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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1933
COMMENTARY Children’s Division In Holy Places B y H elen G ailey B y H erbert H. T ay for “dogs” used here refers to the house dog, a pet, rather than to the ravening dogs of the street. 3. The satisfaction through faith (29, 30). The woman was at once commended for her faith, a commendation which the Lord never withholds from any who trust Him. Further, she was comforted with the words: “The demon is gone out of thy daughter.” She had not as yet seen it, but she had the assurance that the work was done. Finally, her faith was confirmed when, arriving at home, “ she found the demon gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed.” II. I n D ecapolis (31-37). 1. Trust in Jesus (31, 32). This is seen in the words: “They bring unto him one who was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech.” How like the sinner this one was: deaf to the voice o f God and hence with an impediment in his speech 1 A man may be eloquent in the use of language, learned in the arts and sciences, acute in reasoning powers, and yet deaf to God’s voice and powerless to speak for God. But this man had friends who were good examples of successful per sonal workers. They brought him to the Lord, and they prayed for him. These two things, when properly done, will prove suc cessful in personal work. 2. The touch o f Jesus (33-35). In this case, Jesus’ touch was, first of all, a private matter between Himself and the man. Verse 33 shows that the man was willing to do as he was told. This is the deciding factor in getting blessing from the Lord. Again, His touch was personal. It was not something for the multitude, but for this one man, an outflow of power from one Person to another. Finally, the touch was with power; and “ straightway his ears were opened, and he spake plain.” There was no waiting. At once the man was completely renewed. In this there is a noticeable difference between the methods o f Jesus and those o f the so-called divine healers today. 3. The testimony o f Jesus (36, 37). Whatever the reason for the Lord’s pro hibition against the telling o f this occur rence, we know the disciples disobeyed Him. Perhaps we shall never know the real rea son for the Lord’s desire that this event should not be published abroad. All the supposed reasons are but guesses. We can well leave this problem unsolved, while we remind ourselves that there is no such prohibition today. The very opposite is true. We are instructed to be up and tell ing the great things the Lord has done and is willing to do. The words, “he hath done all things well” (v. 37),’ should be impressed on the minds o f all the scholars. Some notable teachers have done some things well, but here is One who does all things well. Some do things nearly perfectly; but here is One whose every act was perfect. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the great Doer, the char acter of all He does is “well,” and the ex tent of His welldoing is “all things.” This
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations By A lan S. P earce
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i e m a h o Blackboard Outlines B y B essie B. B urch
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
APR IL 2, 1933 JESUS MINISTERING TO JEWS AN D GENTILES M ark 7:1-37
Lesson T ext: Mark 7 :24-37. Golden T ext: ‘‘Other sheep I have, which are not of this fo ld ; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my yoice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). The Borders of Tyre and Sidon O u r lesson text informs us that Jesus “went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon.” As we follow Him there, we find ourselves in one of the most beau tiful districts o f the Holy Land. The roll ing hills o f Galilee are gradually trans formed into the mountains of Lebanon as
taking possession of human beings were re vealed over and over again in the days when Jesus was upon earth, as they are re vealed even in our day to any whose mind is open to facts. This mother was helpless in the face of her trouble; there was no power to overcome Satan, whose control o f the demons was absolute. This is also true today, even though there is so much denial o f Satan’s existence and power. Where there is no recognition of these, there is little hope o f relief for many who are considered to be insane, when the in sanity is really demoniacal possession. Be cause this mother was helpless, she was hopeless. This is the true state o f men, whether demon possessed or not; they are under the sway o f Satan, walking accord ing to his behests, and, being helpless in his grasp, they are hopeless as far as any human aid is concerned. 2. The testing o f faith (27, 28). To the mother’s agonized appeal, the Lord, with seeming harshness and cruelty, gave a reply which appeared most peculiar, proceeding as it did from the One who came into the world to save sinners. The explanation is found in Matthew’s account of this incident. There we learn that the woman did not approach Jesus on the proper ground. She came to Him as though she were a Jewess, and not a Gen tile, claiming a relationship which placed Him under obligation to answer her re quest. She had to be taught that, as far as she was concerned, there was no obliga tion; if she secured anything from Jesus, it must be on the ground of absolute grace. This: is just the point at which many are stumbling today. They take it for granted that somehow the Lord is under obligation to them, and while they may live as they like while the weather, is fair, when trouble comes, He is bound to help them; and if He does not send help when they think He should, they are ready to curse Him. Following the seeming rebuke, the woman took her proper place, as one hav ing no rights, as one o f the dogs under the table, and thus she revealed that humility which always forms a channel through which the desired blessing may flow. In other words, she merely accepted the Lord’s terms: since the gift was o f grace, it was to be received by faith. The word BLACKBOARD LESSON
we journey north ward. R i s i n g to heights of eight and nine thousand feet, and wrapped in gar ments of v e r d a n t green in which are patches of pines and stately cedars, these mountains afford an excellent watershed.
The moisture-laden breezes from the Med iterranean are caught by the upstretched, tree-covered peaks, and transformed into delightful streams o f sparkling water, which water the harrow plain at their feet, and along the shore o f the sea. An abun dance o f water is all that is needed to make this country blossom like a rose. As we journey northward along a smooth, well-traveled highway, our eyes behold a veritable kaleidoscope o f color. Pretty pink and white houses, with red tile roofs, lie half concealed among the lux urious groves of olives, bananas, and lo- quats. Forming a background for this en trancing picture is the soft, multishaded mass of the Lebanons. In places, these ma jestic mountains bathe their feet in the sparkling blue waters o f the sea, while in other places they retreat to a distance of two or three miles,', leaving a slightly slop ing plain upon which the people have built their farms and cities. We pass the site of ancient Tyre and find, true to the prophet’s prediction, that fisher men are spreading their nets upon her wave-washed rocks. Farther on, we come to Sidon, still standing, but having passed through untold sufferings in her history, thus again fulfilling- the predictions of Scripture. Tyre and Sidon combine ex-fi quisite beauty with remarkable evidence of scriptural accuracy. Outline and Exposition I. I n T yre and S idon (24-30). 1. The need o f faith (24-26). This Syrophenician woman was in des perate trouble because of the condition o f her daughter who was possessed by a de mon. Her mother heart was stirred as per haps nothing else could stir it. The real ity o f demons and the possibility of their
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