The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-08-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
for July 20. 1900 O-The
Transfig uratiOn.


NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The event of this lessCn occurred
probably on Mount Hermon or one of
its spurs in the vicinity of Cesarea,
about week after last lesson. in the
autumn of A. ID. 30. The story of the
healing of the dcmoniac boy imme-
diately following the transit guration
should be studied in connection with
the lessons, and also Jesus second
announcement of His death and resur-
rection, all of which is given in Luke
9:2S45. Parallel accounts of the
TRANSPORTATION are founu in Matthew
l7:l-13 and Mark 9:2-l3,
Jesus and Disciples in Prayer.-We
note again and again in the study of
the life of Jesus the relation of prayer
TO the events of greatest Importance.
We may well think of the 40 days OF
temptation in the wilderness as 40
Jays of prayer, for it was then that
the great issues of His life (human-
ly speaking) were decided as for God
and humanity. The night preceding
the choosing of His apostles and the
utterance of the sermon on the mount
was spent alone in prayer And now
on the eve of another great revelation
of Himself to three of his disciples
we find Him with them (peter, John
and James, going up into noun
tain to pray"
The Transformations as He
prayed the fashion of His counte-
nance was altered" The transfgura-
ton scene is one of the most wonder
full in all history, but at the same
time It has its analogy in every hui
man life. There is short season, as
with the disciples, when we seem trans
ported beyond ourselves and we seem
tosee the face of God in all its wondrous
beauty and power. We have seen the
face of Il loved one lit up with a more
than earthly light. when the face has
become transfgurcd. In n moment of
uncommon sympathy, moment of
entering into the life and heart OF
that other as never before and per-
haps never again, we have seen into
the depths Of the eyes and found not
a face but soul of divine beauty.
Conference on the Mountain.-"And,
behold. there talked with Him two
men. which were Moses and Elias
(Elijah):" 1t has been remarked by
students of the Bible that here we
have a conference between the lead
ers of three great principles in re-
ligious life. Moses represented the
law. He was the great law-giver of
the Jewish nation. Elijah represented
the prophets. In their teaching the
Jewish rabbis always thought Of the
Mosaic law as the basis and founda-
tion of their religion. The prophecies
reinforced this law as showing ma
tional prosperity as the result of
obedience to that law, and national
decadence the natural effect of the
falling away from that law. Jesus
stood for new principle-the Gospel.
He came to offer u free salvation
from sin and the death which the Mo-
sale law had declared the penalty Of
sin. These three conferred on the
mountain. And they talked (verse 3D
Of Jesus approaching death on the
cross. During this conference Peter,
John and James, under some mysteri-
Gus influence. fell asleep. When they
awoke they saw the glory OF Jesus
and His two companions. Note, in
passing. one important teaching of
this event, viz: The reality of the
future life Moses and Elijah could
not have come back TO earth had
death ended all. Their personality
they preserved through the years and
centuries, and they came now to in
spire faith in the disciples and to give
comfort to the human Christ.
The Voice Out of the Cloud.-When
Peter was fully awake, he said: 'Mas-
ter, it is good for us to be here"
This suggests question which must
be answered in the negative. Peter
did not know what really was good
for him. He must needs yet go
through many hard experiences. times
Of encouragement, the routine Of COM
mon toll. This moment of exaltation,
spiritual and physical, was to serve
merely as an inspiration to great en-
deavor, and glimpse into the future
happiness prepared for the faithful.
Even while he was speaking there
came a cloud about them, and out of
the cloud God spoke: This is my
beloved Son. Hear Him."
The Demoniac Boy-Two lessons
are prominent in this story. Read
Marks account, 9:14-32. The first les
son is the faith of the father Of the
demoniac which made possible the
healing touch of Jesus. This father
said: Lord, I believe; help Thou my
unbelief." The second lesson comes
out Of the failure of the disciples to
heal the boy. When pressed for the
reason, Jesus said: "This kind can
come forth by nothing, but by prayer
and fasting" Mark s:29)
Jesus Death and Resurrection Fore.
told.-Jesus and His disciples now re-
turned to Capernaum, and on the way
CMatthew 17:22, 23) Jesus foretells