The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-16
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BIZ w. 7. ELLIS

naum, and its Doer becomes a topic
in three provinces. So when the great
mans son falls desperately i'll, his
mind turns to the Wonder-Worker of
Cana. Fortunately, Jesus had re-
turned to the place, and, hearing this,
the nobleman sets forth in haste.
Can you not almost see the excite
ment in that officials home ?-serv-
ants running, the steward giving or
ders,~the guard of soldiers being got
ready, the best chariot being exam
ined, and the fleetest horses being
harnessed up. No messenger will
serve for this most important Grand:
the nobleman must go himself There
is some discussion as to whether fast
er time can be made by taking a row
boat to Tiberias, and thence over .the
hill by chariot for the short distance
to Cana. Speed! speedi-no way is
enough, for this anxious father. who |
blesses the wisdom of Rome that built |
good roads across Galilee.
There was just one word on the |
nobleman's lips, and in his heart: |
My soni" AS soon as he could find |
Jesus this cry burst from him: it was |
more eloquent of faith than an elab-
crate creed. Jesus made a remark |
about the value of the sort of faith |
that rises superior to evidence, but the |
anguished father interrupted Him |
with the cry, My son." Every utter |
ance of his lips. every gesture of his |
body, was eloquent of that one
thought, healing for his son. God is
whose entire being has become a
prayer When we want anything as
badly that nob1eman wanted
health for his boy, we are likely to
get it.
If he only had known it, the very
possession of this supreme desire was
a boon of life to the kings officer.
He was experiencing grand passion,
which is to live. Most of US skim
the surface of life; We scarcely know
what it is to possess any emotion
greatly. Our pleasures and our sor-
rows are trivial; we merely play at
living, never knowing what it is to
experience anything superlatively.
| This war has meant life for countless
/ Shr1Velled souls, that have come into
their first experience of the sublim-
! tiles of existence thru this Gethsem-
ane of humanity Even had this faith
er'S son not recovered, the nObleman'S
life would have been forever richer
and truer because he had so greatly
suffered. But his boon was granted;
| God hears the prayers that vibrate
from the innermost core of the heart
Health and Religion.
For the first time in Johns Gospel,
we here come face to face with Christ
as healer We have seen Him doing
wonders as social force and as a
courteous guest; as a moral and reli-
| g1ous reformer; and as a teacher and
personal worker. Now we behold Him
as healer of the body. The theme
is congenial to our day. All eradua
lions of philosophy are turning to-
ward the healing functions of religion
Clearly, the tendency of our day is
TO exalt physical health into the first
place, as the supreme spiritual bless
| ing; which it is not. The logical next
step of that way of thinking is to put
all bodily satisfactions above any
A moral orr spiritual codes, as is the
\ practice of some of the cults which
! 3aded seekers after new sensations are
borrowing from the East. This is the
clear peril of our new mood of seek
ing health for the body from soul
sources Now the body is not first,
and they who live for the body i'm
peril their spirits. Man is more than
this physical corpus: as the old saw
ing has it, I'VE have bodies; we are
sous Man is d creature of two
worlds, and they little understand his
capacity or his destiny who would
oning.
Nevertheless, Christ was a healer.
So were His disciples There is this
I supreme warrant for entering into a
study of this vast and unexpIored
field Plainly, Jesus cares for our
WholenesS as well as for our holiness
1 He means to be vital factor in every
department of human life. Sometimes
he ministers to our highest welfare
by healing our diseases, and some
:, time by transforming our lives thru
suffering endured with noble resigna-
ton. We even dare say that God is
glorlfled oftener in the sick room
than in the gymnasium
A Miracle Across the Miles.
Happily, in the present story there
was healing of body. as well as a.
changing of mind. While the father
was pleading in Cana, the son was
suffering in Capernaunn, twenty miles
, away me nobleman had no other
thought than that Jesus would come
down from the hills of Cana to the
seashore CT Capernaurn. This was his
plea His only hope was in the phys
zeal presence of the Healer But
Jesus is ever better to US than our
faith or our fears. His answer to the
great desire of the father was beyond
expectation or supplication.
For. 10. across the miles the miracle
was wrought. At that very hour the
Z boy was healed. The fathers faith
had happened. Amusement ran thru
, the countryside. The daring new
Teacher had once more accredited
Himself, in startling and superlative
fashion. The healing was a sign of
the deity of the Healer.
AS was the purpose, the miracle
; created faith in Christ. The kings
: officer himself, and his household, be-
came DeueVerS. NOT lnte1lectuaI won
der, but practical faith is the proper
; consequence of the marvellous works
l which Jesus has done and is doing.
All that the Lord says and does is
meant to work cut into life. The
healing of the son was. the saving of
; /; the family.
Tasks and Tools.
Terse Comments the Uniform
! Prayer Meeting Topic of the Young
Peoples Societies - Christian En-
deavor, Etc. - For February 49,:
Using What We Have.'-Acts
3:1-10.
: A dozen years ago, in girls school
| in Japan, 1 was given two little fig
ures, of an old man and an old wom-
| an, which had been carved from