Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-04-09
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. L. O. ROTENBACH.
Theme: Dead Eyes Opened.


sermon in the series on Miracles; the
Wonders Of Jesus and Their Lessons
For To-day" His theme was, Blind
Eyes Opened" The texts were in
Marx 1928: "He took the blind man
by the hand and led him out of
:own," and Matthew in 9:29 and 20:
81: According to. your faith be it
unto you; Jesus had compassion.
Mr.. Rotenbach said:
The texts bring before us three
scenes in the healing mercy of Jesus.
The first is yonder where lies the city
If Bethsaida, near the Sea of Cali
zee, close by the Jordan. Jesus is in
chat city; you can see Him together
with His disciples. Now, notice that
company of people yonder. See, they
are leading blind man. They bring
aim to Jesus and beseech Him to
ouch him. Here Is faith on the part
If that company and neutrality ap-
,arently on the part of the man. What
le needs is faith. Jesus undertakes
TO arouse that. He takes the blind
man by the hand, leads him out of
The city, one side by themselves, the
nan and Jesus.
Now, notice the process, for such 1t
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: Eyes, yes, l
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, ruler, comes beseeching
Him. my daughter is dead; come,
lay Thine hand upon her and she
shall live" He goes to grant the
| cequest, when through the throng
! woman makes her way, reaches out
her hand timidly and touches the hem
| IF His garment and Is made we'll. At
| the house of Jairus professional
mourners have taken possession. Jes-
is puts them out. 1.-THE maid is not
lead but sleepeth." They laugh at
Him. He goes in, takes her by the
hand, and 10! she rises, and the fame
Of it 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
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
II 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 to the
Gentiles to be Knocked. scourged and
crucifled, 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 1t shall not be so
among you. Whosoever will be great
among you let him become your SER
want; even as the Son of Man came
not to be served, but to serve and to
give His life ransom for many"
After these two events Jesus, His
disciples and a great multitude de-
part from Jericho He is in the midst
of one of those great pilgrim bands
on their way to Passover feast. They
have come from Galilee, augmented
| In, ,hny. NSyL .,,
er to the city of David.
Their people believed on Him-as
prophet, and in 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--a crowd
before Him, another behind, Himself
and disciples with others in the mid
die. He perchance, engaged in teach
ing.
Suddenly sharp cry breaks in up
on them. At the roadside ahead sits
blind Bartimaeus and companion
begging. They hear the advance of
the multitude. What means this?"
Jesus of Nazareth passeth by" At
once all he had felt, hoped and be-
lieved of Jesus burst out in one great
cry: Jesus, Son of David, have mer-
| cy on u.s." The multitude, impatient
at disturbance, rebukes them and
bids them be still. No, no, louder yet
rises their cry: Jesus, Son of David,
! have mercy on us"
| That cry reaches Jesus. He stops,
commands that they be brought to
Him. Bartimaeus leaps forward,
throws aside his cloak, lane opens
through the crowd and now they are
before Jesus. What will we that /
shall do unto you?" Lord that our
eyes may be opened" See the won
dering multitude, those eager blind
ones and Jesus. Is 1t wonder that
He is moved with compassion? He
touches their eyes. They receive
sight Immediately, follow Him, glori-
| flying God, whilst the multitude sings
/ nratcac unto God