The Washington herald., 1914-07-18

certainly impressed with the fact that
great and wonderful things were occupy
ing His mind, and so felt that the re-
quest Of the man was an intrusion. They
did not understand that all the great
things which were occupying His mind
were things which made possible the
healing Of that man, and the opening of
his eyes.
This last journey to Jerusalem was
largely that Of Judgment on the part OF
our Lord, as we shall see more clearly
in subsequent lessons; but here on the
way We have the account OF an activity
of mercy.
The narrative itself is full of sugges-
tive value apart from its setting, as II re-
veals the method OF the Lord with such
a case. The cry OF the blind beggar was
one OF conscious need. and II was direct
and insistent. The command Of Jesus,
Call ye him." was that OF conscious
power. Directly he heard that Jesus
had called him. with eagerness he cast
away his garments, sprang up, and came.
The word of Jesus to him, What wilt
thou that I should do unto thee?" indi-
Gated the fact that His power was lin
ited by the desire OF the man. but was
illimItable within that sphere. There
was no indecision on the part Of Barti-
maeus. His answer was direct and i'm
mediate. "Rabboni that I may receive
my sight" To that cry the response OF
the Lord was immediate and victorious.
The Teaching.
There are three lines OF valuable teach
ing suggested by this lesson. They have
to do with the readiness OF mercy. with
the failure Of men TO understand this,
and with the nature Of saving faith.
As to the first. We have seen that the
Lord, already rejected by the councils Of
the rulers, was moving toward the con-
summation of His mission, and in order
thereto, was deliberately going to Jeru-
salem to pronounce upon her the SEN
tence resulting from the persistence OF
her rebellion. Nevertheless when a mem
Der of the condemned nation called upon
Him by a title that suggested the ac-
acknowledgement OF His Messiahship.
Jesus, Thou Son of David" the re-
sponse of His mercy was immediate. II
is always so. In wrath God ever remem-
bers mercy. He never destroys the right
eous with the wicked. or the repentant
with the rebellious. When His stroke OF
judgment falls it is because there is moth |
ing left which appeals, out OF a true sense |
of need. to His mercy.
To the many who rebuked Him there |
are constant successors. Even after all |
the revealing history of these miIien- |
niums men who in all sincerity hold Him !
in reverence, are pevertheless constantly |
failing to understand that His supreme |
passion Is that of seeking. saving. heal !
ing; and that by such ministry He would |
fain come into His kingdom. We are /
still in danger Of thinking that consider !
ations Of policy and method are of more |
Importance than opening blind eyes, and |
the cry OF the beggar by the /
AS we fix our attention upon the man
himself we have an illustration Of saving
faith. 1t is rooted in a sense OF need /
The faith that brings the answer of re-
lief from the Lord springs out of a pro-
found conviction of personal need. He !
said, Il came not to call the righteous, |
but sinners to repentance" and it may
be confidently affirmed that the righteous /
never hear His call. because there Is
nothing in them to which Il makes its
definite appeal A blind man, knowing
that the Opener Of eyes in near. cries out
10 him because He knows his need. That
eads to the second note. Saving faith Is
not merely a consciousness Of need: It is
an appeal made directly in the presence
of power. II Is not always absolute GER
tainty of the power. 1t is a risk taken,
and even made upon testimony which has
been borne. Again, saving faith is that
which obeys instantly when the call is
Uttered. In the case of Bartimaeus there
vas a sense OF need expressing itself in
! cry for help. To that cry came the
answer which bade him come At that
o6int he might have halted. wondering
whether II were worth while. IL II were
my use. II in reading the story we say
hat this is a most improbable suggestion.
ct US remember this Is exactly what men
ire constantly doing. In his case. how
,ver. he came. and to the Lord himself
declared his need. Wherever these con-
iitions are fulfilled. the reply to Christ
will be. Thy faith hath made thee
whole"
The Golden Text.
Again we have a text chosen principally
because Il contains word which links It
o the story. II is the word blind" The
Then OF the Golden Text refers to the
lay OF vengeance. which was not then in
shrist's mission. Perhaps the only jus
ification for 1t is that at this time our
ord was passing to Jerusalem. in order
o pronounce sentence. "a