The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-03
THE sUNDAY-sCHOoL LESSON.
March 4, 1900; Mark 4, 21-3f-Jesus
Healing i'm Capernaum.


1t was Sabbath in the city OF Nahum ocaper-
naum). so famous in New Testament annals.
exalted to heaven by Jesus residence within its
limits. The usual audience had gathered in the
marble synagogue. which love had prompted a
worthy centurion proseIyte to build. The gilt
tering fragments of that house OF prayer. with
the conventional twisted foliage ornamentation,
greet the eye of the modern traveller, and re-
mind him OF the doom which Jesus pronounced
on account of the spiritual obtuseness Of its
population Marks spirited narrative
describes Jesus going to the synagogue as soon
as the doors were open. BY common consent,
He takes the speakers stand and utters words
that have a principle OF life in them.
He speaks the prophets words, but with In air
AS IL himself had been foreshadowed IN them.
The most eminent scribe that ever occupied
that desk never Appropriated to the self
assertiveness OF the present speaker. Hear His
II say unto you!'' 81 am the way the door. the
vine, the shepherd, truth. life. resurrection!
Before Abraham was. ann! No wonder that
audience was dumfounded. Moses and the
prophets were not authorities to be appealed to.
but servants to deck the speakers brow with
aureoIa of divinity. . In the very midst
of that fervid sermon the breathless stiffness OF
the auditorium is broken by the piercing cry OF
terror and establishment with which the under
world recognizes its Sovereign Master; Ahl
Woe Is mev' mine hour OF doom Is come.
1t was just such a cry the condemned felon
might raise at the sudden. unexpected appear
ance of his executioner. The seed OF the serpent
recognizes the seed of the woman. But
even in his terror the unclean spirit sees an
opportunity to damage his mighty opponent.
He fails not TO avail himself of II. He will pat
ronizingly acknowledge the new rabbits exalted
claims, so that there shall be the appearance or
collision The venomous Jews shall be fur
nished with some color for their damaging &C
cusation that Jesus is himself possessed. and by
that means exercises His authority over demons
The Master checkmates that devil in G
single move. He sences him. and expels him.
The demon gives an example OF his malevolent
ferocity by giving his unhappy victim "a last
fling before he leaves him. In that synagogue
by the sea is witnessed a sharp encounter be-
tween the powers of light and darkness. and
heavens final triumph is there adumbrated. No
wonder that the fame OF 1t few with winged
feet. . The scene of Jesus tireless activ-
ity is at once transferred from the publicity OF
the synagogue to the sweet privacy OF the home
of the chiefest Of His apostles. What Peter has
just seen of the Masters power emboldens him
to call His attention to instance of sickness
in his own house-a low, consuming, fatal fever.
This domestic miracle will produce such
sation as that wrought in the synagogue; but
love for His disciple, and desire to confirm
this somewhat unstable character, well as
sympathy for the sufferer leads Jesus to give
the touch and word of power. What God does
is well done" No tedious convalescence sue
ceeds the breaking OF the fever. AS token OF
gratitude the sick woman instantly rises from
her couch and prepares a savory meal. All un-
consciously she gives convincing evidence of
the perfection of her cure: at the same time she
refreshes the Master after the tolls of the day,
and fortifies Him for the overwhelming exac-
lions of the early evening. /" . For scarcely
was the meal finished before the street in front
of Peters house converted into a hospital.
That miracle in the synagogue had been a silver
bell whose notes OF hope had sounded in every
| Swallowed home. In obedience to its encourag-
| ing CALL when the setting sun had absolved the
people from their overstrained notions OF Sab
bath observance. they came with confidence to
Him whose sovereign power had had such
| conspicuous exemplifcation. From one,
sufferers mat to another Jesus walked in that
hastily extemporized lazar house under the stars
Nor did He desist as long as there was a tiny
| sufferer left upon any mothers gentle bosom.
| Now we know how Capernaum was lifted
to heaven in point of privilege No other city
had such a perfect exhibition of Jesus power
| In a single night every malevolent demon was
| expelled. every diseased person was made every
| whit whole The sun that went down upon a
sick and suffering city rose upon one healed and
| happy. Yet see once more the inveterate
| power Of sin. Those mighty works produced nc
general or lasting faith In Jesus as the Messiah
| Capernaum's doom was deserved One. fairly
hears the Masters stern words still waking the
echoes of her desolation: Thou shalt be brought
| down to HE'LL y
THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
| Demoniac possession Is confessedly difficult
problem We do not undertake solution Here
| are some hints only That 1t merely a SYM
| bolical way Of talking about the demoniac Of
| evil (Strauss), or that it an accommodation
| on the part of Jesus to Ideas then prevalent
| does violence to the STRAIGHTFORWARD narratives
| OF the evangelists Trench afirms that demon
| iacaf possession was coincident only with Jesus
| public ministry. a sort of dark background on
| which His power might be displayed to greatest
| advantage. OF this only say, mot
| proven" The first Hebrew king seems to have
| follow the flag. We cannot discriminate