The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-08-16
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST 10.
Subject: The Man Born Blind, John tx,
LIZ - Golden Text: John tx, rs -
Memory Verses, 4, Z - Commentary
on the DAYS Lesson.


Memory Verses, 4, - Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
l. CAS- Jesus passed by" When the
Jews took up stones to stone Him Chap.
| SOD Jesus eluded them and passed out
into the city where He was joined by His
| disciples. Saw man" Jesus was most
! observant. He also knew where to look
| to find those who needed His help. Blind
from his birth" OF the six miracles con-
nected with blindness recorded in the Cos
peIs this is the only case described as
mon in Palestine. At GAIA, for instance,
it is said that one-third OF the population
| have lost one or both eyes, but it is diff
cult to find any born blind
2. "Who did sim" Scripture teaches
that all disease, and even death, is the re-
suit of sin; The Jewish error. consisted in
believing that all special affections were di-
vine visitations for special sins. This err
ror Jesus corrected. This man" If this
man had snned before his birth it must
have been in a "pre-existent" state. The
doctrine of transmigration of souls was
quite general both among the Greeks and
Asiatics. The idea is absurd. What the
Bible teaches is that the race is fallen be-
cause of Adams sin.
3. Neither" Our Lord does not assert
the sinlessness of the mans parents, nor
his own, by these words: He denies that
his calamity sprang from the sin of either
Works of God-manifest." Not that this
man was born blind for the sole purpose
that a miracle might be wrought but that
his blindness furnished the occasion for
Jesus to perform the divine work of heal
| ing him. God is not responsible for sin
and its consequences, but both afford Him
an opportunity to show His grace and
power:
4. eve must work." etc. Or. W By
| -, nj, in ha
Jesus associates His apostles with Him in
the work. 1t is encouraging to think that
we" poor, weak men, can be workers
together with Christ" while it is day"
The day of life's opportunity is rapidly
passing; the. night of death will soon be
here; AID our work will be ended. What
we do must be done quickly. - 49,
5. "As long as l am in the world" Christ
was the light OF the world while He was
here, and He has continued to be the
light Of the world since He went into
Glory. He still opens blind eyes and gives
both the ability to see ard also furnishes
the light by which they see.
g. made, clay-annointed." Jesus shows
His power by proceeding, in His own way,
to heal the man. Notice, l. There is no
connection between the means used and
the effect produced. 9 Christ came into
physical contact to attract attention and
to stimulate faith; where faith was in
lively exercise He healed by His word, and
at distance. Christ appeals to two of
the mans senses, his hearing and feeling,
thereby arousing faith.
Z. Go, wash" Here was test of his
faith and obedience. "Siloam." A foun-
tain under the walls Of Jerusalem toward
the east, between the city and the brook
Kidron. "By Interpretation, sent: The
pool by it's very name was type of Christ.
He went-and washed" He believed
! H.,
best gifts because we fail to act in time.
Game, seeing" The cure was instanta-
neous What a wonderful deliverance
8. (Which before had seen him" There
was an immediate stir among the neigh
bors; they noticed the great change in the
man. The same is true when Christ gives
spiritual eyesight. "And begged" This
a beggar. He must have been well known.
9. 81 am he" Jesus had met and
healed the man on Friday night, at the be-
ginning of the Sabbath (McFarland), and
the neighbors had not seen him go to
pool so that on the next morning they
were hardly able to believe their senses.
But the man himself gave positive testi-
mony.
10. "How-opened.' His neighbors gath
cred around him and asked for an explana-
ton. Many are anxious to know how
things are done, even though they have no
faith
II. "'He answered" He had never seen
his neighbors before, but now looking
right at them he delivers this wonderful
testimony to the power of Christ. 1t is
short, clear, positive. "A Man" First he
knew Him only as ''the Man" Or. W
called Jesus, then as a prophet ". ~,
then as a man with whom God was ". 81
33), then He was the Son of God. VS..
1888.
- 81 know not Had he known where
Christ was he would, no doubt, have gone
at once to see his Deliverer.
Is Brought to the Pharisees." The
neighbors finding the case involved in mys
terry took the man to the Pharisees, per-
haps to the Sanhedrin, who proceeded to
Investigate the miracle by questioning the
man and by calling his parents to testify.
IA The Sabbath day" They hated
Jesus, and were continually trying to find
something against Him. The hypocritical
rulers pretended to take great offence be-
cause our Lord performed this act Of mercy
on the Sabbath day, and thus ignored their
traditions.
questioning him and trying to get him con-
fused, but he knows what has been done
and is able to tell it.
I6 "Keepeth not" Jesus kept the Sab.
bath according to the spirit and letter of
the law, but He did not and would not
| keep 1T according to their traditions. "A
division" And so it will always be; Christ
causes a separation between those who re-
ceive and those who reject Him.
II. He is a prophet" He decided that
He must be prophet or He could not have
opened his eyes This did not satisfy the
Pharisees. They try to discredit the facts,
and to prove that the cure was impossible,
because on the Sabbath. But, thanks to
the Jews, they established the miracle be
yond doubt, and by accommodating the
man they opened the way for him to find
Christ.
Ieachings.-This blind man was a type
of a sinner receiving spiritual sight; Jesus
is the light of the world and is able and
willing to enlghten the darkened mind
and let the sunshine of His love flood the
soul. We lose a great deal by not obey
ing God at once. Let us always be ready
to bear faithful testimony to Christ. Jesus
used means to aid the faith Of the blind
man, and it is our duty to use the means
Cod has nut within our reach.
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