Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-02-10

hnth power ON earth to forgive sins.
Mark 3:IU.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Preaching tour..................,Ai Matt 4:23. "a
| Predching tour.................,.N Mark 1913
Hea.lng a Ieper..................M Matt .: l.
! hta'"e a ivper..................M Mark l:iO-i5
tiSd''Hh roper ......'.........- Luxe 9.Iz-lo
H-a..ns 4 paraIy Matt. .: l. .
Hea..ny a paralH tIC..............a Mark 2: LIP
| Hed.Ins Il pdrd.y tic............. Luke 5:l7-26
TIme.-The early summer Of y. ID rs.
| Gary In The Year Oi Public Favor.')
P4ace.-JesUs temporary home a; ca
| pernaum: probably the house Ci the former
Hsn, man. Simon Peter
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Into Capernaum: Jesus headquar-
tiers Tor about half oil His ministry.
After some days" During which He
was on 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. lie still had place
lie 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 stauch friends, and the
scribes and religious teachers. who very
naturally looked upon Him with suspi-
cion. New methods and teachings. Is
peclaily IL they are religious. are usu-
ally Looked upon with suspicion Many
were gathered together" The friendly
common people were in the majority.
Cut in the most prominent places were
The scrlbes 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 snake the word unto
them: He was in private house. and
simply and informally speaking to the n
! OF the Kingdom that was at hand. and of
goodness and faith DIS conditions of en-
trance into it,
The crowd was very dense. both in the
house and about it, SO that these who
were bringing the sick man to Him,
and who were likely to be little late,
| could not even get near Him. They
come: The relations and friends of the
man. The palsy" form of paralys is.
Borne of four" Only four of those who
came with him actually carried him.
"Wh2r tAey 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-
pushed their purpose. Broken il up
! remember that the roofs of the small
oriental houses were usually fiat. and
reached by small outside stairway.
| They were made of ralters laid close to-
gethsr then layer of brushwood and
upon that 10 or II inches of solid earth.
ha
without permanently njuring the roof.
Naturally the Scribes who sat under the
places where the digging was going on
were rot in the best frame OF mind by
the time the man was let down
Their faith" Men who hew out a
way for themselves. in spite of all OH
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-
j
saw in the man a desire for more than
physical cure. He knew the mans
heart, and saw that they were recon-
ciled. He blasphemerh:" He insults
God. "Straightway perceiving: -"
The scribes did not spea,;, but Jesus in
stantly felt their displeasure and knew
what caused it. He would convince His
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 tho
orthodox religious teachers. As vet 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
! lie OF the young man. Jesus of Nazareth
who went about doing good"
/ And he arose" 4 demonstration of
! the power and authority of Jesus "Tbev
were all amazed Including the scribes
who were probably most surprised OF
! all. But demonstrations have little Of
Zee, on those who are most interested in
maintaining their old opinions than in
! getting at the truth. And glorifed
| COO: This cannot include the scribes
/ Jesus influence among he common peo-
pie was growing rapidly; the opposition
| on me religious aristocracy was solidify-