Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1917-02-15
INTERNATIONAL.
NNDMSQD0L
LESSON
(By p. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of
Sunday School Course Of Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1917. Western Newspaper Union,
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY IS
JESUS nEAls noeLEMANs SON


cd, SO be II done unto thee.-Matt. S:13.
This event occurred a few days aft
er that of last Sundays lesson. 1t
was Jesus second miracle in Cana.
John the Baptist is still preaching. and
Jesus is closing the first year Of his
ministry and beginning his work In
Galilee. Teachers should bring a
vivid picture Of Galilee to their
classes, as that was one Of the i'm
portant fields to which u Master de
voted much of his time. (FOr descrip-
ton see some good Bible dictionary
The people of that land were more
worldly. less bound by conventional
tiles, and more accessible to the teach
ings which Jesus brought than those
of Judea. Josephus says they were
"fond' of innovations, and disposed to
changes"
l. supplication (Testing) Wv. 1919.
Jesus left the revival Mt Samaria wv.
39-44) and returned to Galilee. His
own people Of Nazareth refused to ac-
cept him "for a prophet hath no honor
in his own country" 1t was in Galilee
that he had his great victories. Here
he was welcome ". 45) because they
had known the things that he did at
Jerusalem, the report of which was
brought back by those who had visited
the feast (John 2:14-17). In Cana
(Ch. 2:11) one came to him who was
a kings officer, one who was used to
command, and whose great personal
need overcame any prejudice Matt.
9:1S; Luke 7:2). God uses Affections
ofttimes to drive us to him, and the
most effective way to induce men to
come to Jesus is to bring, them to
recognize their need which he alone
a supply. The lad was "at the point
Of DEATH" hence the fathers journey
Of twenty miles from Capernaum to
Cana, seeking help. We have here the
weakness Of faith indicated in verse
f%orty-eight, In that the man would not
believe except he should see signs and
wonders. We have also the earnest
ness of the man in verse 40.
"Sir. come down ere my child die"
Mans extremity is ever Gods oppor-
tunity. Not only extreme cases Of
sickness can be brought to him. but
extreme cases of sin as well II Tim.
1:15; Heb. 7:25). He can heal not
only those who are "at the point Of
| DEATH but those who are already
dead tEph. 2:1). The child was dy-
t~~ xha fo%hnu hn1 mt cfrnnnth tn
wait to see wonders, but he could and
did trust Jesus to heal his son.
u. Surrender (Trustine) w. 50-51.
When the soldier took Jesus at his
word, he surrendered his previous con-
ception, and accepted the word of God
literally acting upon his belief. He
went his way because he believed. He
did not ask Jesus again't to 60 to Capar-
naum. We must not confuse this kind
Of faith. however. with his having &C.
cepted Jesus as Savior. He accepted
Jesus only as healer. We have men
today who will accept Jesus Christ in
the perfection Of his character and the
purity Of his teachings but who will
not accept him to be their personal
Savior. Such men want to receive the
benefits of Christianity. failing to rec
ognize its spiritual power and author
fty. 1t was probably one o'clock when
Jesus spoke the healing word in Cana.
At that same hour the household Mt
Capernaum saw the change in the sick
boy for 'the fever left him." We
may we'll imagine the joy which pos
sessed the father and that household
on the following day when he received
this report.
III. Satisfaction Triumph) wv. So
54). The fathers faith rose to the
need for "he believed the word that
Jesus spake." That word did not seem
mt all probable, but it was enough. The
word Of Jesus who is, himself. the
truth. is a sure and more reasonable
ground Of faith than any amount Of
speculation. This fathers walk from
Cana to Capernaum was n walk Of
faith. He had nothing but a bare prom
Use to support him, yet on his return
he found his son living ". Soy. On
this word of Jesus he, himself. be-
lieved. and his whole house. 1t seems
improbable that this could be otherwise
II he were an honest man. If any
father who Is an honest man will read
the records of the life Of Jesus with.
out being convinced that the stories
are true, by that disbelief he gives
evidence of his lack of sincerity. and
any father who believes. and whose
household does not also believe, gives
evidence of n fundamental weakness
in either his own profession or In his
application of the truths of the gospel.
~. Suggestions t1) The living, per-
sonal presence Of Christ is not need
full. 1t was n wise provision of Gods
economy that Christ should have re-
turned to heaven.
(2) Acts IRE the true Indications Of
our faith. Gods written revelation
and the revelation Of his son, the Liv-
ing Word, and the witness of the ex-
perience Of Gods saints are sufficient
facts upon which to base faith.
n (3) Faith Is progressive. Notice the
growth from verses 4S to so and 49,.
At first the man believed In Jesus
power; then he believed in Jesus
word. and believed in Jesus. himself;
then he reaches the highest point in
that he does not believe alone, for his
whole house believed with him.
(4) Faith is the source Of all
Christian gifts and graces. We have
an advantage v these G~alileans Of
nearly nineteen centuries of what
Christ has wrought among the peoples
Of the earth among those who hive
believed on him. He has been tried
and proved, and the gifts of Gods