Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-02-17
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY IS
JESUS HEALs soBLemAms SON
LESsOE rENr-IuI.r Ar-n


ministry and hcgiuuu- h~ work OBJ
GaIiic, Teachers should bring
vivid picture of Galily, O." tur.r
classes. as that was one Of lrt im-
portaut drld~ 60 witch Our Master lie
voted much Of his time l'or dc~crip
,iou soc som, good Bible dictionary
The people "f that land wcr" more
worldly. less bound by conventional
tiles, and more accessible to tn" teach
inC> which Jesus brought than those
II Judea. Josephus says thcy "cr,
FOND pf Innovations and disposed ro
changes"
!. suppiioaton tTestingl ~. i;'-i"
Jesus left The revival a. Suuarja tvy.
% AZ and returned 90 Galilcr His
own pcop', of Nazareth refused 90 ac-
cert him Tor prophet hath mo- honor
IN his Own country" II WAS iu Galj'c'
that D. had his great Victories Here
he was welcome ". An hccauNc they
had known fhr things that De- lid ~
Jerusalem. the report % which wu~
brought hack by those who had visited
M feast (John 2.14l0. In Cana
(Ch 2:i1) one cnWr go him Who was
q kings officer. one who was used Geo
command and whose great persona
need 0yercam, any prejudice tMHtt
9:1S; Luke 10. God uses affections
ofttimeS 10 drive MS 20 him, and The
most efYectiv" way 10 Undue" men "a
come 10 Jesus Is 90 bring them 10
recognize their need which ne alone
can supply. The lad was "at the point
of death" hence me fathers journey
Of twenty miles from Capcruaum To
Cana. seeking help. We have here the
weakness OF faith indicutcd in verse
forty 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 20.
Sir, come down ere my child die"
Mans extremity is ever Gods Opp0r-
tunity. Not only extreme cases Of
sickness can be brought 70 him. hut
extreme cases Of sin rs well q Tim.
lis; Heb. 7:25). He can heal not
only those who are cat the point of
death" hut those who are already
dead (Eph. 2:D. The child was dy-
ing. the father had not strength to
wait 10 see wonders hut he could and
did trust Jesus to heal his son.
~. 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 to 20 10 Capar-
naum. We must not confuse this kind
Of faith. however. with his having ac-
cepted Jesus as Savior. He accepted
Jesus only as healer. We have men
today who will accent 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
fly. II was probably one O'Clock when
Jesus spoke the healing word in Cana.
At that same hour the household at
Capernaum saw the change In the sick
boy for the fever left him" We
may well imagine the joy which pos
sesSed the father and that household
on the following day when he received
this report.
~. Satisfaction (Triumph) wv. -
54). The fathers faith rose TO the
need for he believed the word that
Jesus spake." That word did not seem
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 walk OF
faith. He had nothing but bare prom
Use 10 support him, yet on his return
he found his son living ". 52). On
this word Of Jesus he. himself. be-
lleved. and his whole house. II seems
improbable that this could be otherwise
II he were an honest man. II 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 a fundamental weakness
In either his own profession or I'm his
application of the truths of the gospel
~. Suggestions % The living. per-
sOnaI presence OF Christ Is not need
full. II was a wise provision of Gods
economy that Christ should have re-
turned to heaven.
(2) Acts are the true indications Of
our faith Gods written revelation
and the revelation of his son, the Llv-
ing Word, and the witness Of the ex-
perience Of Gods saints are sufficient
facts upon which to base faith.
(3) Faith Is progressive Notice the
growth from verses 4S 10 20 and 30
At first the man believed in Jesus
power; then he believed in Jesus
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 over these GalileanS Of
nearly nineteen centuries Of what
Christ has wrought among the peoples
Of the earth among those who have
believed on him. He has been tried
and proved, and the gifts of Gods
grace, eternal life the gifts Of the
Spirit are all conditioned upon our
faith in him and in the Lord Jesus.