The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-03-11
IyHE sUNDA Y SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR MARCH is.
Subject: Jesus Heals q Man Born
Blind, John 9:1-12- Golden
Text, John 9:5-Commit Verses

NN
10, documentary.
TIME.-October II, A. D. 20.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION. - I. Receiving
Sight, IL. There are three words Of
immense import in the first verse,
Jesus passed by" Great things may
be expected to occur when Jesus
passes by. The case of this man was
absolutely hopeless. He had been
blind from his birth. No human skill
could touch his case. But Jesus
passed by. That changed everything.
What man cannot do, Jesus can.
Jesus is ever passing our way in these
days. so we may constantly expect
wonderful things to happen (Jno. IA:
12). This blind man is a suggestive
illustration of the unsaved sinner,
blind Il Cor. 2:14), he never had
32) his case was hopeless, humanity
speaking doubtless he himself had
given up all hope of ever seeing); he
was without human sympathy, sus-
pected and ~despised Tvs. @, 34); he
was poor, a beggar. But all his need
was only an opportunity for Gods
Astounding grace in Christ. Jesus not
only passed by, HE saw" He ever
sees us in our need and distress (cf.
Elk. 3:7; $50. Contrast the feeling
Of Jesus disciples as they looked at
the man with that Of Jesus Himself.
Their feeling was n Of curiosity
and contempt. His OF deepest com
passion e, 4, g.. Are we likest to
the Master or the disciples? What is
your feeling as you gaze upon the
poor, the outcast and the unfortu-
nate? Jesus saw in this mans mis-
fortune a call to help; they saw in it
only the just consequence of sin. The
disciples thought all sickness must
be the direct consequence Of sin.
Jesus plainly declares this Is not SC,
that there is another purpose in ply
steal inirmity, viz: that the works
of God should be made manifest"
They were made manifest in this
mans case by his healing. Some
times they are made manifest by
Gods sustaining grace in weakness
e Cor. 12:8-10). Doubtless sickness
is often the direct result Of sin Ono.
STA; Mark rs; Acts 1929. In
other cases it is the indirect result.
When Gods children wander from
Him He suffers sickness to overtake
them, to bring them to their senses
and Himself dob 33:14-30). But
sickness does not always arise from
this cause phil. 2:27, 80; 2 Kings
1919. We live in a day when men
are making sweeping CONGRATULATIONS
about sickness from only part of the
data. Jesus did not teach by verse 8.
that neither this man nor his parents
! had ever sinned, but that they did"
not sin as the cause of this blindness
(see R. W The parent so far from
being sinless, sinned before the chap.
ter ends. That is a wonderful must"
in verse 4. Il must (R. ", we must)
work the works Of Him that sent Me,
while it is day" Indeed we must.
Night is coming fast. No man can
work then. Up ard at the work now
Oh, those solemn words, "The night
cometh," the night of death, when we
sleep, not work, not unconscious, but
shut out of activity and shut up with
Christ in blessed communion (Phil.
1920, but beyond the possibility Of
finishing any work we have left IN
done here. The other night cometh
when the church shall have been re-
moved from the earth, and the dark
ness of the great tribulation shall
have settled down upon it. Note the
works we must do; not our own, but
1.-The works of Him that sent Me-" 1t
is plain from comparing VS.. 2 and 4,
that Jesus considered delivering men
! from evil far more important than
!: specializing about the origin Of evil.
If we are to follow Jesus, we ought
not to wait until misery comes to us,
We should. go to it. The command,
go, wash, etc." was a test of faith
e Kings 5:10-14; Mark 3:5; Luke
17:14). Sloan" means sent" and
was a type of Jesus Himself ". 4;
Jno. 1926; Ro. S:3; Gal. 40. If
we wish sight for our blind eyes w
should go to Him and battle (Jno. s:
12). The man gave the best evidence
in the world of faith, prompt ODE
dience, The result, "he came see.
ing"
IL. witnessing, s-12. The blind
mans cure occasioned discussion and
division. Christ's work always
| u discussion and causes divis-
ion. The discussion gave an oppor-
tunity for testimony. The man
showed his malliness by. saying, Il
am he" che that sat and beggsd"D.
His frank testimony for Jesus cost
him accommodation ". 34), but it
brought him a deeper, fuller knowl-
edge of the Lord Tvs. $3.50. When
he was asked how his eyes were
opened he gave a model statement of
the case, short, right to the point and
giving the exact facts. He spoke of
his Geliverer as the Man called
Jesus" Later in the day he said,
He Is a prophet" ". 10. Later
still, he recognized Him as the son
of Coo" (35-3S). Those who heard
wanted to see Jesus ". 12). Such is
! the power Of testimony. He was then
brought to the Pharisees, the recog-
'nized enemies Of Jesus ". %; Oh.
11:46, At, ST; 12:42). But the man
did not dodge the issue even then.
His testimony created division even
among the Pharisees (cf. Acts 14:S,
A.. Some decided that He could not
be from God, because He kept not the
Sabbath, according to their notions.
But others said, How can a man that
is a sinner do such signs?" That is
an unanswerable question for all de!
niers of the deity CT Christ. for If He
is not divine He is the chief # bias
phemerS.