January 1931
30
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
International £esson Commentary j
Jjolden TJext Illustrations cR y _Alan Çpearce
G hildren’s 'D ivision ¡By ¡Helen JJailey
l.Blackboard O utlines :H y I. Q. SHoft
demons spoke the truth, but the Lord Je sus would not have their testimony. III. The Great Preacher (4:42-44). V. 42. Went into a desert place. Not necessarily a barren desert, but a solitary place. Jesus often withdrew from the multitudes after busy days of ministry in order that He might have rest and re freshing in communion with the Father. Mark (1 :35) tells us that He went out to this place “a great while before day.” Multitudes sought after him. Mark (1: 36) adds the information that Peter led the way to Him. The people sought to de tain Him, that He might heal many sick people in Capernaum and its vicinity, whom they had not yet been able to bring to Him. V. 43. I must preach the good tidings. The miracles of Christ confirmed and il lustrated the gospel, but they were not the gospel itself. His great mission was to bring the good news of God’s mercy to men. Therefore was I sent. The word “missionary” signifies “one who is sent.” Our Lord was, therefore, the greatest of missionaries. He had compassion on the “other cities,” as well as on Capernaum. His love embraces “all the world” as a missionary field (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16: 15). V. 44. Was preaching in the syna gogues. The rulers of the synagogue gave liberty to any to preach there whom they considered worthy. Jesus availed Himself of the privilege, as did the apost les in a later day. IV. > Healing of a Leper (5:12-15). V. 12. In one of. the cities. Luke has just described a tour of the cities of Gal ilee, undertaken by Christ for the pur pose of preaching the gospel (Lk. 4: 44). A man full of leprosy. Matthew and Mark simply refer to him as a leper. Luke, the physician, uses medical lan guage. Three stages of the disease were noted by ancient physicians: (1) erup tion in white spots; (2) the spreading of the whiteness over the flesh; (3) black leprosy, which was described in the words “full of leprosy.” He fell on his face. By comparison of the accounts of the three evangelists, it is seen that he came with intense earnestness, kneeling before Jesus as a worshiper, and finally prostrat ing himself. Lord, if thou wilt. Leprosy was an incurable disease. Perhaps this leper had seen other miracles of healing performed by Jesus, but doubted His will ingness to heal in his case. Thou const make me clean. This was an expression of faith; but, unfortunately, it was coupled with an expression of d o u b t,“if thou wilt.” He was sure of Christ’s power to heal but uncertain as to His will. V. 13. Touched him, saying, I will. The touch of the Lord Jesus in this case had a deep meaning. It involved cere monial defilement. The fact that the Lord Jesus was willing to touch the leper must
in Capernaum and “the region round about.” Immediately after the miracle, He went to the house of Simon and An drew (cf. Mk. 1 :29). Was holden with a great fever. Luke, writing as a physician,
February 1, 1931 Jesus th e Great Physician
! I Lesson: Luke 4 :31 to S:39. (Lesson T e x t : Luke 4:38-44; 5:12-16.) Golden Text: “Sur ly he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). * * * L esson in O utline I. Healing of a Fever (4:38, 39). 1. A great fever (38). 2. The great Healer called (38). 3. Healing by a word of rebuke (39). 4. Immediate, complete healing (39). II. Multitude Healed (4:40, 41). 1. Time—sunset. 2. The cures. a. Divers diseases. b. Demon possessed. III. The Great Preacher (4:42-44). 1. His message—“good tidings.” 2. His missionary vision—“other cit ies.” IV. Healing of a Leper (5:12-15). 1. His condition—“full of leprosy” 0 ). 2. His appeal—“if thou wilt” (12). 3. The Healer’s response—“I will” (13). . I 4. The touch of healing (13). 5. The report spread abroad (14, 15). V. Jesus in Solitude (5:16). * * * A pproach to the L esson I N the wilderness pur Lord was tempted to use His divine power for His own advantage. Had He yielded to the temp ter, there would have been no such mir acles of healing and blessing for mankind as followed throughout His earthly min istry. Having overcome Satan’s attacks in the threefold temptation, He was free to invade the enemy’s territory and exer cise authority over sickness, over death, over demons, and over all the powers of nature; yet He never once used that au thority for any personal advantage. With out a moment’s hesitation, He traveled to Calvary in the path of the Father’s will, scattering blessing as He went. The present lesson shows our Lord’s power to heal every form of sickness and to cast out demons. * * * H eart of the L esson I. Healing of a Fever (4:38, 39). V. 38. He rose up from the synagogue. In the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus had encountered a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon. The demon recog nized Him, and called Him “the holy One of God.” Jesus rebuked and cast out the demon. The miracle caused a great stir c Lesson O utline a n d (Exposition &■(Jaderquist
d istin g u ish e s b e tw een “great” and “little” fevers, ac cording to medical custom. It may be that Simon’s house was the Master’s headquarters in Ca
pernaum. Mark states that the four dis ciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, were with Jesus and they reported to Him the illness of Simon’s wife’s mother (Mk. 1:29, 30). They besought him for her, It is perfectly proper to plead one’s need with the Lord—not merely to tell it in a word, but to pray earnestly and with im portunity. V. 39. Rebuked the fever. On anoth er occasion, Christ “rebuked the. wind” (Lk. 8:24). He seemed to recognize a personality behind the destructive forces of nature and behind the fever. It left her. Matthew adds, “He touched her hand.” The touch of the Lord Jesus up on hearts and upon bodies brings the cure for any and every plague. Immediately she rose up. Ordinarily, recovery from fevers of such a type was slow. In this case, the fever was immediately gone, and normal strength returned in an instant. Rose up and ministered. The new life and strength was not held as a blessing for self alone, but was given back to the Lord in loving service. II. Multitudes Healed (4:40,41). V. 40. When the sun was setting. Be cause of their strict observance of the Sabbath, which ended at sunset, they could not bring their sick to Him during the daylight hours; but they were so eager for His help that they hastened to bring the sufferers at the very moment that the sun was setting. Sick with divers dis eases. Mark says that “all the city was gathered together at the door” (Mk. 1: 33). One may imagine that every form of human misery was represented in the crowd, and that practically all of them were “incurables.” Laid his hands on ev ery one. Our Lord sometimes healed by a word of command. At times sufferers were healed by touching Him. But us ually He chose to touch the sick with His hand of blessing and/healing. And healed them. He had blessing and healing for all, without stint and without show of preference or prejudice. V. 41. Demons also came out. Demon possession differs from insanity. In the former case, there is a dual personality. Saying, thou art the Son of God. De mons recognized the deity of Christ— a proof of dual personality, for the victims would not possess this knowl edge. Suffered them not to speak. The
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