The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-08-21
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by CHAS. X. MEYERS.

Aug. 25-The Visit to Nazareth
Luke 4, 1880.
"A visit to the old home' How
much it means when one goes back
to the scenes of his childhood and re-
ceives the congratulations and the
warm greetings of old and time-tr tried
friends. How the scenes long forgot.
ten come up with distinctness as NOV.
ing pictures appearing upon the can.
vass. How much a home coming can
be made to mean, both to the one
who has been away and to the friends
who have remained following their
usual life.
1t will be remembered that on the
return of the parents of Jesus from
Egypt, they made their home at Naz-
areth, and that by reason of this He
gained the name Jesus of Nazareth"
He returned to this city after the talk
with the learned doctors at Jerusa-
| lem, and here He worked at the car
penter trade with Joseph When the
! due time for Jesus to begin His
active ministry arrived He left the lit
tie village and the next His former
associates knew He was claiming to
be the Son of God and performing
mighty miracles.
1t often happens that ones child
hood companions are proud of the
career he is making and home COM
ing is made the occasion of JOY, but
again his successes create jealousy,
and sneers that one so we'll known
could attain to anything above the
usual. It would appear that the case
of Jesus fell under the last head, and
that He was given a cold reception
as recounted in our lesson of today.
1t would appear that Jesus came to
Nazareth and it being the Sabbath
day, went to the Jewish church, called
in the bible the synagogue, and took
part in the worship. He was handed
a copy OF the sacred roll, which con-
tanned the greater part of the Old
Testament. He turned to the 61st
chapter of Isaiah, which foretold the
character of the coming Messiah. 1t
told how the Messiah should preach
to the poor, heal the broken hearted,
restore sight to the blind, and tell of
of the acceptable year of the Lord.
Now a remarkable scene took place. |
On handing back the roll Jesus sat
down and began to explain the mean
ing of what He had read. He began
with the statement This day Is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears" Then
He proceeded to speak most grac-
iously. The people were astonished
and began to ask ''Is not this Joseph's
SOM" Instead of rallying to Him as
their friend and glorying in Him and
the fact that their town had produced
such a man, they were sneering and
unbelieving of His divinity. In their
hearts they We're curious to see Him !!
do some of the wonderful miracles |
which they had heard had been done
elsewhere Little did they under
stand that these were done for friends
who believed in His power, who came
humbly asking help and that He
never performed miracle just for
show or for elfaggrandisement.
Jesus knew their thoughts and re-
minded them that the great miracles
done by the prophets of old were not
performed for the self righteous Jews,
but for outsiders. Jesus recalled
there were many Jewish widows at
the IT, when the famine ragged as
punishment to Ahab and those who
had gone over into idolatry, and that
these might have been helped, but
Elijah went to the home of Gentle,
a widow of Siden. He also called to
their minds there were many lepers
in Israel when Elisha cured Naaman
the Syrian. His astute Jewish listen
ers were not slow to see the force of
His statements and thereupOn arose
in rage and were about to cast Him
out of the city, but He escaped in
safety. There is no record that Jesus
ever came back to Nazareth.
The golden text of the lesson is
taken from John III which says, He
came to his own and his own received
him not" Last week our attention
was called to two miracles done for
those who came feeling need, and
with faith that Jesus could and would
help them. The people of Nazareth
came with entirely another spirit.
Now, this is just the point of the les
son. If we want things of the bible
and Jesus we must come, not with
sneers, idle curiosity and contrary
spirit, but humbly in faith believing,
feeling the need OF help. 1t is said
elsewhere that those who expect