The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-11-29
INTERNATIONAL
NNMSOBON
LESSON
by d. o. SELLERS, Director OF Eve
ming Department The Moody Bible In
stitute Of Chieag0.D
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
THE LUkATlc BOY.
LESSON rExT-uark s:14-z.

GOLDEN TEXT-"And Jesus said unto
him, If thou cansti All things are posi-
Bile to him that belisveth. MARX 9:3 r.
v.
/. The Disciples FaIIurs-vv. 14-f9.
Each of the EyangeIists places this
lesson In close connection with the
mount of TRANSPORTATION. Sorrow and
sin, crushed and bleeding hearts, are
always to be found at the foot of our
mountains of vision and of privilege.
So also Is to be found human impo-
tence. Let us get the picture. AS the
little party reaches the base Of the
mountain they find an excited multi
tude surrounding the remaining dis
ciples who were undergoing a series
Of questions propounded to them by
the scribes. Arriving in the midst
Of this questioning Jesus challenged
the scribes by saying, Why question
ya them?" Before either the scribes
or the disciples could answer, zone OF
the multitude" ". ~ told his story
to Jesus. The speaker had brought
his only son, demon-possessed, to the
disciples to be healed. He goes on
to tell Jesus the terribleness of tho
Boys sufferings, and that to his bit
ter disappointment and anguish he
has found that the disciples are not
equal to the task of healing. This
inability upon their part gave the
scribes their opportunity and had I'M
d~oubtedly raised in the fathers mind
q doubt as to the power Of Jesus az
well.
Takes Case In Hand.
Jesus at once taxes the case In
hand. Rebuke and pity are mingled
in His words, 20 faithless generation,
how long shall | bear with your
The disciples, the scribes and the null
titude, all alike, r involved in his
rebuke. All were In a greater or less
degree faithless. Jesus had been in
their midst performing his mighty
deeds, speaking his marvellous words,
and manifesting his wonderful power,
yet they were without faith, Full
often the present-day church and
Christian workers stand impotent be
fore the worlds great need because.
Of a lack Of faith. How frequently
we miss a blessing because Of our
dependence upon some one who
makes a failure Of faith and prayer
Jesus was then and always has been
troubled and distressed at such failure
". 49,. However, the father was
rewarded when, In obedience to the
command, he brought his boy to Je-
sus. The conversation that ensued
Is interesting and pathetic, one that
Is too often repeated today. At last
in his deep anguish the father cried,
IF thou canst do anything, have com
passion on US and help up" He there
by, as all true fathers should, com
pletely identified himself with his son
and his sons need. Fewer young men
Of today would be demon-possessed
II their fathers would have identified
themselves more fully with their boys
The reply Of Jesus forms the gold
en- text. What a magnificent response
this father made, Il believe; help
thou mine unbelief." Small wonder
that Jesus should again work a won
der of healing.
H.. The Masters Vlctory-vv. 2o-2e.
The son of man, who had just been
so wonderfully glorifed, again mani.
tests to the world his power over an
afflicted son of man. The evil one,
however, never gives up his posses"
sion without a struggle. Hence it was
that, as the boy was brought near
to Jesus, the very worst manifesto
tons of his malady were exhibited, in,
somuch, that as the multitude rushed
together to witness his paroxysm and
saw him as the demons left him, de,
clared the boy to be dead. We must
remember how long time the demons
had ruled the boy ". 21). A small
boy once defined a habit as some.
thing hard to break" very true, and
the longer the habit the harder it Ia
to break. The fathers faith was small
but very earnest. 1t was sufficient
to cry to Jesus for relief and that is
always enough. Jesus repeats the
mans use Of the word "if" as though
TO challenge the implied lack OF
power and at once throws the burden
of responsibility upon the father? 1t
was not the question III" Jesus could
heal but rather "if" the father could
believe. Realizing his lack, the father
cried, Help mine unbelief." TITS such
a cry as this God always W
Quickly avoiding the fast gathering
crowd he takes the boy by the hand,
raises him up and sends him to his
father on their way,
No father has the right to transfer
his obligations, spiritual or otherwise,
to any organization.
Entering the nearby house the dis
ciples set us a good example by in.
curing of Jesus as to the cause Of
their failure, and he tells them that
the great necessity is prayer. There
are more defeats In the church of
Christ and in the lives Of his follow.
ers that can be traced to a lack OF
prayer than perhaps any other one
element. These disciples had cast out
demons before this, but, shrinking
from fellowship with him in the death
he had foretold MARK S:32-S3). they
stood condemned before him, power.
less in the fact of a great need, and
condemned by the multitude. III thou
canst." Success in the work Of the
gospel is v conditioned upon his
ability, but always upon our willing.
ness. A broken fellowship always
spells defeat. Falling here, we bring