The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-04
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
(copyriRht, Davis W. Clark.l

, graded, He made His first categorical Ideclaration of Messiahship.
 The Samaritan woman may we'll rep resent that class who probably would ihever come to Jesus of their own ac- Icord, as Nicodemus stands for the seek ling. and inqhiring class. Some seem thoroughly unspiritual; they have eyes and ears, but never use them in re- fligious matters. They are likely to die lin the treadmill of the daily tasks (which concern what we shall eat and drink and weaf How to get them above the rut, so that they may see lthe new heaven and the new earth lthat is the problem. They will not lcome to us. We must go to them. We must make an opportunity to speak to them of religion. Two class les. but one Gospel for bothi Not one Gospel for Nicodemus and another for the Samaritan woman. Jesus gives the same testimony to the ignorant schIs- matic and sinner as to the sanctified Pharisee. The terminus Is the same, but the approaches are necessarily dif- ferent. However, 1t Is an open lquestion whether this latter scene does not portray the ideal method of soul saving. See how Jesus takes the com honest incident and makes 1t a start ing-point; how He leads on gently by carefully framed questions and state. ments. He does not grow impatient with inveterate obtuseness. He Is not directed from the end in view by de- sultory questions. He is gentility it. self, but allowed of no evasion. He helps the woman first to see herself, then to see Him--herself sinner, Him self her Savior En route Jesus would pass by Gibeon, and would be reminded of Saul; Bethel, and would think of Jacob and his angel-crowded ladder. and Shiloh, the resting place of the tabernacle. The general appear ance of the country surrounding Sy- char is unchanged since Jesus day. The wheatfields of the rich plain of Elm- ukhnah, to which the Master pointed
 His disciples, still look like biIlowy seas whose waves seem to break on the base of twin mountains. '. What associations are herel On Ger izim Melchizedek ofaciated as priest of the Most High God. There Abraham reared his first altar. There stood six of the tribes reciting the blessings, while on opposite EbaI the other six responded with the curses of the law. Just beneath Is that parcel of ground which Jacob, on his return from exile, purchased for a hundred pieces of sil- yer, and which he bequeathed to Jo- seph. There Joseph's mummied form was finally inferred. But all these as- sociations are eclipsed by that pictorial scene which the evangelist has deline- ated with inimltable skill.
 Mosaic from Commentaries.
 Jacobs well: One of the few sites about which there is no dispute--sev- enty-1ive feet deep, but originally much deeper, as the bottom has been filled with rubbish; seven feet six inches in diameter.--Hasting's Bib. Diet Give me to drink: No line of proceeding would be more likely to conciliate the woman's feelings-Ryle. Thou being a Jew: Recognized by His dress. Col ors on fringe of His garment were white; that of Samaritan would be blues--Riddle. Askest drink: Wonder that He seeks a friendly compact with one of a hostile race.-Trumbull. If thou knowest: Pathos of the situation strikes Jesus. Woman stands on brink of greatest possibilities. but Is uncon- sclous of them.@Ex Greek Test Llv- ing water: Perennial, springing from an unfaiIing source.--Lange. If thou knewest: All the time Gods utmost | gift is at mems hauds.--Wayland Holt. Thou wouIds't have asked Him: Spir- itually positions reversed. Thou close 70 well, yet unable to drink. I can give thee water.-Camb. Bib. Nothing to uEdW WlIn. NO lSdLneE DuCkSL-d skin with three cross-sticks at mouth to keep 1t open; let down by goats hair rope.-Vincet Unconsciously gives utterance to spiritual truth: Water Of life naturally beyond human reach. l--Mowatt Neither come all the way hither to draw: The woman hoped to be emancipated from the humdrum and severe tasks of life. She was and she was not! Probably to old age she con- tinued the Oriental woman's most toil- some task--drawing and carrying wa lter. But the hitherto monotonous task was transmitted into a joy. She had a new motive in life. secret spring of ljoy and strength.-Davis ". Clark Jesus went through Samaria of set pur- pose to break down the partition wall between races. He makes the first dec llaration of His Messiahship to an alien lin order that the Jews may know that, though salvation is through the Jews, they have no right to dam it up within the narrow boundaries of their nation lality. These streams are to How out, and make glaa the whole earth.-Ibid.