The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1910-03-18
Paralytic Forgiven
and Healed
Sunday School Lesson for March 20, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT.-Matthew 9:i3. Mem
DRY verse, 2.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"The Son of Man
hath power on earth to forgive sins
Matt. Sc
TIME OF this incident by comparison
with the more historical order of Mark
and Luke Matthews order here Is log
zeal rather than historicaD Is May or
June A. ID. Is. several weeks before the
Sermon on the Mount.
PLACE.-Capernaum, in a private house.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
A House In Capernaum. Jesus
Preaching the Gospel-V. 2. Mark
81, 2; Luke SIT. The scene is pic
tured more fully By Mark and Luke.
An oriental house. The common
houses are usually of one story, with
a fiat roof and outside stairs to the
roof, for during the heat of the sum-
mer the family always sleep there.
The better houses consist or an
open courtyard, in which is frequently
a fountain or a well. This is sur
rounded on three sides by rooms with
bare, almost windowless walls on the
outside, with narrow doorway in the
center opening into the courtyard, to
which there Is no other access. Round
three sides of this open square are at
tached chambers, sometimes wholly or
partially inclosed, sometimes with
only pillars supporting the roof, be-
tween which curtains may be hung.
The principal or reception room Is on
the side facing the entrance" At one
end of this room Is a raised platform.
The audience. We see here gath
cred great number OF people throng-
ing the house with oriental freedom,
crowding and pressing around the
doors in their eagerness to hear the
young teacher and miracle worker,
who was creating no little excitement.
The preacher. We see Jesus preach
ing to these crowds, either in the GEN.
trail room or under the covered veran-
da, and not only preaching, but heal
ing Uuke).
While the services are proceeding
we look up the street and see a COM
pany of men approaching. One OF
them is paralyzed, either having lost
the use of his limbs by ordinary par
alysis or more probably having them
drawn together in cramped and
painful position. as we have several
times seen persons. Four men were
carrying this man on some kind OF a
litter, on which was laid his bed, con-
sisting of a padded quilt or comfort.
err" These men all had faith in the
healing power of Jesus, faith built
upon the foundations of fact.
When this little band arrived at the
house they could not enter on account
OF the crowd. This was a new test of
their faith. But they we're enterpris-
ing and ingenious and, undiscouraged,
they carried the sick man up the out
side stairs upon the low roof OF the
house; they broke a hole through the
roof OF branches and earth and, TAX
ing the mattress by the four corners.
let the man down among the audience
in front of Jesus.
We now see the surprise of the au.
dience as the sick man is let down
through the ceiling in front Of Jesus.
Jesus seeing their faith" through
which only could the man receive the
blessings Jesus had to give. BE Of
good cheer" take courage, all you
desire in your heart, and more, is
awaiting you.
"Thy sins be (are) forgiven thee"
Jesus gives him the greater blessing
first, the foundation blessing of his
whole life, without which the blessing
OF healing would be small and tempo
rary.
And he arose." and took up his
bed, and in the presence OF the assem-
bly, MARK, departed to his house,"
a living, unimpeachable witness to Je-
sus that he was the Messiah, doing
precisely what the Messiah naturally
would do.
Jesus is still doing directly for US
to-day the same kind Of works he did
in Palestine. There still are faith
cures. Still more are enabled SO to
live that health is the FRUIT of their
Christian living.
ii. Jesus is largely working through
his disciples. They are doing in vari-
Gus ways the same kinds of work
which Jesus did, the works which Je-
sus taught were the marks of those
who are to be welcomed into the
kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25). do
ing them in his name, as when the
cup of cold water was given.