The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-04-18
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR APRIL IS.

I. The centurion asks aid Of Christ
Tvs. ~. l. "Ended-sayings." The
sayings recorded in the preceding
chapter and in the sermon just
preached. I'm the audience" What
Christ said He spoke publicly. In Sc
cret He said nothing John 1920.
Into Capernaum." Where most OF
His mighty deeds were performed.
Yet His miracles failed to produce re-
pentance (Matt. 1923. 2. "Centur-
ions servant" A centurion was q
Roman officer, ranking with our cap
tain, who had charge Of 100 men. This
centurion, though q Gentle, was IA
vorable to the Jews, religiously i'll
clined, generous and kind. The SER
want was probably a slave.
8. Heard of Jesus" Of His. ar
rival at Caperraum. He must have
known of His miracles before this.
"Sent-elders." The leading men-the
magistrates of C~apernaum.1 "Beseech-
ing Him." Earnestly entreating Him.
These elders Of the Jews must have
been strongly attached to he cen
turion. would come" They evident
" thought it would be proper for Him
to go to the house, even though the Gen.
turion was a Gentle. 4. Game to
Jesus" Distress drives to Jesus, and
Jesus comes to those in distress. I'm
stantly." That is, earnestly and with
out a moments delay. HE was wor-
thy" This is what the elders said OF
the centurion.
5. "Loveth our nation" He was
probably a p~roselyte of the gate-that
is, one of those who embraced Judaism
on the whole, but without becoming a
proselyte of righteousness by accept
ing circumcision.
II. The centuricn's opinion Of him
self Tvs. 6-S). 6. Jesus went" He
was glad to 60 with them. He Is the
Savior of the Gentiles as we'll as the
Jews. "Sent friends" This was the
second deputation, and it is quite
likely that the centurion also came
himself. See Matt. S:5-S. "Trouble
not myself" If he had known Jesus
better he would have known that Jesus
was anxious to help him. mot wor-
thy" He was only a Gentle and
thus outside of the favored nation. He
regarded Jesus as a superior being. Z.
ITO come unto Thee" He felt as
though he could not approach into the
presence of one so great and so holy.
"But say in !. word" He had prob
ably heard a few months before this
how Christ had healed the nobleman's
son when at :. distance from him
John 4:46-54). 8. "Set under author
ity." That is, under the authority OF
others. He is confident that Jesus
can as easily send an angel to cure
this servant Of his, as he a sci a
soldier on an errand.
III. The centurion's faith rewarded
Tvs. 8. 10.. '
9. "MarYelled at him." The only
other time when Jesus is said to have
been astonished is in Mark &c, when
He marvelled because of unbelief.
Christ was not ignorant of the centur-
ions faith, He knew all about that
before a word had been spoken; but
He expressed His admiration with n
view to make it more conspicuous.
$50 great faith" Faith is that soul
element which enables US to grasp
God. It is the medium through which
we receive the blessings of the divine
life. I'm Israel" After the return
from the captivity this term was given
to all Jews. 10. Servant whole"
The healing took place at a distance
from Christ. He could heal by a word
as well as by a touch.
~. The widows son raised from
the dead Tvs. lid. II. "The day
after" "Soon afterwards."-R. v.
Much people" Jesus was now reach
ing the height of His popularity. IL.
1.-THE gate" Nearly all towns and vii
lagos were surrounded by walls as a
protection. Carried out" With the
exception of kings, all burials were
outside the city. Much people,"
Here was a large company of mourn
ers. Main is approached by a narrow,
rocky path; there was only one en-
trance to the city; the two professions
met on the western slope of the hill
side. 13. Had compassion" He did
not wait for her to ask for help, for
probably she did not know Him. Her
needs and sorrows were her silent
prayers. The fact that this youth was
"the only son Of his mother" and that
she was a widow would convey to Jew
ish notions a deeper sorrow than it
ever does to ours, for they regarded
childlessness as a special calamity,
and the loss of offspring as a direct
punishment for sin. Weep not" The
large company came to weep with her.
IA. Touched" Here again. as in
the case Of the leper, our Lord sacri-
feed the mere Levitical ceremonialism,
with its rules about ~uncleanness, to a
higher law. Bier" Jewish collins
were open, so that the dead could be
seem; but in the case Of the poorer
classes there would be 10 coffin, but
merely a board supported by two poles
on which the dead would be laid. II
say" Life and death are controlled
by the will of this Il" arise" At
last death has met its Master!
Is. TBegan to speak" Which
proved that he was fully restored.
16. Game a fear" A sense of SOL
emnity and reverential awe. "Glori-
fol God" The miracle was witnessed
by a large company of people, and they
all recognized the hand of God or the
One who could perform such mighty
deeds. "Great prophet" The Jews
were at this time expecting Elijah,
Jeremiah. or one Of the great prophets
to appear.
II. This ruu1or." 1t appears that
the report of this miracle spread
throughout NIL Palestine; it reached
tie cars of John the Baptist who was
imnrisored at Castle MacheruS.