The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-03-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH io.
Subject, Healing of the Man Born Blind,
John TX, 1-I1-Golden Text. John TX.
5--Memory Verses, 10, ,11-Commcntary
on the Days Lesson.

l
John TX. 1-I1-Goidcn Text. John tx.
5--Memory Verses, 10, ,11-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
Jesus passed by" Jesus still fingered at
Jerusalem, and in one Of His walks, per
| haps to OF from a synagogue, lie came 10
this blind man. "He saw" Jesus took
notice of his afIliction; looked upon him
with concern. He anticipated his. need
That look meant sight to the blind man
"a man" He was beggar; it was bis
| trade, but among all his petitions he did
not ask for sight. Yet Jesus gave it. An
illustration Of free grace. This man was
| hopeless, helpless, poor. Blind from his
birth" OF the six 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.
| gan it was not heard that any man opened
the eyes of one that was born blind ". 32l
Blindness is very common in Palestine.
| ii. Jesus explains the mystery of provi
dence Tvs. 2-5). 2. Disciples asked The
first question that arose in their minds
was why this blindness existed "Who did
SIM" 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 visitations
for special sins. This error Jesus cor
| rected. Mark the contrast between their
pentance calls our own Affections punish
ments, but love calls the Affections OF 9th.
ers trials. "This man" But how could
the man sin before his birth? The doctrine
Of the transportation OF souls, by which
the same soul is supposed to inhabit differ
| ent bodies, was quite general among the
| Greeks and Asiatics, but there il no clear
| proof that this doctrine was prevalent
among these Jews. On the popular suppo.
sition that special calamities are Il punish.
/ rnpOt for aDqpial sins tlp Hiapfplpg lpatrp
to know whose sin caused this mans suf-
fering. Was it his parents sin or his own?
If Jesus had replied his own they would
have asked, How?
3. Neither" That is, so as to be the
cause of the blindness. Our Lord does not
deny the existence OF sin, either in this
man or in his parents. The disciples
looked to the origin of the suffering; our
Lord looked to its removal. They asked,
"Who is to blame" Jesus asked "Who
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 blessedncss than
God-manifest" Not that this man was
born blind for the sole purpose that
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
|
quences, but both afford Him an opportu-
nifty to show His power and grace.
4. "We must work" Or. W BY the
plural we as given in the r. v, Jesus
associates His apostles with Him 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 wretchedness, lonely sorrow,
destitution and disease is the work of God.
while it is day The day represents OPP
| ,...l,N To-.
5. I'm the world" He would not be
long in the flesh, but he has never ceased
to be the light of the world. Sin is dark
ness. he is in bold contrast TO sin. 81 am
the light" Like the sun, it is My business
to dispense light and heat everywhere; to
neglect no opportunity to enlighten and
save the bodies and souls of men. The case
before them was altogether beyond human
means, but Jesus reminded His disciples
that in Him were light and life.
Ill. The blind man was healed Tvs. G.,
y. @. Made clay-anointed Jesus
shows His power by proceeding, in His
own way, to heal the man. Notice, l..
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 distance. 3. Christ appeals
to two OF the mans senses, his hearing and
feeling, thereby arousing faith. Christ
gave His personal attention to this case,
even though His patient was beggar. Z.
GO" Would He now prove His faith in
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
practical test, proving His faith and obe-
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-
tion, 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 its waters were directed sent
by canals or pipes into different quarters,
for the same purpose. Some think there is
an allusion to Gen. 1910; that this foun-
tain was a type of Shiloh, the Christ, the
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
lieved and obeyed. We frequently lose
Gods best gifts because we fail to act in
time. Game seeing" The cure was in.
stantaneous.
w. Various discussions Tvs. SID. 8.
as not this he?" There was an immediate
stir among the neighbors; 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 he was beggar. He must have
been well known. o. 81 am he" jesus
had met and healed the man on Fridal
night, at the beginning of the Sabbath
and the neighbors had not seen him go to
the pool, so that on the next morning they
were hardly able to believe their senses.
But the man himself gave a positive testi.
moay. 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 neighbors before, but
now, looking right at them, he delivers
this wonderful testimony to the power OF
Christ. It is short, clear, positive. "a
man" First he knew Him only as "the
Man" (R. W called Jesus. then as a pro-
phet ". ~, then as Man with whom
God was Tvs. 3l-33), then He was the Son
of God Tvs. $3.50.