The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-10-23
LESSON FOR OCTOBER II.
WANDERINGs IN DEcAPoLls.


WANDERINes IN pEcAPoLls.
LESSON TEXT-Mark 7~:31-s;1o.
GOLDEN TEXT-"He hath done al
things we'll: He maketh even the dear
10 hear and the dumb to speak. '-Mark
1857 r. v.
Last week we saw our Lord In the
region of Tyre and Sidon dealing with
the Syrophenician omar In v 81
(R. 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.
1. JESUS THE HEALER wv. 81
81. Jesus had gone north seeking rest
but he '"could not be hid" and now
upon his 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 beseeching. 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, 1t could not be other
wise and have a man retain his per-
sonality. To work any cure for our
sins Jesus demands our individual at
tention. Then Jesus placed his I'M
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 elsa. 1873 with him but our sins,
that be as scarlet, will not be removed
unless we come by personal, individ-
ual, experience under tie blood, (Eph.
I'D.
"His blood avails for all our race.
His blood avails for me-"
Moistening the man, tongue with
bis own saliva suggests that the source
of healing is to be In Jesus WI per
son. Our salvation Is not in the words
he spake, nor the life he lived, but the
life he gave (Heb. S:12-l4). Is.
Fellowship With God X
Jesus also looked to heaven, indicat-
Ing that We must continue III fellow
ship with God, and also indicating his
own fellowship with the father. Jesus
sighed over the wreck o. 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. (ef. Romans 1920,
It is equally true that If our signing
we're accompanied by more prayers
we would accomplish more In his king
dom.
After these preliminary and sugges-
tive acts Jesus spoke the ore word
"Ephphatha"-Be opened-aad dear
ears were 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 1854. 5.
In this particular case JesuD for rea-
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 8:39. 1t Is no
ticeable that this was an instantane-
GUS, full, and complete cure, for h
man spoke plain" So in him we are
complete (Col. 2:10) 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 COuuHeu W OuO "oSnoN
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. ~l5:32-3S.)
The tremendous stir Jesus caused
is graphically suggested by Mark IN
verse one Of this section. From far
and near they had gathered and now
at the end of the third day their small
supply of food is exhausted. We are
told by John (6:26, 20 why they had
followed him, still they were deeply
interested in him and considered him
to be a prophet John 6:14). Never
theless Jesus wa moved with a COM
passion then, ever as now he is moved
when he beholds us IL. our unworth'
mess.
No Hunger Too Great
The compassion Of Jesus is. a very
active principle, It does not consist OF
signs and lamentations, or OF tnvesti'
cations and condemnation Of condi-
tions. His compassion causes him to
p,+ tho dicrinles are aghaSt at