Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Sept. 21st-JeSus Heals Leper.-Mark 1:35-45
BY DR. MARION MICH. HULL

! down to Him. He hadn't healed any
lepers as yet, so the poor unfortu
nate outcast didn't know what His
attitude to lepers would lie He knew
what the attitude of others was; he
had been made painfully conscious
ever since the first ominouS white
| spot had appeared on his skin. He
! had been forced to leave his home
and loved ones, and to dwell as an
outcast wherever he could; when
ever anyone was heard approaching
he had to cry out unclean, unclean
so that no one would be defiled by
touching him should they come toe
near him. Cut off from home, so
ciety, occupation-his lot was a mis-
cradle one. How could he know how
this Jesus of Nazareth would act to-
ward him? He was quite sure OF
one thing, and that was His ability
to heal him. Since He had healed
every other form of disease that
| had been brought to Him, he vas
sure He could heal him. The only
question in his mind was Jesus will
lingness Would He, too, hold him
aloof, walk away from him lest He
be defiled, shun him as He would
some desperately dangerous person
or thing? And so he said, IF thou
wilt, thou canst make me clean
Wonderful Son OF God. That was
the kind of individual He was out
for-His heart went out to this
poor lonesome creature with great
compassion. The word translated
moved with compassion" is a very
wonderfully chosen one. 1t is
| splanchnistheis. Now the splapch-
mic, or abdominal area has enough
room in it's blood vessels to hold all
the blood in the body. Special
nerves keep these blood vessels con.
stricted so that sufficient blood will
the muscles, etc. In certain cases,
! physical and emotional, these nerves
let go, these splanchpic blood YES
sells open wide, and the heart pumps
the blood there where the resist.
ance is less. 1t is therefore drawn
away from the brain, the even UNI
consciousness develops. Unless the
condition is corrected you would die
from shock" In a lesser degree,
you might have all of these symp.
! toms; you would get very weak, and
feel as if you were going to die.
Now this was just what happened
to Jesus when He saw this poor out
cast kneeling at Ills feet. His blood
vessels in the splanchnic area open
ed up and He felt as if He was 60
ing to die-"He was moved with
compa ssiOn." Did your heart ever go
out to anyone in need that way?
Did you ever feel that you would
| die unless you could do something
to help?
Think that through again. A
leper, an outcast, human being
who had been kicked away so often
that he wondered if Jesus would
do it too-now kneeling at Jesus
feet and expressing his assurance of
Jesus power, but his doubts as to
His Willingness Then take a look
at Jesus as He looks at that married
son of Adam and hears him say
things that shows he has no knowl-
edge of His Father or of His own
| love. Look more closely; Jesus face
is turning pale; His breath comes
quickly; beads of perspiration stand
out on His brow; He looks like He
is going to faint!
I Then He puts forth His hand and
what? Yes, instead of stunning
him, and drawing away from him
He is actually touching him to show
him He loves him and is not afraid
of him. And then-oh, how much
real joy in His tones, how much
love and notwithstanding ] will;
be thou clean And Immediately all
the leprosy was gone. Yes, Jesus
was very different.
And now hear His strange com.
mand. lie strictly charged that he
should tell no man, but show him
self to the priest, and make the
offering that Moses had commanded.
Jesus wanted no notoriety; He want
ed the man to comply with the law
so there would never be any ques-
ton about his presence in society
again. There was one thing more
He wanted-a testimony unto them.
He wanted the leaders to know that
here was one who was not subject
to the law because He was above
the law; who could touch the leper
and not be defiled, because His
Wholesomeness was greater than the
lepers' defilement. The leper would
be made whole rather than He be
defiled. He wanted the leper as a
witness; for had He not claimed to
be the Servant of Jehovah who had
come to set at liberty them that are
bruised? And would not the leper's
presence before the priests healed
now. and certified as such by them.
do much to convince them of the
truth of, His claim? Jesus heart
was not only moved for the poor
leper but also for the poor priests.
publish 1t much, and to blaze abroad
the matter''-can you understand
such direct disobedience? There is
only one excuse for that mamie
had something so good that he
couldn't keep it from others. Maybe
he didn't mean to tell it, but on his
way to the priest some one of his
| old friends met him and was so glad
to see the change in him, and want.
ed to know how it all happened: and
of course he had to tell then; for in
his enthusiasm over the matter, aft.
er he had cotton over the shock of
having somebody treat him with
kindness, he just couldn't keep quiet
and had to talk about the one who
had done it.
| His disobedience did Jesus harm
| 1t is always a mistake to disobey
God. AS a result of this Jesus
couldn't enter any city on that trip
| by day. He had to go in at night
to avoid the throngs that were com.
ing to Him from every quarter-not
for spiritual things, but for bodily
healing; and bodily healing was new,
err primarily intended to be the big
thing. In many places He had to
remain on the outskirts OF the town
| to keep away the crowds. There is
a time to publish and a time to keep
! quiet; it is always the time to obey
| the word of God. To disobey is to
limit God, as this man unintention.
! ally limited Jesus by his disobedi-