Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-02-13
Jesus Heals the
Nobleman's Son
Sunday School Lesson for Feb.l lSt
Specially Prepared for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-John 4i3-54. Memory
GOLDEN TExT.-"The man believed
the word that Jesus had spoken unto
him. and he went his way."-John $50.
TlME.-Deccmber. A. ID. q. or possibly
early In January. A. d. ~. A few days
after the last lesson. Beginning OF Sec
ond year OF Jesus ministry. known as the
great Gaiilcan ministry. John the Bnp-
list was still preaching In wilderness Of
Judea.
PLACE.-Cana OF Galileo, n few niles
from Nazareth; and Capernaum. u city
70 or 2 miles to the northeast. on the
shore Of the Sea OF Galilcc.
SCRIPTURAL II u + II IL - N e 3. -
Miracles as an Aid to Faith. Matt. 9s:
II:2 compare with lisa. D:5, %; 1873:
1871; 27:b4; Mark 2:i0. II; 1887; Luke 5:2i.
ZIG: IS:43: John 2:I1. 1923; 32; 4:i5. 30;
SIS; G:i4; 1881; g:iG. 3O-33; 1921. Is. 81. 81;
12:9-1l; 14:l0. II: 20:30. 81, Acts 2:22.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. As. "The Galilcans received
him." because they had seen all the
things that he did at Jerusalem at tho
feast" John 2:14.17. %; 3:2.) Because
the miracles were signs and proofs
that Jesus came from God. and they
Endorsed his message. The miracles
were nc breaking or charging OF the
laws Of nature, but were the personal
will OF God acting directly upon the
needs OF men.
A miracle Ii simply Gods doing
with his infinite power the same quail.
fly OF action, though vastly greater In
degree, that we do every hour when
we exert our personal will amid no
force of nature. I lift up a book, ]
turn on the water from the water.
works, and make n shower on my
parched lawn or garden. ! stop a part
Of the machinery In the factory AID
rescue a child caught in It's wheels.
II Jesus was divine they were as
natural to him as any other act OF
his will. They were Objcct-lcssons
in the spirit and the work of the Cos.
pei. the principles OF which he had
been teaching. Every miracle IL a Wis.
ible picture before men OF the char
acter Of God, Of the nature Of the
Gospel, OF the loving-kindness of our
Saviour, Of his power to help. OF the
wonders OF grace he can work In our
hearts. of his power to deliver from
the diseases of sin.
v. ~. when he had heard that
Jesus was come . . into Galllee." lie
must have heard about him, and cspe.
cially OF the miracle at Cana. 1t was
the knowledge OF what Jesus had al
ready done that gave him faith to be.
lieve that hs might cure his son.
Earnest SeckIng.-The faith was so
strong that "he went unto him." from
Capernaum to Cana, rs miles away.
q long days Journey. Jesus must help.
or there was no hope. The fact that
he went to Jesus shows that he had
some faith. and that his faith, that
was theoretical from what he had
heard, had now come to be a working,
living force. "Bosought him ccontin-
ued to beseechD that he would come
down" Thinking that Jesus must go
and see the boy In order to cure him.
AT the point Of death" Showing the
difficulty OF the cure, and the urgency
OF haste. Sickness and trouble are
often one means OF increasing faith.
Like Jacob from his pillow of s.ones
IN the night Of sorrow, many have
seen visions OF heaven and OF our
Father, and have received the mes.
sages Gods angels have brought.
Countless stars. invisible by day. shine
upon us In the night.
V. As. Then said Jesus unto him"
Jesus neither refused nor granted the
request at once but uttered Il truth
which tended to awake II fuller and
mor spiritual faith. Except yc see
signs and wonders miracles In two
aspects) We will not believe" Perhaps
Jesus was thinking Of the form Of
the request when he said this-the
feeling that Jesus must go TO Caper.
naum II he would cure the boy, that
the father must see Jesus present to
heal. But chiefly he wished to LIT the
man beyond the outward form OF mir.
acles. ont Of wondering. out OF mere
proofs OF faith, to insight into the
very nature and spirit of Jesus as the
Son of God
A Heart at Rest.-What interesting
lesson can we learn incidentally from
this part OF The story?
The cure took place at one o'clock
in the afternoon, the seventh hour.
The distance from Main TO Caperna.
um was 25 miles.
The nobleman In haste could have
reached home. riding down hill. some
time that same night. perhaps, as Mac
laren says. before dark.
But It was the next day. som dis
lance before he reached Capernaum,
that ha mat hia anrvanta cou,inv a.