The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-08-09
INTERNATIONAL
0UNMSGIOOL
LESSON
CBy E. o. SELLERS. Director Of Eve
ming Department. The Moody Bible
Institute OF ChIcago.l
LESSON FOR AUG. H..
A TROUBLED SEA AND A TRoU-
BLEp SOUL.

D|E6 SSS1
LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:& 70 $50.
GOLDEN TBXT--"God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trou-
Bile. Therefore viii we not fear, though
the earth do change. n though the
mountains be removed into the heart OF
the Ps. 46;i-2
We nov turn from Il studies In
the manifesto or inaugural address OF
Jesus to one of the outstanding incl
dents of his life OF service.
This lesson Ia a dramatic one, lights
and shadows, surprise and revelation,
rebuke and encouragement are rapid.
ly mingled. The subject Of the les
son Is we'll chosen. Leaving the multi
tude to whom he had been preaching.
Jesus commands that they pass over
to the other side Of the Lake, V, 35.
Let us pass over" he says. Jesus
never asks his Disciples to go where
he will not go or has not been before.
How touchingly vivid is the sugges-
ton OF v. SO, they took him as he
was,"--he Is tired and weary, be,
whose invitation 10 TO all who are
weary and needing rest. he who had
not where to lay his head, Ia carried
by loving hands into the boat and is
o lost in restful slumberT Loving
hands minister to the loved teacher.
Both master and friends. who are
soon to meet a case of great sin, are
before that met by a great storm. But
be who Is Lord and Master of forces.
sleeps calmly on. Why notf Who
else could he Indifferent? Not so these
disciples; they have yet to know him
perfectly and hence 1t Is quite natural
that In their alarm they should awak-
en- him as they view the rapidly fli-
ing boat and exclaim, Master. careat
thou not that we perish?" Weary "a
he was, and personally Indifferent az
he may have been, yet for the sake OF
buked the storm, and tho peace which
he later gave the demoniac Is frat
shown In material things as he quieted
the waves Compare v. 80 and 1b).
Had Little Faith.
II was q great storm, v. 81, like.
wise a great calm. The psalmist says,
great peace have they who love thy
law" great peace have they who truly
know and love Jesus. John 14:27).
His rebuke to the disciples, v. 40, was
30 gentle as to lose its sting.~how
is 1t that ye have so little faithH" They
had some faith, It Is true. for they APP
pealed to him in their great need, but
oh so little. Our proportion OF faith
is the PAS OF our fear. What
wonder ". AZ that they were amazsd.
This man of flesh who had been sleep
ing the sleep OF intense WEAKNESS COM
manding the sea and that It should
obey him with the meekness Of a
child. What manner Of man 10 thisf"
Nineteen hundred years has failed to
answer that query.
Reaching the other side they entered
the land Of Gadara. There they met
q demoniac who Ia, we believe. q type
or picture Of great sin In that he was
(a) without restraint, mo man could
bind him." v. 3; (b) he was injurlng
himself cutting, etc." V. 8; To- he
was separated from his friends, "dwelt
among the tombs," v. 3; (d) he was
"unclean." v. 2. There is also eyi-
dence Of the futllity of human resolu-
lions and the ~vainness Of attempts at
control or reformation, see verse A.
mo man had the strength to tame
him" Then note the torment OF his
life, v. 7. Purity and pollution can
have no concourse. James tells US
that the devils believe and tremble
Gas. 2:19). Matthews tells us this
man was exceeding fierce so that no
one passed that way. His sin sepa-
rated him from all men. Such then,
Is the dreadful picture. What was that
storm on the lake as compared with
this storm of sin In the heart of a
man?
Physical catastrophes are far less
to be dreaded than moral and spiritual
ones, and a diseased body than a dis
eased mind. But he who spake and a
great calm came upon the face of the
waters, also had but to speak and
forthwith the devils enter the swine
and are destroyed, Why the swtnef
Was not the jew forbidden to use
swine's flesh? We're not these Roman
and Gentle customers violating the
law Of the land by ~partaking OF the
same, and were not the Jews taking
advantage of an Illegal trafic to en-
rich themselves? On the other hand
If they belonged to the Romans was 1t
not a protest against their open af-
front OF the religion OF Jehoyah7
Sins to Account For.
Church members have no right to
condemn the liquor traffic and then
to rent stores In which to carry on
the same. Naturally therefore, these
people when they saw their Illegal
gains interfered with should request
Jesus to depart, v. II, and this ven
in the face Of what had been done for
stricken man. Luke tells III Uuke
$50 that they we're holden with a
great fear. Fear Of what? Surely not
any fear of this Galilean teacher, but
rather we're they fearful Of the effect
Of his life upon their material pros
perity. Big business will have some
sins to account for when in the face
Of known facts they still press for
their gains ignoring the cry of the af-
fiicted and careless Of unreasonable
house and unsanitary living condi-