Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-20

eral movement. Note that in the first
chapter, after the preparatory events, we
are given one typical busy day out of
Jesus life; that 2:1-3:6 sets forth the
early opposition of the Jewish leaders,
issuing even thus early in a plot to de-
Stroy Him; that Jesus then organizes to
meet this opposition by choosing twelve
chief helpers and beginning to train them.
This sitting and training process is fol-
lowed UP in chapter 4, where the Four
Kinds of Hearers and the Way the King
dom Grows are set forth by Jesus in par
ables
Then comes our present lesson. 1t tells
OF two mighty works of Jesus This is
the beginning of section, ending with
5:43, which recounts four mighty works
Of Jesus We study the first two of these
today The significance of this mighty
works section is twofold: First. it shows
how Jesus impressed the public: second
it shows how the Twelve came to think
of Him as they did. In other words the
process of sitting and training is still go
ing on here, and now by what Jesus does
rather than by what he teaches.
The key to this situation is found in the
question of the Twelve in 4:41, "Who then
is this?" Get this clearly before you.
On the one hand is Jesus trying his word
and by work to reveal to men who He is
and what His kingdom is, On the other
hand are these men, getting Him but dim
ly or not at all-the disciples dimly, the
Gerasenes not at all? There is a stand
point from which this is vitality interest
sition, trying to know Jesus. The ques-
ton in our minds is the same as that in
theirs: who then is this?' Is he only
a prophet as one of the prophets, a teach
er among other teachers? If he one who
could speak beautiful sayings merely? Is
he a mystic, living too far above this
common world to care about such prac-
teal matters as sailors who were losing
their boat or farmers who were losing
their swine? Who is He anyway, that we
should be. called on to make the supreme
remuneration and follow Him?
This question is played up throughout
the remainder of the gospel. We should
not expect to get the full answer in the
lesson for this week. Yet even this lesson
helps much toward the answer. It's mes
sage is this: Whoever He may be. He is
both the world Of matter and the world
of spirit. He is one who can bring order
out of chaos, whether it be in the tenn
pest on the sea, or in the tempest of
soul and mind which buffeted this man of
Gerasa.
What men seek in a leader or saviour
is one who can take conditions of tur-
MOL, stress and danger, and reduce them
to peace and safety and victory. Is it not
just this that you look for in your Of
ficers in the army? Anybody can create
der already existing, But we willingly
give our lives into the hand Of Him alone
who can restore steady poise when once
lost Jesus proved to these followers of
when all seemed lost; that a legion Of
demons could not create a he'll in a poor
fellows life with which he could not cope
LAS soon as a soul trangresses," says
Horace Bushnell lit breaks out Of order
and it's whole internal working becomes
mixed, confused, tumultuous, corrupt
The passions are loose upon the reason
the will overturns the conscience the de-
sires become unruly. the thoughts are
some of them suggested by the natural
law of the mind and some are thrust in
by the disorders Of vitiated feeling, cor
rupt imagination, disordered memory and
morbid impulse"
Is that picture of the tempest raging
in your inner life, Then the message
Of this lesson to you is that JESUES
BRINGS PEACE. Meet Him squarely and
try Him if this word be true. Then when
right-nindedness and order are restored
go to thy tent unto thy mess mates, and
tell them how great things the Lord hath
done for thee.
Do not leave this lesson without fixing
wildly in your mind the picture of the
Christ as he stands out there before men
who want to know Him and follow Him.
but who still doubt Him and says to them,
why. are We fearful? Have We not yet
faith?"