Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-01-22
The SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
January "a.
Subject: Jesus Rejected at Na1areth, Luke ".
I6-3O-Golden Text, john l.. I3--
Memory Verses, IS, iG-Com'
mertary on the Days Lesson.

I. Jesus preaching in Nazareth Tvs. l6'
2D. l6. Game TO Nazareth: This was
irving visit. His own people were in no
mood to receive Him. but Jesus very prop.
crly opens Hns public work in Galilee at
His own home His custom was" This
is a good example for US. There are many
evidences that Jesus had fixed religious
habits. Synagogue. The synagogues
were not in use until after the BabyIonlshl
captivity. They could only be erected
(called "mcn of casc'') could be found to
attend them. The people sat with their
faces toward the temple; there were chief
seats" for the elders, and the women sat
By themselves. Sabbath day" We
should, ON the Sabbath day. always avoid
work, conversation and reading unfit for
the Lords day, and give ourselves TO spir.,
jtual exercises. This was His custom. II
He needed the means OF grace surely we
do. "Stood up" They stood up to read
the Scriptures, but sat down to teach. The
whole congregation stood during the read
II. "Esaias." Greek form Of Isaiah.
"Opened the book" The roll. The Scrip
lures were written on parchment. with two
rollers, so that as they were read one was
rolled on and the other rolled off. The
portion selected was Isaiah 81: j..
Is. Spirits upon Me- This was
given Him as His baptism. Hath anoint-
ed Me-" I have been set apart for this
very purpose This is the first great quail,
fcation of true preacher. The Gospel
Good news concerning Himself. His MIS-
sion and the deliverancc He brings. The
with sorrow for their sins or sufferings.
"The captives" The gospel comes as a
great moral emancipation proclamation to
those in bondage to sin. evil habits or the
devil. "The blind" The spiritually blind.
The light of the world has appeared-one
who is able to unseal blind minds as vel
as blind ewes. Bruised" As the q It
physician He comes to heal those who are
broken and crushed because of sins com,
mitted. The wounds, and bruises and
putrefy,ng sores" may now be .closed
and bound up" and hea led. Note the
difference between the prophets and Christ:
They proclaimed liberty, He sets at lib
erty.
49, acceptable year. of the Lord A
reference to the year of jubilee. Ley; %:
8-I7. This was the year when. l. Debts
and obligations were released. 2. All He
brew servants were set free. 8. Each re-
gumed possession of his inheritance. This
was type of gospel times. The genuine
jubilee wear goes beyond the gospel pic
ture. The liberty proclaimed is soul iib-
erty. -,
roll "To the minister" The ruler of the
synagogue or his servant. Sat down;
was through reading and was now about
TO teach. "Eycs-fastened on Him,
MANY things contributed to arrest their at,
tention: |. The report of His teachings
and mighty works which had preceded
Him. .. The remarkable character OF the
words He had read. 5. His manner and
bearing. q. The fact that they knew Him
so well. 5. The JUNCTION OF the Holy SPIRIT
81. Fulfilled in your ears" He saw
their condition and He knew that, ne
could save them. He Is prophet, physl-
clan. Redeemer, deliverer, They are poor
fore them with the calm consciousness OF
mower "to grapple with and overcome all
their miseries" =.
"Ba az Him witness" "Gave signs of APP
probation." Gracious words" This pas.
sage and John 7: 46, give us some idea OF
the majesty and sweetness which charac-
terized our Lords utterances. "Josephs
Son" How can it be possible that the son
of this obscure family-a carpenter VINO
has made furniture for our houses man
without education. without rank or once
that He should be the Messiah. the king
of The Jews? "
%. "Yc-say." Jesus shows that He
knows their thoughts. "Proverb." Or
parable; denotng any kind of tiguratlve
discourse. physician, heal Thyself." That
is. they would ask why He did not perform,
miracles in Nazareth-at home, instead OF
at Cauernaum Jesus had, only few
months before, healed a nobleman's son
at Capernaum John 4: 1854, and this
was probably only one example OF many.
do also here" Let US see Your power.
The best modern equivalent Is; Charity
begins at home;" DO something mere.
Work q miracle and prove to us that You
arc the Messiah. "a. IN His own coun-
trv" No prophet is received in his own
country as he is elsewhere. 1t is very dlffl-
cult for any people to believe in the great
ness or mower of one who has grown UP
among them. This is the reason He gives
for declining to work miracles IN Naza-
reth. Their unbelief hindered Him, dc
would not display His power merely 10
81. II tell you" He now proceeds to
show how Elijah and Elisha, two OF their then
greatest prophets. had gone to the zen
tiles with their blessings, and that by di-
vine direction, while many IN lsraei were
suffering unnotlced. In the ne, DAYS OIL
Elias" See Kings II: 10. The heaven
was shut up." There were two rainy sea-
sons. called the early and latter rams.
"The first fell in October, the latter IN
April. The first prepared the ground Tor
the seed, the latter, ripened the harvest.
As both Of these were withheld, conse'
ouentIv there was great famine" 26.
dSave unto Sarepta." Greek form of Fare
nhath. Elijah was not sent to the widows
Of Israel, but to widow Of Iarephath-a
village on the Mediterranean coast.
81 "Eliseus." Greek form for Elisha.
The meaning Of these two verses is. Goa
disnenses His benefits when. where and to
whom lie p,eases. No person can com.
plain. because no person deserves any good
from His band.. Jesus might justly do the
same in the displays of His grace. Thus
He showed that His blessings were IN.
tended for Genties "a well as Jews.
"Naaman." See 9 Kings 5: ia.
III. The rejection I've. $500. rs
When their race prejudices were struck
they at once "were filled with wrath.
reiudice is stronger than reason. They
could not give countenance to a preacher
who even inferred that the Gentiles whom
they hated so bitterly. could be blessed.
20. "Brow of the hill" Nazareth spreads
itself out upon the eastern face of noun m,
tain, where there is perpendicular wal wal
of rock from forty to fifty feet high; ~,
"Pa,sinr through" His escape from them
was no doubt miraculous. They desired 10
see miracle and here they had one.