Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Lesson IN.-Mk. 1881; $40
October ~

heSSoh It.-hh s0I S.lO
October -
AS taught at the Bible Institute OF
Los Angeles by Rev. j. II. Sammis. ]
The international committee entities
our lesson, 'Wanderings in Decapolis.' -
But the Lord never wandered. His
ways were never aimless; there was no
uncertainty in His goings. Imagine e
Him leading an earnest, weary multi
tude hither and thither! There was
not a poor victim of satan among the
multitudes healed on that return jour
ney TO Galilee MAT. 1880, 80 upon
whom the Lord came unexpectedly. No
physician ever went the rounds of his
patients, no pastor of his flock, with
more timely definiteness.
/. A MIRACLE OF HEALING.
1. The great Physician and Surgeon.
% Jesus Christ, NJ. d. That stands
not for doctor of medicine. but doer
Of miracles; divine Messiah. Are all
workers of miracles?" q Co. 1920. No;
there is room for the doctor of medi-
cine. If we cannot feed the multitude
by miracle, let us use the means God
gives wherewith to do it; if we cannot
heal by miracle, let us also use the
W JtSuS Is W. ~ anu iOI
He is a surgeon who cures without the
knife. He can cure the tongue tied
with the antiseptic of His pure saliva
and the gentle touch of His finger tip
But that is no reason why we should
not gratefully accept the surgical
means vouchsafed us in the physical
absence of the greater wonder worker
through Whom alone, means or nc
means, We are healed. (2) Only two
miracles of this journey are record ed
| by Mark, but there were many, accord
ing to Matthew 15:3O, 81. We know
little of all that our Savior did ant
said Ono. 20:3O, 81.
8. Our verses: Nix. 7:31, "departing
| -came-through." The Lord had moi
| cast away His people," though He
had gone to the borders (Ro. 11:2)
His heart was still in Israel, and He
returned to Galilee. 1t is so today; the
"Deliverer shall come" again (Ro. IL
26). He returned through DecapoIis, ;
region strongly gentle, as if, reluc
| tant to leave those "other sheep" des
| tined to become "one flock" with Is
rael (Jn. 1919 under the good Shep
| herd.
| V. 80. "They Brlng"-Need of Jesu.
everywhere; mercy in Jesus for ever,
place, people, person. "Wandering il
Decapolis" CD No; he had no time tt
ramble. "They bring'-O Why die
not the man go by himself. Jesus un.
| derstands whatever "impediment" ma,
be in mans speech. (2) Do not wait or
| others; seek the Lord yourself. (3) Bu
you who know His grace and power
bring them in, bring them in" hell
their deaf ears to understand; theil
tongue-tied speech to pray. (D Deaf
Ia type of those spiritually who hav,
"ears to hear, but hear not (Mk. s:1S)
Satan has done US great damage il
stopping our ears; but far greater il
sealing our minds to the truth Il c
2:1D. (5) "Impediment"-The deaf ar,
apt to be incoherent in speech; the,
miss the accent of others, and detec
no inaccuracy of their own. If soul
deaf to the voice of God really hear,
their foolish and blasphemous speeche
they might find a tongue to call TO
healing. (6) But his friends used thei
tongues admira bly, when they "beseecl
Him CD to put His hand upon him.
The Lord did not need to use His hant
(Mt. S:S). He did not need to Sc,
the patient I'm. 4:49, 5O), yet il
this case He used a touch and al
application. His ways are not stereo
typed. But. whether by word or per
sonal contact, by divine saliva, b,
means of the gospel, of the physician
of the medicine, or the knife, He doe.
the healing, and shall have the praise
| V. SO, "Took him aside" Why? w
do not know but it is well, as a rule
for us to deal with souls in private
as He did with Nicodemus I'm. 81; tn,
woman of Samaria On. A.; see hov
He did it. His finger'-The moon an,
the stars are the work of Thy fin
gers" Cps. S:3), and, "Who made man
mouth? or Who maketh the dumb, O.
the deaf, or the blind, or the seeing :?
Thou didst, o Lord Christ On. 1:3l
and Who made can men; "This is th
finger of God!" (Ex. S:19). "He spit
-spittle rendered unclean (Nu. 12:14,
but there was no uncleanness in tn
Holy One of God. Touched hi
tongue" the same finger had touche,
the tongue of Jeremiah Ge. 1:9, an,
David lisa. 23:2). No wonder it CAV
life and speech; like the trolley, tina
touch conveyed the flow of omnipoten
power. Get Unto touch" with Jesus.
v. "a, Looking up."-Jesus honoret
the Father in all His deeds CHE doetl
the works" On. 14:10; Had. Th
Father is above, in heaven (Jn. 17:D
from whence Jesus came Ono. 3:13l
Man is above the brutes, for he has TIL,
upward look. Jesus was the Son o
Man. Sighed"-Jesus is touched wit!
earths sorrow, the wreck of human
Derfections; He pities the deaf mutes
"groans within Himself" (Ro. 1922, %
over the disorders of nature. "Eph
phatha," Aramaic, probably the dali,
speech of the people; perhaps the baby
tongue of Jesus, called up by Hi
strong emotion. What is sadder thai
that a man should be deaf to tn,
voices of nature, of his fellow man
and of his fathers God? or incapabl,
of uttering his thoughts and feeling.
to his fellow, or to praise his Goo
above? Thank God for an ear to heal
and a tongue to speak. And If thu
Lord has blest you, let your ear b,
ha