rth fur ,,y,r RI vr.,r. Concrrn-
inc tho Grst II, .,,l,n and if was dnnr
hIft ~ ,cr,,,,li.b ,bn .r,,,d God hccnne
man and .mt1rrrd iud,.criLnblc agony nf
hodvnuI so,I for oIr sins To forgiyr .ins
e si,r,.l. ,b,. ,,ro,t,.f ,vnrL fnr IL eos, God