Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-04-23
TIE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON az
THE REV. L. o. ROTENBAcH.
Theme: Dead Eyes Opened.


Theme: Dead Eyes Opened.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-At Bethany Pres
byterian Church the pastor, the Rev.
4. @. Rotenbach, preached the third
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
Mark 1923: HE took the blind man
by the hand and led him out OF
town, and Matthew in 9:29 and 90:
"a: 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
OF Bethsafda, 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
com pany of people yonder. See, they
are leading a blind man. They bring
him to Jesus and heseech Him to
touch him. Here is faith on the part
OF that company and neutrality ap-
parently on the part Of the man. What
to 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 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: Yes, yes, I
see men, but see them like unto
| trees walking" Again those hands
are placed lover 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 voiition
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
/ 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 we'll. 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 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
i 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 ye that an
able to do this?" Do they believe!
Why, He has healed that woman il
the way little while before wheI
she had but touched Him. He ha.
raised from the dead the daughter ol
Jairus by simply taking her by tn!
hand, and they had kept following
after Him all along the dusty road
though utterly ignored by crowd ant
by Him. Do they believe now Whe1
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 b.
: it unto you,' and their eyes ar
opened. Faith is triumphant.
Now, over there we have the thirs
picture. Again we need the settin.
to bring out the force and the beaut.
of it. Jesus is going up to Jerusa
j lem. It is the week before Passove
Ia week before the cross. AS II
goes He takes His disciples one sid
and says: Behold we go up to Jer
usalem, and the Son Of Man shall b
!, betrayed; and they shall condeml
:. Him to death. and deliver Him to tn
, | Gentiles to be Knocked, scourged an
crucified. and the third day He shal
rise again"
+ Then comes to Him the mother G
|. Zebedee's children. Her request
that her sons might sit. one on th
right, the other on the left OF Jesu
r In His kingdom. The ten. you re
0 uemher. art ii.censed bns Ias.is..:s -
them unto Him, saying: 'Ye kno,
that the princes of the GentiIes lor
" 1t over them, hut 1t shall not be s
tamong YOU. Whosoever Will be grez
! among you let him. become your SCI
). want: even as the Son of Man cam
!. not to be served, but to serve and
!, give His life ransom Tor man
After these two events Jesus. u
+ disciples and great multitude d
o part from Jericho. Hefs in the mid
( Of one of those great pilgrim bant
: on their way to Passover feast. Tnt
I. have come from Galilee, auguments
in numbers as they have drawn nea
er TO the city OF naEid.