The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-21
BIBLE STUDIES OF BROOKLYN
 TABERNACLE
By PASTOR RUSSELL

Deliverance to the captives-Luke iv, |16-30
 He came unto His own. and they that were His own received Him not John 1, Il.
 The childhood home of Jesus was Nazareth, although He, was born in Bethlehem. The people of Nazareth would of course feel a certain sense of pride in their fellow citizen whose fame was spreading throughout all Galilee and Judea.
 They could scarcely believe the re- ports that they had heard, how could Jesus had become so famous and so powerful? He never did such miracles in all the years that we knew Him, said they. They did not, of course. un- derstand that He received His power as special benedictioa when He was 30 years of age, as a result Of His con secration of His life to the Divine ser vice, symbolized by His immersion in Jordan.
 The Synagogue at Nazareth
 At length He came to Nazareth. It was on Sabbath day For long wears He had done the congregational read ing of the Holy Scriptures. This was therefore just what they wished and expected Him to do on His return. He went into the synagogue and read the lesson for the day.
 Thus far all went well; but when Jesus began to comment upon passages of scriptures there were whisperings of q fcl q mn al a,,A wrath, against Him. An! they thought this young man has quite lost His head since He left us We know indeed that the people of Nazareth have 2 mean name throughout the country; that ours Is reputed to be a mean city of little .learning but who would expect that one of our own citizens would return and tell us 10 our faces that we are not worthy of having an exhibition Of His power
 They drove Him out of tho synagogne with angry demonstrations. They led the way toward the brow of q hin that they might push Him over For little way Jesus went, but then He turned and passed through their midst. oyer. awing them by the dignity of His pres ence.
 The Truth That fingered
 What were the words that thus an- gered them? At first we read "AIi bare Him witness. and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth? What made the change? {? It was the plain declaration that be- cause they dfd not appreciate Him enough, because they did not believe in Him fully, therefore. 1t would not be Gods will that He should perform any miracles for them. He backed up his statement wi'h illustrations from the past. which angered them still more. He said that in Elijah's day there was q famine in the land. and that Elijah was not sent to the widows of Israel. but to 8 widow across the border, in a Gentle city.
 Again, Elisha vas not sent to cleanse the lepers Of Israel. but did cleanse a Gentle. Naaman. Instead Of the peo- pie of Nazareth getting angry and re- sentine these things, they should nave said. Tell us. then of our faults and help us to overcome them. If God has blessings. surely we. as Israelites. may have our share if we will but come Into he right attitude of heart
 The Lesson From Isaiah
 The lesson for that sabbath was from Isaiah Xxi. 1-3. It was an excellent text. and the sermon on IL was from the very ablest Of all teachers. How His hearers should have rejoiced to know that they were living in the day of the fulfilment of these words He had been anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit, that He might declare good tidings to the poor. Surely many of them were poor and needy
 We read further that Jehovah sent Jesus to heal the broken-hearted. Oh. how those words ought to have ap- pealed to all in that audiencel How they would have appealed to any that were broken hearted. The difficulty probably was that they were hard hearted. satan has hardened the hearts of mankind in general Gods promise is that under Messiah's glorious reign He will take away the stony hearts and give them hearts of flesh"