The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-03-17

sins" Matt. 9:6.
TN!E.-May or juno. A. d. 2S.
PLACE.-Capernaum.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Healing Of
n Paralytic, 10. The full account of
this miracle is found in Mark 2:1-12,
and Luke 5:17-26. They brought
this man to Jesus because there was
no one else vino could help, and they
we're confident that He could and
would II was because OF their faith
that Jesus did what they sought.
Their faith was faith that could be
seen ". -. True faith can be seen,
it materializes in works GAS 2:1S).
Jesus Is ready to say to-day to every
paralytic and to every soul In distress,
son, be of good cheer" II the one In
distress will only trust Him. Jesus
forgave before healing. AS always,
so in this case, the professional fault
finder was present, and as often, he
was n high ecclesiastlc, a scribe tthe-
illogical professor). The Scribes
were there for the purpose of finding
something to criticise (Luke SLY;
John 5:16). They found 1t. They
brought very common charge and
very serious charge against Jesus.
%
Mark 14:64). Their reasoning was
right up to a certain point, no one
but God can forgive sins, and If Jesus
was not God, He was n blasphemer.
Granted the Unitarian conception of
Jesus and the Scribes were right, and
His execution justifiable, but If Jesus
is God. then it is the Scribes and the
Unitarians who are the blasphemers.
1oY, 10 20 III tnd
accusers that He was divine, and had
the power to forgive sins by reading
their secret thought w. 4; CT. 2
Chron. $50; Jer. 1873, 10; Ps. 139:
l, %. Then He gave another proof,
He healed the palsied man. Jesus
wishes men to know that the Son of
Man hath power on earth to forgive
sins" so He performs an act that we
can see, and which demands divine
power for its accomplishment that we
may know that He has the power for
that which we cannot see and which
also demands divine power for it's >ac-
complishment. So 1t is proven that
Jesus has power on earth to forgive
sins. We not only hope that 1t is so.
but we know" 1t is so. The palsied
man knew that his sins were forgiv-
en-, because Jesus said so. We may
know that ours also are forgiven on
the same ground (Aets 1896, 39).
III. Jesus Eating With Publicans
and Sinners, 1913. AS Jesus passed
along His eye fell on a Jew gathering
taxes for Rome, lining his pockets at
the sacrifice of his patriotism. He be-
longed to the class despised by the
Jews, but he was to write the dis
tinctively Jewish Gospel. His busi-
ness fitted him admirably to write
the Gospel, as tax gatherer, he had
been trained TO accuracy, to judge
men and to be proof against impos-
ture. 1t was very humiliating and Of
fensive to the self-righteous religion
lists of the day that Jesus should
choose one OF His most intimate disci-
pies from the class they most de-
spised He acted in the most direct
opposition to the accepted notions Of
the ecclesiastical leaders when He
made this choice. Matthew was at
tending faithfully to his business
when Jesus called him, while the null
titudes had forsaken their usual avo-
cations and "resorted" to Jesus
mark 2:13). This may have been
from sturdy fidelity to business or IL
may have been Indifference to relig-
ious enthusiasms. The call was very
sHaden, very brief and very much to
the point, Follow Me-" There was
world of meaning in 1t. 1t involved
the renunciation OF self and taking
up Of the cross and saying farewell to
earthly ambitions, possessions and
prospects Matt. 1924; Luke 9:57,
58; lS:22), but 1t would bring re-
ward and honor and blessing immeas-
urable John S:12; 1926; Matt. 49,
2S). Nothing else costs so much as
to follow Christ; nothing else pays so
well. II Matthew had said mo" to
that call of Jesus, he doubtless would
have gained by 1t financially, but by
saying yes" he became one of the
very few men of that day whose
names have survived the storms of
centuries, and also became an heir of
God and a Joint heir with Jesus
Christ. There was no hesitation on
Matthew'S part; he arose at once. for
sock all and followed Christ (Luke
5:2S, r. W 1t was the voice OF
Jesus that transformed this keen
mOney-getting publican into a devoted
disciple. Matthew made a great feast
at his house (Luke 5:29) Jesus at
tended this gay party. Matthew s
purpose was evidently not to display
his wealth, or merely even TO honor
his new-found Master; he sought to
get hold of his old business associates
and friends, and succeeded ". 10).
The publlcans and sinners were well
come to the companionshlp of Jesus
here on earth. There will be a great
multitude who were once publicans
and sinners who will sit down with
Him In glory. Jesus associated with
publicans and sinners in order to save
them. We can never save them un-
less we initiate the Masters example.
In associating with them, we must be
careful to do 1t for the same purpose
He did, or they will drag us down
rather than we lift them up. The
Pharisees were around as usual Ia
find fault. Where, then, Is the
church's true place? Jesus came to
call sinners. He has no invitation OF
grace for the righteous man. Before
a man can get anything from Jesus
hand he must first take his proper
place, that OF sinner, at Jesus feet
then he gets all Luke 1914; |
Tim. 1:15). Blessed Is the sinner
who hears the gracious call of Christ
to repentance (Acts 2;3s, 39; 26:1S;
Luke 15:7-10).