The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1912-08-23


own. and they that were his own received
him not."-John I'LL
Cannon Farrar has said that this
visit Of Jesus to his home in Naza-
upon" the words OF John, which form
our Golden Text. Those words are
the epitome of this lesson In very
real sense. The young prophet had
been proclaimed by his counsin John
the Baptist as he who was to come.
He had performed his early Judean
ministry, which includes the visit of
Nlcodemus, and the meeting of the
woman of Samaria. John had been
shut up in prison and Jesus was about
entering upon that wonderful Gall
lean ministry.
In this lesson we can see him as he
returns to his boyhood home, to those
old and most familiar scenes of his
youth.
Day OF Vengeance.
"As his custom was" ". 16) he en-
tered the old familiar synagogue to
take part in the worship, praise and
discussion, as had long been his Gus
tom in this his home town. Here it
was he had learned of the law and the
prophets, here he had heard the
prophecies discussed, here he had I'M
doubtedly participated in the discus
sions in the days gone by, for after
the worship he is asked to conduct the
- nrt ~
service a selection from one of the
prophets, undoubtedly that portion for
the regular reading of the day. His
method of reading was very significant.
Finding a portion from the prophecy
of Isaiah. chapter 81, he reads that
portion as we now have 1t recorded,
comprising verse one and in verse TWO
to the first punctuation mark, a COM
ma. This, said he, is being fulfilled
before your eyes, implying that the
concluding portion, that which refers
to 1.-The day of vengeance OF our GOD,
Is yet to be fulfilled or performed.
Just what his exposition may have
been Luke does not tell us, although
he leads us to believe that he MADE
a definite claim of being the Messiah
this Scripture hath been fulfilled.
They wondered at his gracious words,
but such an assumption from the
tongue of this son Of the village car
,penter was more than a challenge; 1t
sounded Of blasphemy. It is one thing
to listen to beautiful platitudes, but
for one to assume authority such as
this at once arouses antagonism.
To make this still more plain, ne
makes a specific application. To para
phrase his words, he said, doubtless
you are saying, young man perform
here in Nazareth some Of those MIRA
cles you performed over in Caper'
naum, but l say you would not accept
me even then, for no prophet Is ac-
ceptable to his own countrymen.' Then
he goes on to illustrate by an incident
from the wife of Elijah, also one from
the life of Elisha
Graphic Lesson Story.
In teaching this lesson we can en-
phasize the need and the Importance
of public worship, the observance OF a
day set apart for that purpose and
the public reading and exposition OF
Gods work. We can also lay stress
upon Jesus's knowledge and use OF
the Scriptures; alsb his emphatic APP
prevail of inspired prophecy as ap-
nlied to. and fulfilled in his own lie.
In teaching the youns scholars these
truths. the graphic lesson story VIII
be all and probably more than can
well be covered during the lesson
hour.
For the older scholars, one question
for discussion would be, why does the
Son of God speak of or claim the
"spirlt of the Lord upon me-? VI
course he was anointed after john
hantism as an example to all his fol'
lowers but here we take 1t as mean
ing that the Spirit is upon him in a
real manner for service and for power
in service. He Is to witness and &c
minister. He is to teach and to heal
,Ha is to preach the Gospel to the poor
and deliverance to those bound with
the chains of ceremonialism ana OF
sin He is to heal broken hearts ano
diseased bodies, to set the captlves
free and heal the bruised ones. verse
,18 ia sad picture of the state OF
man without outside help. But Jesus
came into the world for this express
,n1rpose. John S:12, 13; Matt 1:2l.
"This prophecy means me- Come
INTO me-" was indeed bold proclama
ton. Did they believe? Are you
making such bold claims for your Mas
ter and Lord? Some will reject, OF
course. but let us remember that Goo
giyeth the increase ours truly TO WIZ
ness, to sow the seed. ]. Cor 40