The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-03-03

THE LESSON TEXT.

Stilling Of Tempest. Mark 4:SS-N.
sttlling OF fTsmpsst............L Luke S:1.1
TIME.-The fall of A. ID. ~ (part OF the
Year OF Public Favor').
PLACE.--The sea Of Galilee.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
MARK 4: :35, 36) "On that day" A
day Of leaching on the lake shore, de-
scribed In the nrst part Of this chap
ter 1t was the day on which He had
spoken the parallels of the sower, the
lamp, the wheat and the tares. the
lsaven and other parallels of the ma
ture Of the kingdom and how 1t should
grow. When even was Gomez" 1t
was at the close OF a long, hard day
Jesus was too sensitive, tender-heart-
ed and sympathetic to reach the close
of such day without being thorough
ly tired; there was the speaking to the
crowd--not altogether sympathetic
and the listening to the stories of the
poor and friendless who always
thronged to Him, the healing Of many
who were sick and the constant sight
Of degradation. sin and suffering. His
life was not an easy one. even at the
height Of His popularity. Let us go
over unto the other side:" To get away
from the crowds; when He was with
man endurance had been taxed to the
utmost He must have rest and quiet
and time to think and pray in order
to be ready for another day Of serv-
ice.
Tvs. 81, 38) "A great storm OF
wind" Small lakes. especially II they
are surrounded by high hills, are al
ways subject to sudden squalls. The
Sea Of Galilee lay at the bottom OF
very deep valley. $50 feet below the
level OF the Mediterranean sea. The
sides of the little lake are broken by
huge gorges through which the wind
sweeps down in whirs and eddies upon
the water. The tropical heat of the
valley partly accounts for the sudden
ness and fury Of these storms. THE
waves beat into the boat" 1t Is hard
er for boat to live in a sea Of choppy.
white-capped waves, on little lake.
than on the mountainous swells Of the
ocean. Was now filing" OF course
the boat was we'll handled. for many
ermen, and knew every inch OF the
lake from years of life upon it. but the
boat was not large and was heavily
loaded and could not afford to ship
much water. I'm the stern. asleep on
the cushion" Mark does not say ION
q cushion" but ION the cushion" he
is naming a part Of the ship-perhaps
the small deck across the stern on
which the stssrsman sat, but certainly
no soft pillow. That Jesus could
sleep in such a place and under such
circumstances shows how utterly
weary He must have been. They
awake Him, and say unto Him" ETC.:
They we're fishermen and their home
was on the sea, but they we're helpless
In such a storm as this and thorough
ly frightensd-and fishermen are not
quick to admit that they are fright
ened. "Carest Thou not that we par
ish:" An appeal with touch Of re-
prosch In 1t.
(vs. 39-4l.) Marks account of the
, stilling of the storm is most impressive
in its simplicity. THE wind ceased
and there was great calm" What
, silence is there that can compare with
the silence that follows the raging
storm? The waves sink back like
tired creatures grown drowsy after
0 their madness-that meaning is in the
word translated ceased; there Is abso.
Lutte stiffness on the water broken only
0 by the distant mutterings of the flying
q storm. There was great calm: -
Thio u tho r,pct In, nrac ctv nd awa
inspiring moment in the lives OF the
0 astounded disciples. The words thai
n broke the silence they could never for.
0 get. "Why are ye fearful" AS II HI
n were surprised and disappointed tha
they had been afraid; He would no
have wondered at a panic in some o.
0 the other boats. but these were Hi
n disciples. His closest friends. "Hav,
We not yet faith" mot yet"-how loni
o would II take-how much would the,
% have to see of Him TO learn to trus
o Him perfectly! Of course they dit
% trust Him in a way and he knew that
but 1t hurt Him to see that the trus
was not complete. "They feared ex
o ceedingly:" They were awe-stricken
10 never before had men seen what the.
had Just seen and what did 1t mean
Who was this who was Master of tn
elements themselves? They realize
that they had not begun to fathom tn
!. 7 myslery Of His being What did
:" all meant they asked themselves. an
II they probably never fully undsrstoo
till after tho resurrection.
B rrust In God.