The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY 81.

Subject: Jesus Calls Four Disciples, LUX.
", 1-11-Golden Text, John Will, 81
Memory Verses, 4-e-Commentary on
the Days Lesson.
I. Jesus teaching the people VS. 3D.
]. The people pressed" Leaving Naza
reth our Lord went to Capernaum and per
haps abode in the house of Peter. The
which pressed upon Him as He was walk
ing along the white beach which forms the
margin of Lake Gennesaret. "To hear %
There was good prospect for glorious
revival Of religion. There were times in
| the life of our Lord when thousands were
anxious to hear Him, for the common peo
pie heard Him gladly. Lake of Gennesa.
ret" The most sacred sheet of water
which this earth contains. Called also the
Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberias, and in
the Old Testament the Sea of Chinneroth
Josh. 1873. It is clear, sweet lake
about twelve miles long and five broad,
with the Jordan River flowing Through it
Its fish were valuable. In Christ's time II
from fishing boats to ships of war. This
was the region of the early labors of OH
Lord. Here He performed some of His
most wonderful miracles; here He selected
His disciples. But at the present time all
is desolate around Galilee, and the desola'
ton will increase until the aggressive pow
er of Christ's gospel carries Christianity to
that now benighted land.
2. 1.-TWO ships."~ Fishing boats. They
must have been small. This is clear from
the accounts given of them. A few men
could handle one, and single large draught
of fishes endangered them. Standing by .
Anchored, or drawn up upon the beach.
Washing their nets They had spent the
cleaning the filth of the sea from the
threads of the nets and mending any de.
fective OF broken parts. It is interesting
to notice how often Christ appeared to
men while they were busy with their TEN.
poral affairs, and how their worldly condi.
tions were made the means of giving then,
better understanding of Him. 8. "One
of the ships" The ship of James and
John appeared to be at, some distance
/; way. Prayed Him." Asked Him. Jesus
in a familiar manner takes possession OF
Peters boat and makes it His pulpit while
He speaks to the people. "Sat down" The
part Matt. 81. Taught" 1t is probable
that when He was in the boat the people
on the shore stood round Him in the form
of an amphitheatre. No doubt the lake
was still so that His voice was undisturped
In such a situation He could be easily
heard. and no spectacle could be more
beautiful than the Son of God speaking to
the poor, ignorant and attentive multi
tudes assembled on the shore.
II. t'The draught of fishes Tvs. AZ. 4
Launch out" Christ forgot His own
weariness and only seemed to remember
the disappointment of His. followers in
toiling all night in vain. This verse has
often been used to illustrate the fact that
Christ would have US leave the shore Of
selfshness, worldliness and sin and launch
out into the depth Of His nets for the tax
ing of fish. S. Master" This is the
first time that the word here translated
Master is used in the New Testament, and
it is used only by Luke. The other evan
gelists call Him Rabbi or Lord. Note how
familiarly Peter addresses Jesus. "Toiled
all night" Peter says this to show how
unlikely it was that they would catch any
thing, and it is no doubt reported by Luke
striking. There were certain kinds of FISH
ing always carried on at night. "At Thy
word" No doubt Peter was weary and
somewhat discouraged, but he had faith
enough in Christ to lead him to 60 at the
direction of his divine Master.
6. "Their net brake" Their nets were
breaking."-R. V. There was such mul.
titude Of fishes that snap. in some weak
part of the net warned them that they
must have assistance or lose the entire
"catch." The miracle was an acted para:
Bile. of which the significance is explained
in Matthew l3:47., This breaking het is
explained by St. Augustine as the symbol
of the church which now is. He compares
a. ~ {ho oh of ho fpft
which shall know no schisns.' 7. "Beck'
oned." Made signals. The distance evi.
IDENTIFY being too great for the voice to
reach. They came" James and John
with their ship. Began to sink" The
boats would hardly hold as much as the
nets. Trench refers to shoal of mackerel
at Brighton, in 1903. so great that the net
could not be brought in, and fishes and
| net remained in the sea together. BY tins
vast draught of fishes Christ intended, J.
TO show His dominion in the seas as vel
as on the dry land (Psa., e:9. 2. To
confirm the doctrine He had just preached
8. To give those who were to be His am.
bassadors to the world specimen of the
success they might expect.
III. The disciples astonished Tvs. 8, 81:
g. Saw" 1t seems that it was not till
Peter saw the boats beginning to sink that
he realized the greatness of the miracle
Fell down" The common. posture of a
supplicant. In amazement he fell at the
feet of Jesus trembling and afraid. He nd
doubt had knowledge of many of the
miracles which Christ had performed, but
none had SO directly touched himself as
this one. Depart from Me- Peter saw
that the same knowledge and, power that
could pervade the depths of the sea could
pervade the depths of his human heart
and know its secret sins, "a sinful man.
Peter saw himself very sinful creature.
When we get near Christ we will see that
in our unregenerate state we are without
moral beauty or holiness. g. WAS aston
ished." Was amazed. Humanity stands
amazed" before the power of God.
". Forsaken all for Christ Tvs. 10, ~.
10. Sons of Zebedee." The children and
wife of Zebedee are often referred to, but
in this transaction only do we meet with
Zebedee himself Matt. 4:2D. Fear not:
He calmed their fears and stilled all theiI
troubled feelings From henceforth.
Hereafter. Catch men," Literally, thou
shalt be catching alive. This seems to i'm
ply the contrast between the fish that lay
clittering there in dead heaps and men
who should be captured not for death, but
II. .'Ships to land" They drew them
ND on the beach for final abandonment
"Forsook ALL" Although it was not much
which they had to leave, yet it was all they
bad, even all their living. .'Followed
Him" They returned again to their occu'
patton as fishermen after the crucifixlon.
and were again called to abandon it and
devote themselves by second miraculous
draught of fishes and by the direct precept
of Jesus. After Pentecost they never re-
sumed their former secular calling.