44 sins? Does He .still have authority to forgive? What three things was the man told to do? V. 7. How did the man receive power to arise? Did he fully obey Jesus? V. 8 . What effect did the miracle have upon the people? Were the scribes con vinced? Why not (cf. Luke 16:30, 31)? Did the multitudes recognize the deity of Christ? ’ V. 9. What was Matthew’s business? How was that .business regarded by the Jews (Luke 18:11)? May we infer that love of money led men into such a busi ness? What did Jesus tell Matthew to do? What did He want to make of Matthew? Did Matthew obey? Did that mean an immediate change of occupation? Are we called upon to forsake all and follow Christ ? V. 10. Why did Matthew make a feast? Who were invited to the feast? How could Jesus be satisfied in such com pany (Luke 19 :10) ? V. 11. Who criticized Jesus? To whom did they speak? Why did they not speak .to Jesus? What'was their question? V. 12. To whom is a physician .sent? Does this language imply that the Phari sees were not “sick” and did not need the help of Jesus? Are there any people in the world who do not need Him? V. 13. Where did Jesus send these teachers of the law for further instruc tion? Did He forbid true sacrifices or only formal religious observances ? How had the Pharisees " showed they lacked mercy? Whom did Jesus come to save ? * * * P ractical P oints 1. When the city of Gerasa expelled Jesus another city received Him. The •disciples had similar experiences (cf. Matt. 10:23). If persecuted, cheer up— and move on. 2. Most .sinners are too helpless and discouraged to turn to Christ without hu man assistance. They need helpers with persistent faith to carry them to the Sav iour. 3. Hopelessness always gives way to expectation in the presence , of Jesus Christ. There is no “ good cheer” for sin ners apart from Him. 4. The great test question God puts to men is, “Who is Jesus?” Since He is the Son of God, He is not a blasphemer; He is a Saviour. V 5 . He who read the thoughts of these scribes will one day “judge the secrets of men” (Rom. 2:16). 6 . He who found an apostle in a de spised tax-gatherer is still transforming the world’s outcasts into useful servants of God. 7. Christ’s call is not merely, Fol low my example,” but "Follow me.” Each repetition of this call involves new sac rifice and suffering. 8 . Jesus did not associate with publi cans and sinners as companions, but to save them—setting a good example. 9. Those who think they are “whole” are most in need of the “Great Physician,” but slow to admit it. 10. Those who think they are the most learned may have need to hear the word of Jesus, “ Go ye and learn." * * * Golden Text: “Himself took our in firmities, and bare our diseases” (Matt. 8:17).
January 1930
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
They were so anxious to have their friend healed that they would let nothing interfere, so do you know what they did? Somehow they got the sick man up on the roof. They removed a part of the roof (speak of the flat roofs of houses in Palestine), and gently lowered the sick .man on his bed down into the very room where Jesus was. How surprised the people must have been to have seen such a strange sight! I am sure the Lord Jesus was pleased, for He could see that these friends realiy believed that He could help their sick. Now, Jesus can look right into men’s hearts, and as He looked at this man, Jesus knew that he not only had a sick body, but that his heart was full of sin, so He said to him: “Son, . . . thy sins be forgiven thee. . . . Arise, take up thy bed. and go unto thine house." And he arose, not only healed of his disease of palsy, but healed also of sin. Then all of the people rejoiced and praised God. Boys and girls, you may all have well bodies and be able to walk about and play games and do everything that healthy children do; but if you have not accepted Jesus as your Saviour, you need Him to wash away your sins. You know He looks into our hearts today and knows all about us, just as He did when the man sick of palsy was brought to Him. What does He see in your heart today? Prayer. February 23, 1930 The Twelve Sent Forth Lesson: Matthew 9:35-11:1. (Lesson Text: Matt. 9:35-10:8, 40-42). * * * T he L esson in O utline I. Jesus the Good Shepherd (9:35-38). 1. His ministry—teaching, preaching, healing (35). 2. His field—all the cities and vil lages (35). 3. His vision—of shepherdless multi tudes (36). 4. His compassion (36). 5. His word to the disciples (37-38). a. See the harvest. b. See the need o f laborers. c. “Pray ye therefore.” II. The Twelve Sent (10:1-8), 1 . Their H equipment—given authority 2 . Their names (2-4). 3. Their field—lost sheep of Israel (5, 6 ) 4. Their message—kingdom at hand (7). 5. Their ministry—heal, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out de- mons ( 8 ).
G olden T ext I llustration Sympathy: “Mother,” said a little girl once, “I cannot make it out; Mrs. Smith says I do her so much good. Poor Mrs. Smith has lost her husband, mother, and she is very sad. She sits and cries, and I get up and lay my cheek on her cheek, and I cry, and say that I love her, and then she says that she loves me, and that I comfort her.” Just so. That is the truest form of con solation; is it not? “ Weep with them that weep.” That is how God, my God, will hear me, feeling with me, sympathiz ing with me. “In all their affliction he •was afflicted, and the angel o f his pres ence saved them.” So are we assured, but that is not all: “I am. with thee, saith the Lord.” — Spurgeon. * * * Jesus Healing and Helping Matt. 8 :5-10, 13; 9 :2-7, Memory Verse: “Jesus o f Nazareth . . . who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Prayer. Approach. —When any of you are ill your mother calls in the doctor, does she not? He generally knows why you are ill, and just what medicine will make you Physician and when He was here upon earth He went about healing sick people. One day He went to the beautiful city of Capernaum and a Roman officer came to Him. This officer was the com mander of a hundred soldiers. It was not about his soldiers that he came, but about one of his servants, who was ill. When he came to Jesus he asked Him to heal his sick servant, arid Jesus said: “I will come and heal him.” But this Roman officer did not feel that he was worthy to have Jesus visit him. He was used to having his soldiers obey when he spoke and he believed that Jesus could heal his servant without even coming to his house. Jesus must have been very happy to find a man that had such faith in Him. He told the Roman officer to go to his house and there he would find the answer to his request. The Roman officer went home and found that a wonderful thing had happened—his beloved servant was healed; he was healed at the very time that Jesus had told him to go to his home. Now there were other sick people in this city. One was a man who was sick of palsy. (Speak of this disease.) He was not able to walk, but he had some friends who loved him very much. They were very sure that Jesus could make him well, so they made a bed for this sick man, and carried him to the house where Jesus was. But such great crowds had gath ered that they were not able to get near to Jesus, O / V I S I O * better. Then, when you are well again, how grateful your m o t h e r is! She t r u s t s the doctor and believes j u s t w h a t he s ays . (Speak of mission ary doctors who are able to lead people to Christ after heal ing their bodies.) Jesus is the Great
III. The Final Rewards (40-42). ♦ * * A pproach to the L esson
Having given a sample of our Lord’s teaching (chaps. 5-7), and a group of miracles attesting His authority as Mes siah, Matthew goes back to a descrip tion of Jesus journeying, teaching and heal ing (cf. 4:23). His ministry had greatly enlarged so that He had need of helpers. He therefore called the twelve and sent
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