The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-02-05
LESSON READING NOTICE

LESSON READING NOTICE
MIR. Meyers:
Il cannot attend Sunday School and
intend to read the lesson notes for 3
month beginning with the first week
in February. 1908.
Name
T. y. -------
If you intend to study the notes at home fill out
the above notice and send it Mr.. Meyers.
Feb. 9th. Jesus and the Woman of
Samaria. John a. 1929.
The lesson verses this week are
priceless jems from Gods holy bible.
The interview of Jesus with the
woman of Samaria at Jacobs we'll
stand out as one of the great portions
of the New Testament. The part of
Palestine called in the days of Jesus
Samaria was the central. Above
Samaria was Galilee. and below
Judaea. where Jerusalem was located.
The Jews about Jerusalem believed
they had the better and more orthodox
form of worship and looked down on
their Samaritan neighbors. in fact had
no dealing with them. This fact gave
the more force TO the parable of the
Good Samaritan who was kind and
neighborly. and to the incident of
Jesus talking to woman of this des-
pissed people and telling her some of
the greatest truths spoken by Him
in His MINISTRY.
Those who go into the full histor-
ical details of the lesson should look
up. the record of the Jacob Well'
beside which Jesus sat when talking
to the woman and from which she
came to draw water. He asked her
for drink. and their talk led up to
the statement from Jesus that He
could give her water to drink which
once possessed she would never thirst
again. He did not refer to natural
water, but to the truth that Gods
spirit in the heart is a never failing
source of refreshing. leading up to
everlasting life. Jesus in laying
open the previous life of the woman
showed. His supernatural character
and led her to the enquiry as to where
was the proper place to worship God.
The Jews insisted it was Jerusalem
and her people the mountain near at
hand. This gave occasion for the de-
liverance of the greatest truth of the
lesson by Jesus when he said. "God
is spirit and they that worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and in
truth -
The time and place have nothing to
do with the worship of the great God
and His Sun Jesus. God is a spirit
everywhere present and not confined
by physical bounds. 1t is the spirit
of the worship and not the form which
counts. So one may use the. ritual
of the Episcopal and kindred church.
es and not be true worshippers, or
on the other hand they may take
special credit to themselves in simple
forms of worship and yet be far from
pleasing to God. 1t is not the form
but the spirit. IL is the heart which
God looks upon. With many the
beautiful solemn we'll worded Ian
guage and thought of the ritual and
prayer book breathes forth for them
the true alteration of their hearts to
their Savior and their God. Others
find their spirits lifted up in Ian
guage. of their own creation, Jesus
says God seeks for true worshipers
and such as this we all should try to
be.
This was great opportunity which
was given the oman at the we'll.
There comes times to each of US.
when by close attention to the teach
ings of the bible. or the talk of God
ly men and women we may be led to
comprehension of truths never before
thought of. and from this comes a
knowledge of God which will lead to
new and everlasting life. Let the eX-
ample of Jesus in talking to one in
a humble station be needed by His
followers. He came to save those
who were sinful and lost and in His
sight the soul of one person is as pre-
cious as that OF another There is host
of good things in the lesson and we
commend each verse for careful study.
Now that Decision Day is over it is
in order for the superintendent to
send in their yearly reports to the
county secretary.
Let it be held in mind that the
state secretary. Rev. Fitch. will be at
Denison on Tuesday. Feb. 18th. and
speak in the forenoon and evening.
There will be program in which a
number of good speakers will take
part. Let all Sunday School workers