The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-02-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON WI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. IL.
Text of the Lesson, John Nv. 1884.
Memory Verses, 4O-51-GOlden Text,
John v, 36-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. ID. vi. Stearns.

copyright, 1905, by American Press Asociation1
Two days He abode in Samaria and
was refreshed by seeing many receive
Him as the Christ, the Saviour OF the
world, foreshadowing of the time
when from all nations His church
we are now living, and of later age,
beyond the present, when through Is
rael all nations shall be won To Him, a
fulfilment Of the word, His own re-
ceived Him not, but as many as re-
ceived Him, to them He gave the right
! to become the sons of Cod (John l,
IL, ID. The first two verses of this
lesson are little perpleXing because
they seem to say that He went into
His own country, for a prophet hath
no honor in his own country. Yet the
third verse says that the Galileans re-
ceived him, having seen all the things
that He did at Jerusalem. Nazareth,
where He had been brought up, Is
called His own country duke iv, IL,
%, 24), and, though He went to Gall
| lee. He did not at this time go to Naza-
reth, and these verses may signify
that, though He went to Galilee, He
| did not 20 TO Nazareth, because
prophet hath no honor in his own coun-
try.
Some say that He did not Immediate
! ly go into Galilee from Jerusalem, but
delayed two days in Samaria to allow
| time for those who witnessed His mir
| acles at Jerusalem to return home and
prepare the minds Of the people for a
| favorable reception Of Him. We learn
ed in our last lesson that He counted
| it His meat to do the will Of Him that
sent Him, and in chapter V, Al, He
says, How can We believe which re-
ceive honor one of another and seek
not the honor that cometh from God
ony?" So these verses might imply
that He went into Galilee and later
even TO Nazareth (as we know He did,
because He sought honor only from
! God and not from man, and came to do
the Fathers will, whatever it might
be and wherever it might lead.
If the nobeman (courtier, margin)
who came to Him at Cana on behalf
of his son was ChuZa, Herod's steward,
then Luke viii, 3, may be a sequel to
verse 90 Of our lesson, for we there
read that Joanna, the wife of Chuza,
Herod's steward, and Susanna and
many others ministered unto Him of
their substance. At Cana lie had at
the marriage feast manifested forth
His glory and increased the faith Of
His disciples Chapter ii, IL, and here
that miracle of making water into wine
is indorsed. | refer to it because so
many today seek to set aside all the
supernatural, but the Bible is supernat-
ural or nothing. Jesus is God or else
He is not good.
The boy for whom the father pleads
is not only ill, but at the point or
death, as was also Jairus' daughter
Mark V, 23), but nothing Is too hard
for our Lord. 1t matters not how Ill
or what the disease, or even If the
person has died or been buried, the
same word that said, Let there be
light" can give light or life or health
in a moment He says, "Believest
thou that | am able to do this!' And
then, According to your faith be 1t
unto YOU" The nobleman entreated
Jesus to come down to Capernaum and
heal his son, not knowing that His
actual presence was not essential to
the healing, but having faith that IL
Jesus would only come to him He could
heal him. Jesus gently tested him, for
He never tries any one above that they
are able, but his faith seems only to
strengthen, and he grows more Inn
Fortunate. Then our Lord says: Go
thy way. Thy son liveth.'
This was not as the nobleman ex'
pected. 1t was different from what
He had thought 1t was in one sense
more than he expected, but there was
power in the word, and it grasped his
heart, and the glorious word is written
1.-THE man believed the word that Jesus
had spoken unto him, and he went his
way" Verse 50).
The next day as he was nearing
home his servants met him with the
Joyful news, Thy son llveth! and on
inquiring when his boy began to mend
he learned that 1t was ut the very hour
on the previous day when Jesus said
"Thy son liveth." 1t must have thrill
ed him with joy TO hear from his serv
ants the very words that Jesus had
said to him the day before. But what
Joy there was in that home which he
had left I'm such gloom the day before
And all through the love and power OF
one who gave them life and breath and
all things! But up to this time they
had only heard of Him. but had not
known Him. Now they knew Him
and believed In Him. Even the whole
household accepted Him as God their
Saviour.
One has said that in this miracle we
5 see His omnipotence, in that He healed
} the sick child; His omnipresence, in
that He healed him at a distance OF
several miles: His omniscience, In that
He knew that His word was effectual
, as the words testified. When the dis
ciples were sent to bring the ass colt
and to prepare the passover and to &c
; forth without purse or scrip, assured
that they would be cared for they al
ways found 1t just as He said. Every
/ promise and prophecy either has been