The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-05-02

ana what shall this man do?
e. Jesus saith unto him, II will that he
tarry TIL ! come. what is that to thee?
follow thou Me.
GOLDEN TEXT-Lovcst thou Met
John 2I17.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
The lesson properly includes all of
the twenty-tirst chapter Of Johns
Gospel. An analysis of the chapter
follows:
The Disciples Go a-Fishing. .........V. Ii
Jesus Appears to Them.............V. AIS
Restoration OF Peter. 1875
The Disciples Go a-Fishing .-Tiber-
ius is another name for the sea OF
Galilee. BY this time the disciples had
returned from Jerusalem to meet
Jesus (Matt. 2s:7. l6) in Galilee. Evi.
IDENTIFY they had gone about their or.
dinary occupations. In the little
company OF this lesson there were
Peter, James. John, Thomas, Ma.
thaniel and two Others whose names
are not given. On Peters proposal
they all entered boat to spend the
night fishing.
Jesus Appears to Them.-Mornin
came without fish having been
caught Jesus stood on the shore. In
the dim daybreak light none recog.
mixed Him. Then He hailed them. and
inquired Of their success. Then He
suggested they cast their nets on the
other side the boat. 1t Is said that
men standing on the bank or cliff can
tell the presence Of shoal of fish
by the color Of the water. while fish
ermen close to the shoal will often not
notice them. This makes the sug.
gestion Of Jesus q very Natural one
and explains why the disciples did not
recognize Him sooner. They did as
He suggested and their net was filed
Then John, looking again. recognized
that It was Jesus, and told Peter so.
The impetuous Peter Immediately
swan ashore, the others coming in
the boat and taking care of the fish
they had gathered into the net. Jesus
and the disciples breakfasted together
there on the shore.
Restoration of Peter.-It has been
noted by one of the writer's that Peter
had denied his Lord beside a fire Of
Goals. 1t is now beside fire of Goals
that he Is fully restored as a fisher
OF men. Immediately after breakfast
Jesus turns to Peter with the uues-
tion: Lowest thou Me more than
these" 1t will be seen that this whole
incident is counterpart to another
incident which occurred just before
the crucifxion. Peter had boasted:
III all shall be offended in Thee. will
never be offended" Jesus recalls this
boast in the words "more than these"
Peter did not directly answer the
question; he simply said: "Thou
knowest that love Thee" Then
Jesus said: Feed My lambs" Lambs
mean the young, and feeding them
would be teaching them of spiritual
things. Three times was this repeat
ed. As Peter denied Jesus three times,
so three times he now was asked to
declare his love for Him, and three
times admonished TO his Christian
work. He was not only to lead the
young Qambs), but also to guide the
older ones (sheep). One writer re-
marks: Feed His lambs would be a
proof of Peters love, and the means
OF increasing his love, and also tn.
assurance from Jesus Of restored
confidence and favor, since He would
intrust these tenderest ones to his
care"
After being restored to his place as
a faithful disciple Of Jesus. the Lord
pointed out that Peters boast would
yet be followed out, and that he
would follow his Lord even unto
death Tvs. 1s, 10). Then Peter
thought Of John and asked concern
ing his work, and il he. too. should
die for the cause. Jesus answered
that Peter was to do Peters work,
not Johns. A significant touch Is
given this narrative as John indi-
Gates concerning the story that got
abroad that he (John) should not
die that there was an emphasis on
the "if" OF Jesus: "lf l will that
he tarry till come, what Is that to
thee?" So we are all TO 90 on
with our own peculiar work, meet
our own fate and do all with an eve
II. II. A