The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-04-17
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. /. o. ROTENBACH.
Theme: Dead Eyes Opened

wonders or Jesus and Their Lessons
For To-day" His theme was, Blind
Eyes Opened" The texts were in
Mark 1928: He took the blind man
by the hand and led him out Of
town." and Matthew in 9:29 and 90:
"a: According 10 your faith be II
unto you: Jesus had compassion. "
Mr.. Rotenbach said:
The texts bring before us three
scenes in the healing mercy of Jesus.
The first is Wonder where lies the city
of Bethsaida. near the Sea of Cali
lee, close by the Jordan. Jesus is in
that city; you can see Him together
with His disciples. Now, notice that
company of people yonder. See, they
are leading blind man. They bring
him 10 Jesus and beseech Him TO
touch him. Here is faith on the part
of that company and neutrality ap-
parently on the part of the man. What
he needs is faith. Jesus undertakes
10 arouse that. He takes the blind
man by the hand. leads him out Of
the city, one side by themselves. the
man and Jesus.
Now, notice the process. for such il
is. The Master moistens his eyes
with spital, places His hands over
them and asks: "Seest thou aught
at all?" The man looks up. Here
is faiths beginning: Yes. yes.
see men, but | see them like unto
trees walking" Again those hands
are placed over his eyes, and now
Jesus makes him look up also. He
sees clearly,
Here, now, is the second picture
two blind men OF their own volition
are following Jesus. Let us get the
setting. The Master is teaching with
Jairus, a ruler, comes beseeching
Him. MY daughter is dead; come,
lay Thine hand upon her and she
shall live" He goes to grant the
request, when through the throng a
woman makes her way, reaches out
her hand timidly and touches the hem
OF His garment and is made well At
the house of Jairus professional
mourners have taken possession. Jes-
us puts them out. THE maid is not
dead but sleepeth." They laugh at
Him. He goes in, takes her by the
hand, and loi she rises. and the fame
of IL went everywhere.
That is the setting, and now as He
departs from thence, these two blind
men keep following Him. We can
see them go. How pathetic the sight!
We can hear them creeping out after
Him. Listen, Son of David have
mercy, have mercy, have mercy" But
He heeds them not. Now. at length
they approach the house where He is
to remain. He goes within. Crowd
remains outside. But these two blind
men, what will they now do? They
are keeping right on eagerly through
the crowd. They are at the door
now. What, they have gone into the
house and right up to Jesus
He asks, as He looks upon their
sightless eyes: Believe We that | am
able to do this?" Do they believe,
Why, He has healed that woman in
the way little while before when
she had but touched Him. He has
raised from the dead the daughter of
Jairus by simply taking her by the
hand, and they had kept following
after Him all along the dusty road.
though utterly ignored by crowd and
by Him. Do they believe now when
at last they stand by His side? YEA.
Lord" and as the answer bursts from
their eager lips, He touches them,
saying: According to your faith be
it unto you" and their eyes are
opened. Faith is triumphant
Now, over there we have the third
picture. Again we need the setting
to bring out the force and the beauty
of it. Jesus is going up to Jerusa-
lem. 1t is the week before Passover
"a week before the cross. AS He
goes He takes His disciples one side
and says: Behold we go up to Jer-
usalem, and the Son of Man shall be
betrayed; and they shall condemn
Him TO death and deliver Him 10 the
Gentiles to be Knocked, scourged and
crucified, and the third day He shall
rise again"
Then comes to Him the mother OF
Zebedee's children. Her request is
that her sons might sit one on the
right, the other on the left OF Jesus
In His kingdom. The ten. you re-
member, are incensed. but Jesus calls
them unto Him, saying: "Ye know
that the princes Of the Gentiles lord
1t over them, but it shall not be go
among you. Whosoever will be great
among you let him become your SER
want; even as the Son Of Man came
not 10 be served, but to serve and 10
give His life a ransom for many"
After these two events Jesus, His
disciples and a great multitude de-
part from Jericho. He is I'm the midst
Of oEe Of those great pilgrim bands
On their way to Passover feast. They
have come from Galilee, augmented
In numbers as they have drawn D-lr-
er 10 the city OF David.
Their people believed on Him-as
a prophet, and in a vague way as
Messiah and the coming king. who
even now, when they arrive at the
city, may be crowned. as once before
they sought TO crown Him by force.
on sweeps the procession crowd
before Him, another behind, Himself
and disciples with others I'm the mid
aie. lie perchance enga ged in teach
Ing.
Suddenly a sharp CRY breaks In up-
on them. At the roadside ahead sits
blind Bartimaeus and a companion
begging They hear the advance o.
the multitude. What means this2"
Jesus Of Nazareth passeth by" At
once al be had felt. hoped and be-
lcyei OF Jesus burst out I'm one great
cry. Jesus, Son OF David, have mer-