819
December 1927
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
FRED S SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE H e a r in g e e d in g ONORING If any man love me, he will keep my words.—Jno. 14:23.
those regions and the excitement was be coming so very intense that it was abso lutely impossible for Jesus to enter any place privately. Upon His arrival, how ever, at any place, immediately throngs gathered about Him and the sick were brought on beds in order that He might cure them. V. 56: “And wheresoever He entered; into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole.” As Jesus went from village to village the sick were brought to Him with the hope that if only they could touch the hem of His garment they might receive a blessing, and as many as did touch Him were made whole. The touch of Christ brought life, joy and peace into their wrecked and ruined lives. The Groiving Fame of Jesus. Mark 3:7-12; 6:53-56. Memory Verse: “The common people heard him gladly.” Mark 12:37. Approach: Boys and girls, do you like to be with people who are unkind to you, and who find fault and criticize you? We know that is what they did to our dear Him and hear Him speak, so when they heard where Jesus was, great crowds gathered about Him. We are going to hear about one of these days in our story. (Prayer.) Lesson Story: Who gave us our splen did bodies? How should we take care of them? (Review, stressing our own weak ness and helplessness to do the right, and the necessity of having the Lord and His power in our lives.) Today our story tells us about great crowds coming from all the country and towns down to the Sea of Galilee to see Jesus and have their sick bodies made well. It was the fame of Jesus as a wonder-worker which drew them, for they had heard about His wonderful cures. One day when the pressure on Him was so great he asked His disciples to get a boat so He could get in, and get out of the crowd. Now can you get a picture of Jesus in the boat pushing away from the shore a little way so the people could not crowd upon Him? He used the boat for a pul pit, and talked to the people as the little boat floated on the water. Many had car ried their loved ones who were sick, lame and blind that Jesus might touch them and heal them. When Jesus lived on earth He was al ways busy going about among the people. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, com forted the sorrowing, even raised the dead to life; but best of all he saved people from their sins. You know, boys and girls, that is the greatest miracle in all the world, to cleanse us from our sins and give us everlasting life. I wonder if we who have taken Him as our Lord and Savior, are going about Lord Jesus, and He went with His dis ciples down to the Sea of Galilee. Now , there were l a r g e numbers who had been helped and heal ed by Jesus, and wanted to get near to
of the eastern Mediterranean world will show through what extensive territory the fame of Jesus spread, because great multitudes from all of these sections of the country flocked to hear His preaching. Vs. 9, 10. “And He spake to His dis ciples, that a little boat should wait on Him because of the crowd, lest they should throng Him: for He had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon Him that they might touch H im .“ Frequently Jesus was thronged by the multitudes so that He had to resort to a boat beside the sea, in order to have an opportunity to speak to the multitudes, which thing He did on this occasion. This throng was pressing upon Him, doubtless prompted by the motive of curiosity, “for He had healed many.-' There is no doubt, how ever, that many, were sincere, seeking Him to know Him and to have fellowship with Him; but the majority followed Him through curiosity or through the hope of receiving some material aid. When it was known that Jesus had healed many, many others who had plagues pressed upon Him in order that they might touch Him. Jesus healed people because of their faith, for constantly He said, “Ac cording to thy faith so be it done unto thee.” It is difficult to determine whether these people who wished to touch Him had a very high degree of faith or whether they considered that touching Him or His garment would exert some magical influence upon them. It is quite likely that both ideas moved different people to press upon Him. V. 11. “And the unclean spirits, when soever they beheld Him, fell down before Him and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.” The unclean spirits who saw Him, as is stated here, were residing in the bodies of people. When the state ment says that the unclean spirit saw Him, doubtless the record means that when the man in whom the spirit dwelt saw Jesus, the spirit by his superhuman power also recognized and used the man’s vocal organs in confessing that Jesus was the Son of God. The demons had a very wholesome fear and dread of Jesus, for on various occasions they cried out on His approach and pled with Him not to tor ment them before the time. On this oc casion, however, those possessed with demons fell down and the spirits dwelling in them cried unto Him confessing that He was the Son of God. Jesus, however, did not wish to receive the testimony of evil spirits and does not wish today the testimony of evil men. V. 12. Jesus charged the spirits not to confess Him. There is no record of any spirits bearing testimony to Jesus after Jesus prohibited their doing so. This fact shows that Christ had absolute power •over the spirit world. Spiritism is to be one of the characteristics of the last days, as set forth in 1 Tim. 4:1-3. The only way for one to be sure not to be influ enced by demons is to live trusting Christ and obeying Him implicitly. 6 :54. After having fed the five thou sand on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus returned to the western shore to the little section of the country called Gennesaret, “And when they were come out of the boat, straightway the peo ple knew Him, and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about on their beds those that were sick, where they heard He was." The fame of Jesus was spreading so very rapidly throughout
among our friends and those we meet in school and at play, and helping where we can? When we find people in trouble do we comfort them and tell them of our Savior who comforts and helps us? You know our memory verse tells us the com-, mon people heard Him gladly. There are people we meet who have never heard of Jesus, and do not know anything about Him. Have you ever told any one about Him? That is the one great work of every man and woman, and every boy and girl who loves the Lord Jesus, to bring others to know Him too. Let us bow our heads and thank God for giving us such a wonderful Savior as the Lord Jesus, to comfort and help us all along life’s pathway. Let us re member He is getting ready a place for us in heaven. what I read about a converted heathen who afterwards became a missionary. Having gathered a congregation, he re solved to build a church, and he appealed to the people for contributions to meet the cost, and appointed a day on which they were to give their contributions. He laid down three rules, according to which they should give:—(l) Every one should give something; (2) every one should give according to ability; and (3) every one should give cheerfully and ungrudg ingly. These were Scriptural rules. On the appointed day the congregation gath ered, and the missionary stood at the plate, and saw what was put into it. He knew the circumstances of the people, and was satisfied with their givings till a wealthy chief came forward, who put a very small piece of gold into the plate. The missionary said to him—“I will not accept of that small contribution from you, who are a wealthy man. You have given according to the first rule, but not according to the second—that every one should give according to ability. Take it back.” The ,chief took it back and then, in an angry way, threw a large piece of gold into the plate. “I will not take that either,” said the missionary, “for it is not given according to the third rule—that every one should give cheerfully.” The chief lifted his contribution and then placed it on the plate with a smiling face. “I am satisfied now,” said the missionary. “You have conformed to the three rules— you have given something; you have given according to your ability; you have given cheerfully.” —Rev. D. Macfarlane. Good Giving 'T* O enforce the duty of, the people to continue their liberality, I may relate
“Reckon him a Christian indeed who is neither ashamed of the Gospel nor a shame to it.”
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