The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-03-29
INTERNATIONAL
SUNMSQlOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR APRIL |.
JESUS GIVES SIGHT TO BLIND.
(By e. o. SELLERS, Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course In the Moody
Bible Institute OF Chicago.)
Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Union.)


LESSON TEXT-John sl-ll. s5-3S. (Read
GOLDEN TEXT am the light OF the
worid.-John 9.5.
This, another of the signs which
Jesus performed, is recorded only by
John. 1t probably occurred in Octo-
Der, six months before the crucifixion,
while Jesus was attending the Feast
Of the T~abernacles. There are six
other cases Of blindness recorded as
having been cured. Look them up.
l. The Case wv. 1-4). 1t was abso-
lutely hopeless. No human skill could
touch 1t, but Jesus passed by" and
that changed everything. What men
cannot do Jesus can. Jesus is passing
today, and we may expect things quite
as wonderful to happen John 14:12).
This blind nan illustrates the unsaved
sinner Il Cor. 2:14). He never had
seen. He was beyond human help ".
32). He had doubtless given up all
hoIc VI sVtiib' bc NuS NiNiVuN 81"
pathy, suspected and despised wv. 2,
34). Poor-he was a beggar. He is
also n type Of the nation Of Israel
(Rev. 3:17). We must not attempt to
explain all sickness ". 81. God fire.
quently uses 1t for the advancement
Of his kingdom John 11:4). Jesus
not only passed by but he saw" The
feeling Of the crowd was that Of curl
oslty and contempt. His feeling was
that Of compassion wv. 2, 4 and %.
Sickness sometimes manifests Gods
sustaining grace Oh Cor. II $40. 1t
is doubtless true that a large percent
age of sickness Is the direct result Of
sin John STA; Nix. 2:5; Acts 1928,
some, Of course, indirectly dob % Ia
30).
H. The Cure wv. 4-11). The word
must In verse four is n strong one.
The time for us to do our work is
''now." This word must" carries with
II the idea Of a divine imperative, and
the reason for that lmperativeness Is
the approaching might" Night Is
coming fast, when no man can work.
Notice the works we are to do are not
our own, but "the works of him that
sent me-" Compare carefully verses
two and four, and see that Jesus con-
sidered delivering the man from evil
far more important than specializing
about the origin Of his complaint. Too
much time Is spent in investigation.
Let us have more of action. The
means used in this cure were clay and
spittle. The miracle was performed In
plain view Of all who might see. The
man did not ask Jesus to help him, but
Jesus had gone where he was ". 81.
His words, go wash" were n test Of
the mans faith Gil Kings 5:10-14),
and his part In the transaction was n
testimony that 1t was Christ who
worked the cure. The use Of the
material means In this ceremony made
the man more willing to go and wash.
II gave him something to do, and doing
Is always m end to faith. Sloan
means sent" and was n type of Jesus
himself ". 4; John 1926; Rom. S:3;
Gal. 4:4). If we wish to receive sight
for our blind eyes, we should go to
him and battle (John S:12). Prompt
obedience was the best evidence of the
mans faith. The nature of this cure
was that 1t was complete ". y.
Christ's work always arouses discus
sion, and causes division wv. S-12). In
answer to IN inquiry the man showed
his manliness by saying, 81 am the one
that was cured" (He that sat and
begged). His frank testimony about
Jesus was not well received.
III. The Controversy ". II to end of
chapter). This controversy gave op'
portunity for testimony, rs we have
already seen, first of all upon the part
Of the man whose testimony was pro
gressive. At first he merely spoke OF
the fact. He was not acquainted will
Jesus, for he calls him 1.-The mar
Culleu JESUS, Lutti VII Hc 10 ihoNSN
to call him n prophet" He is {
prophet ". 10, and later still HI
recognizes him as "The Son of God
wv. $3.50. This controversy estab
lished beyond question the fact of thu
cure. 1t brought out the deity o.
Christ ". 33). The man was excom
municated, but for that matter he wa!
already outside because Of his physica
infirmity, but, best of all, he becam,
truly Christ,'s disciple. Those wht
heard him testify wanted to see Jesus
". 12). The man did not dodge thu
issue when he was brought before thu
enemies of Christ. His question, "Hov
can a man that is a sinner do sucl
signs?" was an unanswerable one, ant
when he saw their hesitancy and con
%sternation he boldly proclaimed O
Jesus-"He is a prophet"
~. Comments. This lesson with ii
vivid contrasts of belief and unbelle
gives us a wonderful opportunity t.
urge upon pupils q decision to live tn
Christian life. Hns Christ opened tn,
eyes Of our scholars to the love o
God, to the awfulness Of sin, to tn
need Of a Savior, our divine Leade
and Brother? Urge them, in the elias
and out, to be as outspoken and cour
ageous for Christ as was this man VIII
had never before perhaps seen o
heard of Jesus. and whose gratitude n