The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-02-05

t.tatlhk IN ftttrs house ....... Matt. STA Is
5iea,lng ~ Peters house. Mark I. ~ 81
Healing IN Peters hOu>-........ Luke 4 $3.50
Iitatihs az the toor--..--.......- Matt. sis IL
tiieaiing az The toor............-. Mark 2. "A
las lesson.
Place. = Capernaum. beautiful and
tLrlfing city on tie Sea q Galiiee u.ake Of
CenEesareD
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Jesus and the four fishermen. Peter.
Andrew, James and John. left the fish
ing grouncs together and went 10 the
city Of Capernaum. which was full Of
men, women and children-for their
work was henceforth to be in the busy
world OF men. They were 10 b. mis-
sionaries, home missionaries az first,
then foreign missionaries. ON the
Sabbath day" Jesus experience in the
synagogue at Nazareth was on the pre-
ceding sabbath What must have been
His feeling as He entered the synagogue
here? And taught" Jesus taught a
great deal in the synagogue during His
early ministry. Its seryice was more
informal than that OF the temple at
Jerusalem. the seat OF the stifest and
most orthodox JUDAISM. Though in
struction in the law was the main OBJ
jet OF the synagogue. its services were
IN the hands OF laymen. not priest Is
tGeikie), and were more like our prayer
meetings than our church services.
Amid the dull, mechanical tendencies
which were turning the heart Of Juda-
SIN 10 stone. the synagogue may have
been often center OF life and rallying
place OF freedom Dean Chadwick.
Taught them as having authority"
This is one Of the most Illuminating SEN
fences in the whole story OF Christ's
life. The meaning is not simply that
He spoke as if confident that He was
right-the scribes were doubtless conf
dent they were right-but rather that
lie did not back up His teachings by
reference to the standing authorities
tMosss. etc). but spoke the truth that
He felt 10 be true in His own soul. de-
pending on the truth itselp to makaits
own impression His was a mes sage III
-ect from God.
Another surprise was in store for the
synagogue audience that day "A man
with an unclean spirit" The belief
In demoniacal possession was common
among Jews and Gentiles in the time OF
our Lord. and ii long obtained in the
Christian church. BUTT has been point
ID out that most. if not all. the phtnom-
ana associated with this belief are now
diagnosed as forms Of disease insanity.
epilepsy. hysteTia, etc"-Adeney. We
shoulc add what psychologists call dis
eases Of person atty. double conscious
ness" etc. IL the unfortunate in this
lesson was diseased rather than pos
sessed Of foul spirit. why did Jesus
speak as IL there was a spirit? % Be
cause the man believed it was a devil
thar was troubling him. 90 Everyone
Else believed so. too. CD The best way
to meet an insane person is to meet
him where be thinks he is. ca Christ
was not here TO correct all mems err
roneous beliefs. IL would have done no
good and immense harm. Il would have
been going of on a tangent. Whether
he man was an epileptic or POSSESSES VI
he kind Of devil that the Jews believed
n, was a matter Of indifference so far
as the kingdom was concerned. The
point is that Christ healsd the man
Christ allowed nothing TO interfere with
His main purpose. Come out of HIM"
Everyone saw that the man was cured |
What Is this. What does all this
nean." referring to the whole service
A new teaching unclean spir. |
Is obey him.: The two mar.
-els OF the day. Both equally unlocked |
or-the former moral miracle. ths
after physical; both revealing an i'm.
'erial spirit exercising sway over tn,
minds and bodies of men. Bruce. |
Vote the effect in verse rs.
And straightway: No time wa,
ost. How full Of service for Others
he Masters days were, Game into the 1
rouse of Simon" Jesus was the CUES,
II His new disciple. "A fever" Very
ommon in the low. hot country abou,
he lake: commonly believed. like in
anity. TO be the work of evil spirits
luke says Jesus rebuktd the fever as
lie had done in the case OF the man in
he synagogue. AT even" The Sab
ath ended at sunset Picture to your
elf the scene. No painter has ever
'een able 10 do ii so well as we can in
'ur own minds. Remember the Mas
er's commanding presence. but that He
Tas al the close OF a hard day. sur.
ounded by the poor and the needy. not
he unsympathetic Pharisees. and radi-
ntly happy in being able to minister to
hem whom He considered as brothers
nd sisters. Suffered not 10
peak. because they knew Him" How
i'd they know Him? Explanations are
lenty. but not such as explain. The
ltuitions Of deranged persons are fire.
uently amazingly keen and true. and
an hardly be explained. Christ did not
ant to be proclaimed the Messiah as
ct, particularly by these people who
Tere physically or mentally unsound.
he time was not ripe