The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-03-03
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
hENTS FOR MARCH O
Subject: Jesus, the Healer. Matt. s:
2-1.-Commit to Memory
Verses g, 8.

GOLDEN TEXT.--"Himself took
our infirmities and bare our sick
nesses." Matt. SIT.
TTME.-April and Midsummer A.
D. IS.
PLACE.-Capernaum.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus Cleans
ing Leper. It required much faith
to come to Jesus, for no leper had
ever been cleansed by man, and as
far as the record goes, Jesus had
cleansed no lepers before this. He
was dead in earnest. kneeling down
and falling on his face (Mk. 1:4O;
Lu. 5:12). The leper's prayer was
brief and right to the point. 1t dis
played great faith in the Lord Jesus,
faith that He was able to do what He
would. 1t was. however, imperfect
faith. He had perfect confidence in
Jesus ability, but doubted His will
inGness to help. Many to-day put the
''if" 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. 9:22, 23). Imper-
feet as the lepers faith was, Jesus
responded to it. He is just the same
to-day (Heb. 13:S) 1t was Christ's
compassion, not the leper's unworthi-
ness. that led Jesus to answer the
leDer's prayer (Mk. 1:41; CT. Matt.
14:1D. Jesus exerted His healing
power by touch. That touch was
an act of great compassion, for 1t
would make Jesus Himself ceremoni-
ally unclean. He took the leper's un-
cleanness upon Himself that He
might make the leper clean (cf. 2
Cor 5:2D. There is many moral
leper to-day needing the touch of a
clean hand. This "I will" of Jesus
taken in its context proves His divin-
ity (cf. Gen. 1:3; Ps. $780, Nix. 4:
39). The leprosy left Immediately;
the cleansing was complete. Jesus,
unlike modern healers, avoided pub
licity
ii. Jesus Healing the Centurion's
Servant, 5-13. This centurion occu-
pied a much higher social position
than Jesus, but he recognized the in
finite superiority of Jesus to himself
(cf. Lu. 7;6, y. If Matthew's 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
7:3, 6). It was a deep sense of per-
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 at
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;
contrast l Sam. 30:13). The case
point of death uu. 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. 'I
will come and heal him" Jesus said
81 will come" because He was invited.
He Is always ready to accept an invi-
tation to any home or heart Grew.
3:20). HE Is worthy" had been the
testimony concerning him by the Jew
ish elders NLu. 7:4. Il 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
Cps. 1917; Lu. 1S:10-1H. The
/ Roman soldier had got glimpse of
the deity of Christ. He considered
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. 4:35, SO, 80; Nix. 4:39; Jno.
11:43, 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 1t
tcf. Matt. 1929. Faith is very
pleasing thing to Christ (Heb. 11:5,
/ G; Jno. 6:29). In the two instances
where Jesus commended faith 1t was
a Gentle who was the believer. In
] tnlj neatnenS s 1altn Jesus got
glimpse of the great coming day when
the Gentiles would be gathered to
Him ". 11).
III. Jesus Healing Peters Wife's
Mother, 14-17. The family invited
Jesus TO dinner, and well we're 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. 1:3D. This, too, has les
son for us. 1t is the hand grasp Of q
strong. well hand that the sick need,
and 1t is the hand grasp of a holy.
strong hand that the sinful and weak
need. THE fever left her." Sick
ness as we'll as leprosy gives way be-
fore Jesus. She at once began to use
her new-found health and strength in
ministering to her Healer. A won
| derful scene follows. The people wait
Il