The Green Forest tribune., 1912-11-29
INTERNATIONAL, SUNDNSCHOOL
 LESSON (By F.. O. SELLERS. Director of Eve- ming Department The Moody Bible In- Stitute of ChicaRnN
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
THE LUNATIC BOY,
LESSON TEXT-Mark 9:14-29.

ble to him that believeth. Mark 9:23 R V.
 1. The Disciples FalIure-vv. 14-1e
 Each of the Evangelists places thi lesson in close connection with the mount of transfguration Sorrow and sin, crushed and bleeding hearts, are always to be found at the foot of our mountains of vision and of privilege Sc 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 clples who were, undergoing series of questions propounded to them by the scribes. Arriving in the midst of this questioning Jesus challenged the scribes by saying, Why question ye them?" Before either the scribes or the disciples could answer, "one of the multitude" (y. ID 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 the 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 un. doubtedly raised in the father mind a doubt as to the power of Jesus aG we'll
 Takes Case in Hand
 Jesus at once takes the case in hand. Rebuke and pity are mingled in His words, 70 faithless generation, how long shall l bear with you?" The disciples, the scribes and the null titude, all alike, are involved in his rebuke. All were in 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 tfen and always has been troubled and distressed at such failure (v 19). However, the father was rewarded when, in obedience to the command, be 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 if their fathers would have identified themselves more fully with their boys
 The reply of Jesus forms the gold en text. What magnificent response this father made, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Small wonder that Jesus should again work won der of healing.
 II. The Masters Vctory-vv. 2o-2e.
 The son of man, who had just been so wonderfully glorified, again mani fests to the world his power over an afflicted son of man. The evil one i however, never gives up his posses sion without struggle. Hence it was that, as the boy was brought near to Jesus, the very worst manifesto tions 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 (v. 2D. small boy once defined a habit as some thing hard to break" very true and the longer the habit the harder it is to break The fathers faith was small but very earnest It 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? It was not the question eff" Jesus could heal but rather If" the father could believe Realizing his lack, the father cried, Help mine unbelief." 'Tis such a cry as this God always answers. 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 good example by in quiring of Jesus as to the cause oi their failure, and he tells them that the great necessity is prayer There are more defeats in the church oi Christ and in the lives of his follow CTS that can be traced to lack O. prayer than perhaps any other one element. These disciples had cast out demons before this. but shrinking from fellowship with him in the deatf he had foretold (Mark 8:32-33), they stood condemned before him, power less in the fact of a great need, ant condemned by the multitude. "If thor canst" Success In the work of the gospel is never conditioned upon hil ability, but always upon our willing ness broken fellowship always spells defeat Failing here, we bring reproach upon him and stand con demned before an unbelieving world This does not necessarily mean tha in every case we disbelieve him ol his power. but rather that somewhere in the path of obedience we will fnt . 1 in folln1Ir shin Tho