The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-01
The
che
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR JUNE 5.
Subject: Jesus Walks on the Sea,
Matt. 14:22-36-Commit
Verses 20, 27.

GOLDEN TEXT.-'Then they that
were in the ship came and w~orsh1ped
Him, saying, Of a truth Thou are the
Son of Cod" Matt. 1873.
TIME.-April, A. D. 20.
PLACE.-The Sea of Galilee be-
tween Bethsaida and Capernaum.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus Sending
His Disciples Into the Storm, %, "a.
The multitude who beheld the sign
of the multiplied loaves and fishes
were so affected by itthat they wished
to take Jesus at once and make Him
king (Jno. 6:14, 15). To keep His
immature disciples out of this politi-
cal excitement Jesus Immediately
forced them to get into the boat and
pull for the other side. They wanted
to stay. In sending them away He
was sending theminto a terrific storm.
How often to-day He sends us away
from the place of quiet and refresh
ment to meet the midnight storm.
They were safe there. When both
disciples and multitude had gone
+ Jesus went further into the mountain
to pray. Son of God though He, was,
He needed prayer. Can we then ex-
pect to get beyond the place where we
need prayer? There we're things that
He must pour into no ear but Gods.
Solitude>is needful for the best pray
er. HE was there alone" He prayed
long, way on till near dawn. He
seemed to greatly need rest, He had
gone apart to get it, and then had had
a day of excessive toll, but He needed
prayer more than rest. There is often
greater refreshment in prayer than
sleep Us. 40:31. There had just
been a great crisis in His history, and
so He must talk it all over with the
Father. While He prayed, through
the flashes of lightning He saw His
disciples out on the sea distressed
with rowing against the storm mark
6:48). They had been in the storm
before, but then Jesus was with them,
now they were alone (Jno. SID.
Jesus did not go to them at once. He
left them to battle with the waves
while He continued in prayer. But
He was helping them by His prayers
and He helps us to-day by His inter.
cession (Heb. 1880.
u. Jesus Coming to His Disciples
in the Storm, 1927. In the darkest
hour, just before dawn, as their boat
was helplessly tossed about, Jesus
Himself came to the despairing disci-
Piles. He came, walking upor the
sea" (cf. Job 9:8). The disciples
were not relieved, but troubled at the
sight of Him. They did not recognize
Him, but fancied that He was an ap-
partition, and that their time had
come. They cried out for fear. Jesus
often approaches us in a way that we
do not at first recognize Him, and we
are terrified instead of comforted. But
Jesus did not leave them long in sus-
pense and fear. He uttered the most
comforting words He can eve say, 1T
is l." The "be Of good cheer" and
"be not afraid" would not have helped
without the 1T is l."
ILL.,. A Disciples Approach to Jesus
in the Storm, 1881. Peter, true to
his character, comes forward with a
proposition. Good and bad are
strangely mixed in the request. There
was the good desire to get to Jesus at
once, there Is the bad desire to dis
play himself. There is faith and there
is unbelief. Jesus says but one word,
Come" Peter climbed over the side
of the boat and began walking on the
waters. He trusted Christ and the
power of God sustained him Il Pet.
1:5). He was quite proud Of his
achievement and began to look around
instead of looking at Jesus. Then he
saw the wind and down he began to
sink. Alas, for the man who takes
his eyes off from Jesus and looks at
his environment. But Peter was wise
in his peril, he did the best thing any
one can do when sinking. His prayer
was short, explicit, personal, right to
the point, intensely earnest, and it
was answered Immediately, though It's
faith was by no means perfect. II any
sinking soul honestly cries to Jesus,
Lord, save me-" He will do it Gro.
1913. Jesus helped Immediately
,(cf. Is. 65:24). 1t vas with His out
stretched hand that He took hold Of
him" and saved (cf. Ps. 1887; Mark
1871; 41:5-41; Acts 4:30; Is. SGD.
Peters failure was through his
doubt" -.
~. Jesus on Board, the Storm
Over and the Desired Haven Reached,
1898. AS soon as Jesus was in the
boat the wind ceased. All that many
a tempest-tossed soul needs is to take
Jesus on board and it will find calm
and safety at once. The disciples
were greatly amazed at what had hap
pened mark 6:51). The demonstra-
lions that they had already seer Of
Jesus divine power should have pre-
pared them for this further one
mark $3.50. They Immediately
"worshiped" Jesus. They were right
in so doing (Heb. 1:6; Jno. 5:23).
Jesus acceptance without protest Of
the worship thus offered clearly
proves His recognition of His own
deity (cf. Matt. 4:9, 10; Acts 1925,
26; Rev. 1910. The disciples ex-
claimed, "Of a truth, Thou art the
Son of Cod" This, too, wasitrue (cf.
CHI. ~16:16-18). Immediately upon re-
ceiving Jesus into the boat they
reached the shore. If any one is "all
at sea- and storm-driven, toiling
fruitlessly against wind and wave, let
him cake Jesus on board and he will
come speedily and safely to land.
v. Jesus Healing the Sick, 34-36.
The disciples are to have still further
proof that Jesus is truly the Son OF
God. AS soon as the men of Genne-
saret recognize Jesus they scour the