The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson xI.-First Quarter, Fot
March III, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES,

WShnRfS verses S-It-4oIoen exc
Pc. Gill z, documentary Prepared
by Rev. .. NJ. stearns.
After the healing of the leper great
multitudes came together to hear Him
and to be healed by Him Of their in.
hrmities. We can hardly imagine the
innumerable happy homes, because
where once sickness and suffering
ruled now all IS health and peace be.
cause Of Him who, being anointed
with the Holy Ghost and with power,
went about doing good and healing all
that were oppressed OF the devil, God
being with him CActs K, 3S). See in
this verse, as in so many others, the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all for
us, and compare Rom. viii, &c, 1874. In
Luke v, 16, we read that He withdrew
Himself into the wilderness and pray.
ed. There was always a conscious
oneness with the Father which we do
not experience, because He always In
all things pleased the Father John
viii, %; Matt. xvii, 81. The healing
Of today's lesson is recorded in Matt.
TX and Luke v, as well as in Mark.
Having returned to Capernaum, the
people 500 found it out, and such
crowds gathered as to prevent all ac-
cess to the house In any ordinary way.
Pharisees and doctors Of the law from
Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem had
gathered to hear Him, and He preach
ed the word unto them, and the power
of the Lord was present to heal them
(verse 2; Luke v, 10. But In their
own estimation they needed no heal
ing, for they did not know that with
all their learning they were wretched
and miserable and poor and blind and
naked Rev. iii, ~. The religious god
Of this world, the devil, had blinded
their minds lest the light should shine
unto them Gil Cor. Nv, ~ What a con-
trast to their proud self s~uflciency and
indifference to the welfare OF others
fs seen In these four men who brought
their palsied friend to Jesus, no doubt
fully persuaded that if they could only
reach Him with the sick one they
would not need to carry him away, for
he would certainly be healed. I have
met people who were afraid that they
had not come to Jesus In the right
way, but did ever any one come to
Him in so strange a way as this? 1
have often wondered what the Phari-
sees and doctors thought OF having the
roof broken up owe their heads, yet
we cannot help laughing within us, no
matter how they might scowI, for the
friends succeeded In getting him "into
the midst before Jesus" duke v, 1e).
In each of the three accounts it is
written that Jesus saw their faith, the
Of the four who brought him. So
In Matt. viii, 10; XIV, %; John iV, 30,
II was the faith OF another that
brought health to the servant, the
daughter and the son. May the words
in Ps. Xxx, 4, 8, "Grant thee according
10 thine own heart and fulfill all thy
counsel, all thy petitions
strengthen some to lay hold upon God
for others. In Matt. tx, 2, we have the
first BE Of good cheer from the lips
Of the Lord. See other four in Matt.
*, %; xiv, "a; John xvi. SO; Acts xiii,
Ii. The four words are in the Greek,
Just a word Of six letters, but what
4 word, and from Him who alone is
able really TO cheer or comfort us.
Then hear what follows, t"Thy sins are
forgiven thee" This is what the man
needed more than health for his body.
I haor5 Sk for uou nr~a uos.l % Aha .,,p,
mer Of 1873 from / John II, ~, with
John /, II. Have you heard Him say
It to you? II not, why2 There can
be mo real comfort without it. The
and Pharisees began to reaso
their hearts: "This man is a bias
Who can forgive sins but
God onlyT" II they had thought,
This must be God come down to
earth, for only God can forgive sins"
they would have been correct, but to
them He was only a man, a man of
The common people and a blasphemer.
knowing their thoughts, He read them
aloud to them, and we might suppose
that this would hare led them to see
In Him than q mere man, bat
they were thoroughly blinded by the
god OF this world. Then, announcing
Himself as the Son Of man having
on earth to forgive sins, He
said to the sick man, "Arise and take
up thy bed and 90 thy way into thine
house" Immediately he did as he
was hidden, and they were all amazed
and gioriied God, saying, 1--WE never
saw it In this fashion I'VE have een
strange things today" (verse IL; Luke
26). We may imagine the four
friends rejoicing greatly and saying to
others that is what we expected. Are
we giving the Lord cause to say to
us, 20 ye OF little faith" OF, "Great is
thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou
wilt" His calling Himself "son Of
Man. might have led them to think
Of Ps. viii and OF n who was to
have eli things subdued unto Him, or
OF Dan. vii, Is, IA, and Of one whose
dominion would be an everlasting
dominion never to be destroyed. II
we have our sins forgiven we viii In
due time have perfect bodies like His
resurrection body (Phil. iii, 20, 21l, 80
we can we'll afford to rejoice
while In these mortal bodies. whether
In health or sickness, waiting for the
resurrection body. All miracles may