The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1912-08-09
LESSON FOR AUG. II.
A TROUBLED SEA AND A TRoU
BLEED SOUL.

OGGD OWL.
LESSON TEXT-Marl 4:S5 to $40.
GOLDEN TIIXT--"God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trou-
BILE. Therefore will we not fear. though
the earth do change, and though the
mountains be removed into the heart of
the sea-" Ps. 46:1-2.
We now turn from our studies in
the manifesto or inaugural address Of
Jesus to one of the outstanding Incl
dents Of his life of service.
This lesson Is dramatic one, lights
and shadows, surprise and revelation,
rebuke and encouragement are rapid
ly mingled. The subject of the les
son Is well 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. So.
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, he,
whose invitation is to all who are
weary and needing rest, he who had
not where to lay his head is carried
by loving hands into the boat and is
soon lost in restful slumber? Loving
hands minister to the loved teacher.
Both master and friends, who are
soon to meet case Of great SIM. are
before that met by great storm But
be who Is Lord and Master of forces,
sleeps calmly on. Why not? Who
else could be Indifferent? Not so these
disciples; they have yet to know him
perfectly and hence it is quite natural
that in their alarm they should awak-
en- him as they view the rapidly fill
ing boat and exclaim, Master, carest
thou not that we perish?" Weary as
he was, and personally Indifferent as
he may have been, yet for the sake Of
his chosen friends he arose and re-
buked the storm, and the peace which
he later gave the demoniac Is first
shown in material things as he quoted
the waves Compare v. 80 and 15).
Had Little Faith.
1t was a 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 14:2O.
His rebuke to the disciples, V. 40, was
80 gentle as to lose it's sting,-"how
is it that We have so little faith?" They
had some faith, it is true, for they ap-
pealed to him in their great need, but
oh so little. Our proportion of faith
is the measure of our fear. What
wonder ". 41) that they were amazsd.
This man Of flesh who had been Sleep
ing the sleep of intense WEAKNESS COM
manding the sea and that 1t should
obey him with the meekness of a
child. "What manner Of man Is this ?"
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 is, we believe, a type
or picture Of great sin in that he was
(a) without restraint, mo man could
bind him." " 3; (b) he was injuring
himself cutting, etc." v. 3; (c) he
was separated from his friends, "dwelt
among the tombs," v. 3; (d) he was
"unclean," v. 2. There is also evil
dence Of the futility Of human resolu-
tons 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.
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 even
in the face of what had been done for
stricken man. Luke tells us (Luke
$3.50 that they were holden with a
great fear. Fear Of what? Surely not
any fear Of this Galilean teacher, but
rather were 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 az
flicted and careless Of unreasonable
house and unsanitary living condi-
lions.
On the other hand why did Jesus re-
fuse such logical and seemingly rea'
sonable and proper request as that
recorded in verse 18? Was 1t not a
very natural request and an evidence
of gratitude as we'll? Jesus, however,