The Tupelo journal., 1904-02-12

Healing a Matt s: Ia
Healing a leper.-...".........Mark l:40-45
dealng a 5:l2-16
Healing a Matt. .: l. &
Healing a paralytic. Mark 2: 1-12
Healing a paralytic............Luke 5:17-26
Time.-The early summer of A. D. q.
Garry in THE Year of Public Favor.'O
Place.-Jesus' temporary home at Ca
oernaum; probably the house of the former
fisherman. Simon Peter.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Into Capernaum:" Jesus h~eadquar-
ters for about half of His ministry.
After some days" During which He
was on a preaching tour among the
towns of Galilee Q:39). 1T was noised
that He was in the house: "Or, at home,
as in the margin. He still had a place
He could call home. 1t was probably
Peters house. Since Jesus had left Ca
pernaum He had been much talked
about, both by the common people, who
were His stanch friends, and the
scribes and religious teachers, who very
naturally looked upon Him with suspi-
cion. New methods and teachings, es-
pecially il they are religious, are usu-
ally looked upon with suspicion. Many
were gathered together" The friendly
common people were in the majority,
but in the most prominent places were
the scribes and members of the reli-
gious aristocracy. They considered
Jesus an unauthorized and unsafe teach
er, and meant to watch His movements
very closely. He spake the word unto
them" He was in a private house. and
simply and informally speaking to them
of the kingdom that was at hand. and of
goodness and faith as conditions of en-
trance into it.
The crowd was very dense, both in the
house and about it, SO that those who
were bringing the sick man to Him,
and who were likely to be a little late,
could not ever get near Him. They
come" The relations and friends of the
man. THE palsy" A form of paralysis.
Borne of four" Only four of those who
came with him actually carried him.
when they could not they uncov-
cred the roof" When they could not,
they did; there was no way, so they made
one; there were obstacles and they sur
mounted them. Such determination is
magnificent; of course they accom-
plished their purpose. Broken it up"
Remember that the roofs of the small
oriental houses were usually fiat, and
reached by a small outside stairway.
They were made of rafters laid close to-
gether, then a layer of brushwood. and
upon that 10 or IL inches of solid earth.
This, of course, could be dug through
without permanently injuring the roof.
Naturally the scribes who sat under the
places where the digging was going on
were not in the best frame of mind by
the time the man vas let down.
Their faith" Men who hew out a
way for themselves, in spite of all OBJ
stacles, do not do it without faith that
success is possible, and that the struggle
is worth while. Those men had faith
in Jesus. 1t was nothing mystical
perhaps not religious, but real They
had good reason to believe He would
actually heal their friend. if they gave
Him the chance. The sick man, too,
had faith. Son" A sympathetic word.
Matthew adds. be of good cheer; words
calculated to increase the mans assur-
ance. Thy sins are forgiven" Jesus
saw in the man a desire for more than
physical cure. He knew the mans
heart, and saw that they were recon-
ciled. He blasphemeth:" He insults
God. "Straightway perceiving:"
The scribes did not speak, but Jesus in
stantly felt their displeasure and knew
VI h of aotSpH II uo u-0,,11 o0-,fDo1 IJ;o
critics of the truth of what He said about
forgiveness by healing the mans body
as his soul had been healed. THE Son
of Man hath authority . to forgive
SINS" When we consider that two ele-
ments enter into the question of for
giveness, namely, the heart of the sin
ner and the heart of God. and that God
is waiting to forgive the instant the sin
ner is ready. we see that the mean
ing is that Jesus could with authority
announce forgiveness of sins. Ordinary
men cannot do this, because they have
not the Divine knowledge of the hearts
of men and the heart of God that Jesus
had.
This incident is important as showing
the beginning of the opposition of the
orthodox religious teachers. AS yet the
cloud was no larger than a mans hand.
but within two years it would be a storm
which should break above His head and
increase in fury till it had taken the
life of the young man, Jesus of Nazareth,
who went about doing good"
And he arose." A demonstration of
the power and authority of Jesus. They
were all amazed" Including the scribes.
who were probably most surprised of
all. But demonstrations have little eff
feet on those who are most interested in
maintaining their old opinions than in
getting at the truth. and glorifed
God" This cannot include the scribes.
Jesus influence among the common peo-
pie was growing rapidly; the opposition
of the religious aristocraey was solidify-
ing no less rapidly.
Spear Points.
Gods love is not intensified by our
limitation of it.
You canno hide poverty of thought
with pol~ysyllables.
The best in this world never find their
best in this world.
IT lie not uocaccory RI he -roro.o.