The Brinkley argus., 1918-03-01
LESSON FOR MARCH 3
JESUS BRINGING PEACE.
Mar,. A.9s-s.2o

GOLDEN TEXT--Jehovah hath done great things for us whereof we are glad. -Ps. 126::3
 DEVOTIONAL READING-Ps. 147:1-5, 14-18.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR TEACHERS-Matt. S:23-34; Luke S:22-39; Matt 14:22-33; Luke 9:37-43A.
 PRIMARY LESSON MATERIAL-Mark 4:35-41.
 MEMORY vERsE-Even the wind and the sea obey him.-Mark Al.
 INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Teliing the good news about the Prince of Peace.
 MEMORY VERSE-Mark 5:19.
 This lesson is most dramatic one. Surprise and revelation, rebuke and encouragement are rapidly inter- changed. Leaving the multitude to whom he had been preaching, Jesus asks the disciples to pass over with him to the other side of the lake (v. 35). "Let us pass over;" Jesus never asks his disciples to go where he will not go. How vivid is the touch in '. 36: "They took him as he was" He was tired and weary he whose invita- tion is to "all who are weary and heavy laden" He who "had not where to lay his head" is carried by loving hands into the boat, and is soon lost in restful Aumber Both Master and friends are soon to meet great sin ner but first they must encountered great storm.
 l. The Great Storm. The Master of forces sleeps calmly on. Why not? Who else could afford to be so appar- ently indifferent! Not so these dis ciples. They have yet to know him perfectly, and hence it is natural that in their alarm they should awaken him as they view the rapidly filling boat, and exclaim, Master, carest thou not that we perish?' Weary and un- concerned as he appears to have been, he arose and rebuked the wind and the waves. Wind and waves are mate rial things and therefore not suscep- tible to rebuke. Jesus fronted the in- tangible cause; he rebuked the devil who was responsible for this turbul- ence; and the calm was commensurate with the storm. The Psalmist says, Great peace have they that love thy law" Individuals and nations are now in the midst of 'great storm" day of crime, stress, distress and tragedy; struggle, temptation, grief and loss, and the cry "Lord save us." is growing louder and more insistent. Some of us look for the early return of the king, but all should listen for his words Peace be still'' for it is the peace which he alone can give that has power to calm the growing turbulence of this age.
 II. The Great Sinner. Reaching the other side, they entered the land of Gadara and there met demoniac who is, we believe, a type of the great sim ner, for he was, (a) without restraint; mo man could bind him" (v. 8 (b) he was injuring himself, cutting" etc. (v. 5); Co he was separated from his friends, "dwelt among the tombs" (v. 3); (d) he was "unclean" (v. 9. There was also evidence of the futility of human resolutions and the vainness of attempt at control or reformation (v. 4). ''No man had the
  ment of his life (v. D. AS he healed this man, tEe people saw their illegal gain interfered with, and hence the selfish request that Jesus should de part out of their coasts" (v. ID, and this even in the face of what had been done for the stricken one. Selfishness knows no law. The Jews could not eat pork but they were raising it to sell to the Gentiles of the land, which amounted to an insult to their God, and an evasion of their law. Jesus permitted" the demons to enter the swine thereby rebuking the avarice of the people and conclusively showing that they had left the demoniac. Luke tells us (8:37) that the Gadarenes were taken with a great fear" Fear of what? Surely no fear of the Gali- lean teacher, but rather of the effect of the restored mans testimony on their material prosperity. Big busi- ness will have many sins to account for in the face of greed for gain while Ignoring the cry of the afflicted amid unsuitable and unsanitary living con- ditions. Church members have no right to condemn the liquor traffic, while they rent stores to carry on this destructive business.
 A suggested outline for this lesson would be as follows:
 |. 4 Great Storm-Ch. 4;35-41.
 The command of Jesus-v. 35.
 The weariness of Jesus-v. 36.
 The alarm of the disciples-v. 3S.
 The indifference of Jesus-v. 3S.
 The great calm--v 39.
 II. A Glorious cure-Ch. 5:1-20.
 The Gadarene type of the sin
 ner-vv. 1-5.
 (Unclean, separated, no re-
 straint, self injury).
 The Gadarene cleansed-vv. 6-15.
 Gle recognized purity-desired
 communion-was assigned to