The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-10-25
INTERNATIONAL
NNDMSGlOM
LESSON
CBy T., o. SELLERS, Director OF Evening
Department. The Moody Bible Institute
OF Chicago.)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 27.
WANDERINes IN D~EcAPoLIs.

WANDERINes IN DEcAPoLIs.
LESSON TEXT-Mark 1880.
GOLDEN TEXT-"He hath don't all
things well: He maketh even tho deaf
10 hear and the dumb to speak. MARX
1887 II. v.
Last week we saw our Lord In the
region of Tyre and Sidon dealing with
the SyrophenicIan woman. In Y 81
tR. W we now see him journeying
back towards the Sea Of Galilee
through the border Of that section con.
tanning ten cities, for that Is what the
word Decapolis means.
/. JESUS THE HEALER wv. 81
81. Jesus had gone north seeking rest
but he could not be hid" and now
upon bis return he continues to meet
these sad cases which need healing.
and who are brought to him by their
intensely interested friends. Jesus
does not need be%seeching. He whose
heart was touched with compassion Is
ready TO hear the faintest cry.
This first section Is rich with sug'
gestions. Jesus takes the man apart
suggesting the necessity for indiVid-
ual personal dealing with God. Men
are not saved en- masse but as sepa'
rate individuals, It could not be other
wise and have a mar retain his per
s~onality. To work any cure for our
sins Jesus demands our individual at
tention. Then Jesus placed his fin
gers in the mans ears; suggesting
the added emphasis that we must come
into personal contact with God II we
would be healed. We may stop to rea'
son lisa. 1873 with him but our sins,
that be as scarlet, will not be removed
unless we come by personal, individ'
ual, experience under the blood, (Eph
40.
ellis blood avaIls for all Jul race,
His blood svalls for me-"
Noistening the mans tongue with
his own saliva suggests that the source
OF healing is to be In jesus own per-
son. Our salvation Is not in the words
he Spake, nor the life he lived, but the
life he gave (Heb. 9:12-14).
Fellowship With God.
Jesus also looked to heaven, indicat-
ing that we must continue In fellow"
ship with God, and also indicating his
own fellowship with the father. JesuG
sighed over the wreck Of sin. The son
OF man came to bear our sorrows and
to share our griefs. Elsa. $3.50. At
tention has been called to the signs
and the tears of Jesus. II our pray.
ers were more accompanied by tears
and heartfelt signs they would be
more powerful. (Cf. Romans $3.50.
1t Is equally true that If our signing
were accompanied by more prayers
we would accomplish more in his king
dom.
After these preliminary and sugges.
tive acts Jesus spoke the n word
"Ephphatha"-Be opened-and deaf
ears we're opened to words Of praise
and counsel and to the cry of distress.
LoOsed was the mans tongue to speak
his word of personal testimony and to
witness for his healer. Read Isaiah
32:14 and 1874, 5.
In this particular case Jesus for res.
sons Of state admonished those pres.
ent not to tell broadcast about the cure
that had been effected, as such a
course would attract the multitude and
Jesus was beginning to avoid the
crowds as much as possible. There
were other occasions when Jesus COM
manded those whom he had cured to
witness for God, Luke $50 1t is no.
ticeable that this was an ~instantane.
Gus, full, and complete cure, for the
man spoke plain" So In him we are
complete (Col. 2:19) or whole.
Why is It that in a majority of cases
Jesus spake and twas done, while
here there was a seemingly progress
sive cure? One answer would be that
Jesus Is not confined to one method
and that he had certain lessons to
teach to his disciples that this method
alone would best suggest.
II. JESUS THE PROVIDER wv.
ITO, CT. Matt. 15:32-3S.)
The tremendous stir Jesus caused
is graphically suggested by Mark In
verse one of this section. From far
and neal they had gathered and now
at the end of the third day their small
supply of food is exhausted. We are
told by John (s:26, ~ why they had
followed him, still they we're deeply
Interested In him and considered him
to be a prophet (John 6:14). Never.
Jesus was moved with a com.
passion then, even as nov he is moved
when he beholds us in our unworth.
mess.
No Hunger Too Great.
The compassion Of Jesus Is q very