The Tupelo journal., 1906-04-13
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
MJesus' Power Over Disease and
Death - International Sunday
School Lesson for April is.

TIME.-Same as last lesson, the summer
of A. d. 28, in the middle of the SECOND
year of Jesus ministry.
PLACE.-Capernaum, o the northern
shore of the Lake Of Galilee, and Man,, q
town southwest of Capernaum, seven
miles from Nazareth.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES.-Read
the references to Capernaum. Matt. ABB
IS; SIS; 81, 9; L :23; 1924; 1872; Mark 1:l6-34;
2:1-4; John 4:46; GILT, 24-71. Compare this
miracle for a Gentle with that for another
Gentle, the Syrophenician. Matt. 15:2l-2S;
Mark 7:24-30. Compare the miracle at Main
with the raising of Jairus' daughter, Matt.
1925; Mark 5:3S-42; Luke 8:49-56; and with
the raising Of Lazarus. John II. Contrast
1t with the resurrection miracles of Elijah,
1 Kings II 1923, and of Elisha, Kings 4:S2-
81. Compare it with the raising of Dorcas,
Acts 9:36-42, and of Eutychus. Acts 2O:7-l2.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. 1. when He had ended all His
SAYINGS" Those of the Sermon on the
Mount.
". 2. "And a certain centurion's serv.
ant" This centurion was a heather
by birth ". 81. and was probably in
the service of Antipas."-1nternational
| Critical Commentary. "All Palestine
was under Roman military govern
ment; this centurion was probably
connected with the garrison at Caper-
| naum." who was dear unto him.
The adjective docs no necessarily int
ply an affectionate relation between
the master and the servant, though
such may well have existed.
V. 3. "And when he heard of (R.
", "concerning") Jesus" Christ had
already worked many wonderful mira
cles and spoken many wise sayings in
| Capernaum, so that the centurion had
| the best foundation for his faith. He
sent unto Him the elders of the Jews"
Leading, representative men.
". 4. "Besought Him instantly" h.
/ ", earnestly" as in the phrase, con
tinuing instant in prayer"
V. 5. For he loveth our nation"
This Gentle soldier found in the Jews
"a purity, reverence, simplicity and
nobleness of life which he had not
| found elsewhere."-Dean Plumptre.
V. 6. Then Jesus went with them"
| saying, according to Matthew, II will
| come and heal him" AS they drew
near to the house, "the centurion sent
friends to Him." with another message.
Il am not worthy that Thou shouldest
| enter under my roof" This feeling OF
unworthiness was due partly C) to
his own consciousness of sin, and part
ly CD to his knowledge of the Jewish
| feeling that "as the houses of Gentilcs
were 'unclean,' entrance into them,
and still more, familiar fellowship,
| would 'defle.' "-Edersheim.
V. Z. Say in a word" Literally,
| Say with a word. and let my servant
| be healed The word is to be the in
| strument with which the healing is to
take place. instead of Jesus coming
in person."-Int. Crit. Com.
v. 8. For l also Cike Jesus, but In
another sphere) am a man set under
authority" etc. HE means: 4 also,
though a very humble person in the
army, under the authority of more i'm
portant officers. still have a command
over a body of men who do implicitly
as l bid them"
V. 8. HE marveled at him." "Only
twice do we read in the Gospel that
| the Saviour marveled; nee at the I'M
belief of His fellow citizens at Naz-
areth Mark 500, once at the faith OF
this heathen."-Van OosterZee.
V. 10. And they that were sent"
Christ's message through them to the
oont,;o, uoc sFAc fhnI hacf ho1iouod
so be it lone unto thee" Matt. 8:13).
Found the servant whole"
V. II. THE day after" R. ", "soon
afterwards" He went into a city
| called Main" A small town rs miles
to the southwest.
V. IL. when he came nigh to the
gate of the CITY," Nearly all towns
and villages were surrounded by walls,
as a defense against marauders. "Be-
hold, there was a dead man carried
out" THE bier on which the body
was borne was, in the case of the poor
err classes, a simple board supported
on two poles. There was no cofic;
the corpse was simply covered with
a large cloth."-Abbott.
v. 13. "The Lord" A title first used
by Luke in this place, perhaps because
in this miracle Christ showed Himself
supremely the Lord of life and death.
v. IA. "And He came and touched
the bier" "Of wickerwork. The body
lay with it's face turned up, uncovered,
and its hands folded on the breast
Edersheim.
V. Is. And he tina was dead" 1.-THE
spectators were sure that he was
dead, for they were carrying him out
to bury him."
v. 16. "And there came a fear on
ALL" r. ", And fear took hold on
ALL" "A great prophet is risen up
among us" They might have thought
of Elijah and the widow of Sarepta:
of Elisha and the lady of the not far
distant Shunem."-Farrar.
v. II. And this rumor Or. ", "re-
port") Of Him went forth" sit would
spread like wildfre far and wlue."-
Tx. Greek Test.
Lessons from Miracle at Main.
One of the blessed suggestions OF
the miracle is the arrival of Christ
Just at that time.
Our life is like a game of anagrams,
in which the letters of words are
thrown into a tumble. Only God
knows how to arrange them. and spell
out the meaning for us.
God wants vorded prayers. but
often, as at Main, He answers the
silent petitions of our griefS, OuI