Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
JESUS BRINGING PEACE.
Mark, 4.35-5.20.
Golden text-Jehovah hath done
great things for us: whereof we
are glad.-Psalm, 1868.
BY REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.

| ! are glad.-Psalm, 1868.
BY REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.
| Our lessons for several weeks now
have followed each other closely. They
have been very intensive studies of
busy day in the life. Of the Master.
After the teaching by the parallels
comes the demonstration of Christs
power. not only over the elements of
world. And 1t was this very mastery
that makes us certain that Jesus of
| Nazareth was what He claimed to be,
the Son of God. AS some one has said,
When He walked the earth, He was
Master of His own creation, and it
never failed to bend to His touch or be-
come obedient to His will. The miracle
told that creations Master had come
After the close of the discourse which
we studied last week, Jesus proposed
that they should cross the Sea of Cali
lee: SO. the multitude was dismissed,
ana with the twelve and a few others
| He set sail for the other side. But stop
a moment and think of what must have
| been the conversation of the dispensing
CROWD! Surely some seed must have
Iallen into receptive hearts. Few, how
|
spiritual truths the Great Teacher was
| striving to bring home. Then, as TODAY,
| mere were many who sought the Christ
out OF idle curiosity. many who were
LOO engrossed in the toll of everyday
life to seek after truth, and even MANY
| VINO permitted sin to stand in the way
OF doing that which their conscience
| told them was right.
hardly had the voyage been started
before a storm arose 1t must have
neen storm of more than usual vio-
fence. for We remember that among
the band of disciples were fishermen
the Lake of Galilee and who, would
not easily be frightened AS the We
Iocity OF the wind increased and the
waves broke high over the little YES
rear game upon them. And through 1t
an the Son of Man slept peacefully
It had been hard day and He must
nave been physically and mentally
Him with cries of Save. Lord; we
perish. as recorded in Matthew, or.
as Mark gives it to us. Master, carest
Thou not that we perish?"
disciple. Many forget their Savior ex-
cept in the hour of distress or peril
or sickness. During the day of pros
perity and good health there is no
the Kingdom. But in the day of ad-
| versity. feeling our human weakness
| we turn to the Source of strength and
| help. Notice also the selfish attitude
is no solicitude concerning the safety
| OF any one but themselves. They re-
mind US. in the eagerness to save them
selves. OF the brutes who tried to push
| aside the women and children when
| the Titanic was sunk
Yet the Christ. rudely awakened from
| his slumbers. had no word of criticism
except for their lack of faith. With
the sea to be calm again. 1t was a
natural thing for the elements to obey
His voice. In all the life of the Son
OF Man can we point out a single in
stance OF nature being disobedient?
Yet the gospels are full of the stories
of men who have not seen fit to re-
| spond to the Divine command
| But Jesus could not refrain from re-
of His disciples. Remember that thew
| have seen him heal the man sick with
the palsy and restore the withered
hand. They had been chosen as His
representative and they were now in
had spent considerable time in the Mas
ter's company. And yet in the hour of
trial their faith gave way. This expert
ence. though, was lesson. preparing
them for the greater moral tempests
which they had to face in the near flu
ture. Out of it all there came to the
disciples a deeper realization of the
power of the Christ, a stronger faith.
Having crossed over, the band Of fol-
lowers came to the country of the CAD
arenes, which is east of the Lake OF
Galilee. AS Jesus lands, He is con-
fronted by demoniac. While Some
claim it is not possible to scientifically
diagnose his condition, we have enough
testimony in the gospel to convince us
| that here was man who needed the
Divine touch to restore him to strength
both of mind and body. Immediately
10 Ma eff
touched. Here was a human soul in
need of care and all else was forgotten
Strange to say, this demoniac, who
could not be bound with chains and
who lived the widest of lives in the
caves. falls down at Christ's feet, seek
ing to worship Him. This would seem
to indicate that there was spark of
fire that had not been extinguished. 1t
was, perhaps. the seriousness of his
condition that touched the Son of God.
He who had come to give peace to
troubled world saw the need. and with
out further discussion set about to sup
| ply 1t. The Master did not question the
demoniac as to how he got into such
deplorable condition. He did not give
| a lecture or discourse. He did the prac-
| teal thing, namely gave peace to the
clean spirit"
| It is somewhat difficult to give a sat
| isfactory explanation to the fact that
Jesus allowed the evil spirit to enter
l
| a nd were drowned. Some writer's seem
to think that a literal Interpretation of
| the incident would indicate that Jesus
did not regard the property rights of
| the owners. Whatever Interpretation
we place upon it, one thing is clear
| that Jesus regarded more highly the
| soul of the demoniac than the value Of
| the swine. If 1t had been a question of
| clothing him in his right mind or saw
| ing the swine. Christ would not have
| hesitated for moment.
| AS the Master was about to return to
| Capernaum in the boat, the new disci-
| pie wished to follow. 1t was only nat
| ural for him to want to serve his bene-
factor. But his place was at home.
| For Christ told him to go to his friends
| and tell them of what the Lord had
| done for him. Do you suppose the for
| mer demoniac would have thought of
refusing? And his testimony must have
borne much fruit, for we read that "all
| men did marvel"
| AS we think of Christ bringing peace
| to the troubled sea and the troubled
| soul. the question naturally arises,
Can Christ bring peace to the war
| torn world?" If a permanent peace is
| to come. it must be a peace laid on the
basis of Christ's principles. Can you
| imagine Christ seeking for additional
| territory undue advantage in COM
| merce: The wrong must fail. Right
will prevail. While the thunder of bat
| 10 femporari1y drOurp tho uorde