Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-22
| 0lUTEstArENT HnESa
M ABRWkaYN )
'g7lAkBER Y
WI .RIRyE. STUDIEG.
BIBLE STUDIES.
CHE DoETH ALL THINGS WELL
Mark vii, 81; viii, fO-oc+ oz

Mark vii, 81; viii, fo-oct. 27.
He hath done all things we'll He
maketh both the deaf To hear. and the
dumb to speak, n.
In previous studies we have noted
the fact that Jesus invariably. in con-
neetion with His miracles. Impressed
the healed ones, and al the witnesses.
with the fact that the healing power
was Divine, thus to establish faith in
Cod Tcday's lesson gives a special
illustration along this line. A person
was brought to the Savior to heal who
was deaf and hadi an impeachment in
his speech.
The instance under consideration is
peculiar. "a Because Jesus took the
man away from the multitude and
healed him. privately; 81 He put His
1ing FRS into the mans ear. as though
to start some life current through
them; then He spat and touched the
mans tongue We understand that
these methods We're used in order to
attract the mans attention and assist
him in the exercise of faith.
Jesus sighed, and said s.Ephphatha.
that is. BE opened" and Immediately
the mans ears We're opened and the
difficulty of his speech was gone. THE
statement that Jesus sighed is worthy
of note; we can only surmise that it
indicated His deep sympathy with the
man before Him and with the groan-
ing creation in general. We remember
another occasion on which il was said
that Jesus "groaned in spirit" Thai
was when He stood by the tomb OF
His friend Lazarus, and saw Mary
ha
her. HE groaned in spirit and was
troubled" and wept also. The general
lesson seems to be that He was
Touched With Feeling of Mans In
firmities,
as had been prophesed. He was per-
feet. He did not have a body with
aches and pains and blemishes, as 9TH
er men have, but this did not make
Him cold and unsympathetie, rather
the reverse. His perfect mind would
make all His sensibilities more active
than ours; His sympathy would be
stronger. His sense Of pain kcener. We
as a fallen race have become so ac-
customed to many Of our surroundings
that we are inclined to consider them
Misunderstanding that the natural
order of man is the perfect order.
In vet another way may we suppose
our Master was touched with feeling
of our infirmities. namely. by reasoa OF
His losing vitality on the occasion of
each miracle. Is not this the meaning
of the Scripture which declares that
He poured out His soul unto death?"
Daily, hourly, His vitality WAS being
exhausted in the healing blessing,
comforting and instructing, OF those
with whom He was in contact.
This thought, that the Master was
not merely using q Divine power rs an
Agent of God, but that He was using
up His physical power for mans re-
lief. should properly hrins our hearts
into very close touch and sympathy
with Him. and give us that much
clearer viex of the Savior's love.
In the miracle under consideration in
this lesson. our lords sigh may also
have been, as with us, an evidence Of
physical weakness-the result of His
hestowing Of His vitality and energy in
the cure of the patient We are not to
think of the death of Jesus, therefore,
as having been entirely accomplished.
at Calvary. Rather are we to under
stand that it began at His consecra-
TON, at Unity years I'll dti90s eiA SN4 ''iAf
and that it continued day after day,
minated at Calvary
The day before His crucifiXion our
Lord. Speaking of His conservation un-
to death, said, My soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death; | have
baptism to be baptized with, and how
am | straitened until it he accomplish
ed.' 1t was accomplished fully the
following day. on Calvary. when He
cried. 1T is finishedr' His baptism in
to death was accomplished.
"He Doeth All Things WE'LL"
It is following the account of this
miracle that we read that the multi
tude declared the words of our text
We are not however. to understand
that merely this one healing was the
basis Of their comment. for the account
of these same instances by St. Mat.
thew (xv. 29-3D tells of great multi
tudes gathered. having with them
MANY lame. blind, dumb and manned
and many others and they cast them
down at His feet and He healed them,
insomuch that the multitudes wonder
ed when they saw the dumb speak, the
manned to be whole, the lame to walk
and the blind To see, and they glorified
the God of Israel.
"Manifested Forth His Glory"
Let us never lose sight Of the great
central thought connected with our
Lords miracles. His mission was not
to heal the sick and to cast out devils
but TO give His life a Ransom for all,
to be testified in due time" The sec
ondary feature of His work was the
calling of the "Israelites indeed TO be
His footstep followers, who would be
received of the Father and begotten of