The Morris County chronicle., 1910-03-01
The
School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR MARCH 6.
Subject: Jesus, the Healer, Matt. 81
2-17--Commit to Memory
Verses 2, 3.

our infirmities and bare our sick
nesses." Matt. 8:17.
TIME.-April and Midsummer Al.
D. %.
PLACE.-Capernaum.
EXPOSITION.--I. Jesus CSeans.
ing a Leper. 1t required much faith
to come Nto Jesus, for no leper had
ever been cleansed by man, and as
far as the record goes, Jesus had
cleansed no 1epers before this. He
was dead in earnest, kneeling down
and falling on his face (Mk 1:40a
Lu. 5:12). The leper's prayer wa5
brief and right to the point. It dis
PLAYED great faith in the Lord Jesus,
faith that He was able to do what He
would. It was, however, imperfect
faith. He had perfect confidence in
Jesus ability, but doubted His will
lngness to help. Many to-day put the
II. Just where the leper did, on the
Willingness of Jesus to help. If there
is any If In regard to a blessing
sought of Jesus Christ, it belongs,
not on His willingness nor power, but
on our faith (Mk. 1922, 23). Imper-
feet as the leper's faith was. Jesus
responded to it. He is Just the same
to-day (Heb. 1881 1t was Christ's
compassion, not the leper's unworthi-
ness, that led Jesus to answer the
leper's prayer (Mk. 1:41: CT. Matt.
14:14. Jesus exerted His healing
power by touch That touch was
an act of great compassion, for I'll
would make Jesus Himself ceremoni-
ally unclean. He took the leper's un4
eleanness upon Himself that He
might make the leper clean (cf. Q
Cor. 5:21. There is many a moral
leper to-day needing the touch of a
clean hand. This II will'' of Jesus
taken in it's context proves His divin-
ity (cf Gen. 1:3; Ps. 1919; Nix. A.:
39). The leprosy left Immediately;
the cleansing was complete Jesus,
unlike modern healers, avoided pub
licity.
III. Jesus Healing the Centurion's
Servant, 5-13. This centurion occu-
pied much higher social position
than Jesus, but he recognized the in
finite superiority of Jesus to himself
lcf. Lu. 7:6, -. If Matthews Gospel
contained the only account, we would
get the impression that the centurion
came at once himself. but he certainly
did not until after he had sent the
Jewish elders and his friends (Lu.
sonal unworthiness that kept him
back from the personal approach to-
Jesus, though the earnestness of his
desire for his slave and the thought
that he was not worthy for Jesus to-
come under his roof sent him out all
last to meet Him and save Him the
trouble of coming further. His ten
der care for the slave Is only second
in beauty to the simplicity and
strength of his faith (cf. Lu 7:2:l
contrast "A Sam. 30:13). The case
was desperate. The lad was at the
point of death (Lu. 7:2). There was
no one else who could help him but
Jesus; but there is nothing too hard
for Him, and we can always turn to
Him when there is no other place to-
go. The centurion built his faith!
upon what he had "heard concerning
Jesus" (cf. Rom. 10:17). He who
witnesses for Jesus never knows what
may come of his testimony. The CEN
turion's prayer was short and definite.
How gracious the Lords answer. IT
will come and heal him." Jesus said
| will come" because He was invited.
He is always ready to accept an inyi-
tation to any home or heart (Rev.
3:20). He is worthy had been the
testimony concerning him by the Jew
ish elders (Lu. 7:4). 'T am not
worthy was his testimony concern
ing himself. The man who thinks
himself most unworthy is the one
who is most likely to be thought
worthy by others. and he is always
the surest to get blessing from God
Ups. 1917; Lu. 18:10-14) The
Roman soldier had got a glimpse of
nf hnfC r. ~
sickness to be as absolutely subject
to the word of Jesus as were his sub
Jects to his own word. Thank God
the centurion was right about that
(cf. Lu. ABS, SO, 80; NIX. a: SO; Jno.
1l:43, 44. Jesus marvelled at the
centurion's faith. He had met so lit
tie faith on earth that to find so great
faith in such quarter was astonish-
ing. He not only wondered at the
centurion's faith, He commended it
(cf Matt. 1929. Faith is a very
pleasing thing to Christ (Heb. 1f:5.
g; Jno. 6:29). In the two instances
where Jesus commended faith it was
GENTLE who was the believer In
this heathen's faith Jesus got a
glimpse of the great coming day when
the Gentiles would be gathered to
Him ". IL.
III. Jesus Healing Peters Wife's
Mother, 14-17. The family invited
Jesus to dinner, and we'll were they
repaid. 1t always does pay to invite
Jesus to our homes (cf Matt. 25:37.
40, 34). Jesus could heal at dis
tance, but He loved to get right to
the afflicted one. He touched her
hand. Mark, who got his information
from Peter himself, tells us that He
took her by the hand and raised her
up (Mk. IBID This, too. has 8 les
son for us. 1t is the hand grasp Of a
strong, well hand that the sick need.
and 1T is the hand grasp of holy,
strong hand that the sinful and weak
need. The fever left her. Sick
ness as well as leprosy gives way be-
fore Jesus. She at once began to use
her new-found health and strengthen
ministering to her Healer. A won
derful scene follows. The people wait
until the Sabbath closes, at sunset.
Then from every corner of Caper-
naum they bring to Jesus all the de-
mon-possessed and sick. Oh, that we
would bring all our devil-tormented
and sick ones to Himi These people,
however, were not as eager for spirit
ual blessings as for healing. Neither
are people to-day But Jesus healed
every one Of them Gu. 4:40). All
this was fulfllment of Old Testa-
ment prophecy ". II; CT. lisa. 53:4s