The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH Is.

John Ike, 1-l1-Golden Text, John TX.
6-Memory Verses. 10, 11-Conlnentary
on the Days Lesson.
l. A man born blind ". y. ]. "As
Jesus passed by" Jesus still fingered at
Jerusalem, and in one Of His walks, per-
this blind man. He saw" Jesus took
notice of his affection; looked upon him
with concern. He anticipated his need.
That look meant sight to the bind man.
"A man." He was a beggar; it was his
trade, but among all his petitions he did
not ask for sight. Yet Jesus gave it. An
hopeless, helpless, poor. blind from his
birth" Of the sig miracles connected with
blindness which are recorded in the gos.
| pels this is the only case described as
blindness from birth. In this lies its spe-
cial characteristic, for since the world be
! yan it was not heard that any man opened
the eyes of one that was born blind ". 32).
Blindness is very common in Palestine.
II; Jesus 8 explains the mystery a Of gBrTTE S.
frat question that arose in their minds
was why this blindness existed. Who. did
sin." Scripture teaches that all disease,
and even death, is the fruit of sin. The
| Jewish error consisted in believing that all
special Affections were divine yisitations
for special sins. This er-or Jesus cor.
rected. Mark the contrast between their
thoughts and those of jessie in reply. Re
oentance calls our own Affections punish
ments, but love calls the Affections of 9th:
.rs trials. This man" But how could
Of the transmigration of souls, by which
the same soul is supposed to inhabit differ
mt bodies, was quite general among the
Greeks and Asiatics, but there is no clear
proof that this doctrine was prevalent
among these Je VS.. On the popular suppo-
ftion that special calamities are a punish
ment for special sins, the disciples desire
to know whose sin caused this mans snf.
lering. Was it his parents sin or his own:
If Jesus had replied his own they would
nave asked, How? ~
8. Neither" That is, so as to be the
,ause of the blindness. Our Lord does NOT
ien- the existence of sin, either In this
maa or in his parents. The disciples
cooked to the origin of the suffering; our
Lord looked to its removal. They asked,
Who is to biame?" Jesus asked, who
is to saye?" Instead of looking to the
dark abyss, out of which sin and misery
originated. the Lords heart looks to the
glory. of God, who by redemption exalts
fallen man to even higher biessedness than
that of creature innocence. Works OF
| -lDduitCbIs 4No thoV tAAo hAot A"eS
born blind for the sole. purpose that a
miracle might be wrought, but that his
blindness furnished the occasion for, Jesus
to perform the divine work of healing him
thus to show Himself to be God. God is
not responsible for sin and its conse-
luences, but both afford Him an opportu-
nifty to show His power and grace.
4.r"We must work. t:R. 70 By the
plural we as given in the i; w.. Jesus
| nnoo,Aa, liz, on1atlos With Hin, IN the
work. 1t is encouraging to, think that
"we," poor weak men, can be workers
together with Christ" To rid the world
of evil. of w~retchedness, lonely sorrow,
restitution and disease is the work of God.
while it is day.. The day represents op.
portunity; the night, opportunity past.
5. ."In the world" He would. not be
long in the flesh, but he has never ceased
to be the light Of the world. Sip is dark
ness. He is in bold contrast to sin: :! am
the light" Like the sun, it is Ny business
to dispense light and heat everywhere; to
neglect no opportunity to enlightsn and
before them was altogether beyond human
means, but Jesus reminded His disciples
that in Him were light and life.
III. The blind man was healed Tvs. T.,
y. G. Made clay-anointed." jesus
shows His poyer by proceeding. in His
own way, to heal the man. Notice, J..
| There is no connection between the means
used and the effect produced. 2. Christ
came into physical contact to attract at
tention and to stimulate faith; where faith
was in lively exercise, He healed by His
word. and at o distance. 8. Christ appeals
to two Of the mans senses, mig bearing and
feeling, thereby -arousing faita. CHRIST
gave His personal attention to this case,
even though His patient was a beggar: Z.
GO" Would He now prove His faith in
a stranger? Would He hesitate because OF
His lifelong teaching that He must not
wash the eyes incidentally on the Sabbath;
much less at a pool of water! Would He
now do what He could? Here came the
dience. !"Siloam." A fountain under the
walls of Jerusalem toward the east, be.
tween the city and the brook Kidron. 1t
is still to be seen, one of the few undis-
puted sites in Jerusalem. by interpreta.
ton, sent" That is, outlet of waters"
either because it was looked upon as a gift
sent from God for the use Of the city. or
because it's waters were directed or sent
by canals or pipes into different quarters,
for the same purpose. Some think there IS
an ~allusion to Gen. 40: 10; that this foun.
sent Of God, and that it was to direct the
mans mind to the accomplishment OF that
prophecy. he might find encouragement OF
faith in this. The pool by its very name
was a type of Christ. HE went" He be.
lieved and obeyed. We frequently lose
Gods best gifts because we fail to act IN
time. Came seeing" The cure was in.
stantaneous. ~
". Various discussions Tvs. SID. 8
ITS not this he?" There was an immediate
stir among the n~eighbors; they noticed the
great change in the man. The same Is true
when Christ gives spiritual eyesight
BEGGED" This is the first mention of the
fact that be was a beggar. He must have
been well known. 9. Il am he" Jesus
had met and healed the man on Friday
night. at the beginning OF the Sabbath,
Rnd the neighbors had not seen him, 60 to
the pool, so that on the next morning they
were hardly able to believe their senses.
But the man himself gave a positive test.
nony. 10. "How-opened." His neigh
bors gathered around him and asked for
an explanation. Many are anxious to know
how things are done. even though they
have no faith. IL. "He answered" He
had never seen his neighbours before. but
now, looking right at them, he delivers
this wonderful testimony to the power Of
Christ. It is short, clear, positive. -
man" First he knew Him only as the
Man" (R. W. called Jesus. then as a pro.
phet ~. III, then as a Man with whom,
God was Tvs. 3l-33), then He was the Soy
of God Tvs. $3.50. - :