Brief Thoughts For Busy Teachers
International Sunday School Lesson As Taught by T. C. Horton at the Bible Institute, Los Angeles, Cal.
The leper's request. " L o r d if thou w i l t . " There is a recognition of Christ as Master; he believed and worshipped. He had confidence in Christ's ability to heal, but not in the advisability. It was not a question of eould He, but would He; not one of power but Of pur- pose. Jesus had said He had not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. What would or could the law do for him? He reasoned from analogy: He had healed others, would He heal him? If we live as we should and may, we can compel others to reason from the analogy of our lives that Christ can do wonderful things for them. He came t o the right Person (Mark 1:40), took the right place (Luke V:12), he ac- knowledged his need, his f a i th wavered, but-he found relief. The Lo r d 's Response. Mark tells us that the Master was moved with com- passion (Mark 1:41). He stretched out His hand and touched him. He bridged the barrier which separated them, and lifted the load which oppressed him, setting him free. When the leper felt his fingers and the force of His Word, " I W i l l ," he was conscious of the cleansing work. The finger upon him identified the Lord with him. Jesus broke no law in touching him, but He became, ceremonially, unclean. Christ stooped to this world and touch sin. He took the defilement; therefore, the need of the atonement. I t is not His will t h at any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 11:4). Christ wills. ' ' Whosoever wills may come (Rev. XXII:17). The leper was healed and cleansed but he was sent to the priest, according to the L a w 's requirement, that he might be certified and received again into the fellowship of the Jews (Lev. X I V : 3 ). The renewal of the leper was considered a Divine act (2 Kings V:7), and Christ used it as a proof of His Divinity. Lepers are cleansed (Matt. X I : 5 ). The sinner goes to Christ for healing and cleansing and comes away clean, every whit. While .Tesus sought to hinder the publicity of His miracles, the method of modern healers is herald theirs.
LESSON X. March 6th. J E SUS THE HEALER. Matt. VIII:2-17.
Golden Text—Matt. V I I I: 17: " H i m- self took our infirmities and bare our diseases.'' Theme—Health at the hand of Jesus. OUTLINE. 1. Falter Faith (1-4), 2. Full F a i th (2-13). 3. Fulfilling the Word (14-17). Jesus went up the Mount to deliver a discourse and came down to deliver the distressed. He put His own ser- mon into action. In the eighth and ninth chapters there are twelve specif* mens of His grace and power. Lep- rosy represented the depraved condi- tion of Israel, to whom He ministers first, following this with the ministry to the Gentiles. The Lord is set forth in four characters: to the leper, the Son of God; to the Centurion, the son of Abraham; to P e t e r 's w i f e 's mother as the Messiah and to multitude, healing all manner of diseases and casting out demons, as the Son of Man. L Falter Faith. " I f thou w i l t ." Jesus was anointed to preach the Word of God and appointed to put into practice the work of God (Luke I V : 18). If the sermon was a manifesta- tion of the high and holy demands of God upon the sons of men, the Son of God manifested the heart of God for the souls of men. He had pronounced a blessing upon the meek and mourn- ful, now He will confer a cure upon the cursed. Leprosy was the most hide- ous and hopeless of all diseases. I t was unclean, contagious and incurable. In Lev. XIV:2-32, the whole process of the cleansing of the leper is set forth. I t was specialized by Divine legisla- tion. It was symbolic of sin. There was no known cure for leprosy in Israel; God, only, could meet the need (Acts I V: 12). I t was hereditary. The leprosy of Naaman was transferred to Gahazi and his seed (2 Kings V:27). Lepers were compelled by law of Moses to separate themselves (Nump. XII:14), cover their lips and warn others by the cry, unclean, unclean (Lev. XIII:45-46).
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