y o u r c a r es on H i m ; s p e c i fy t h e m i np r a y e r t o H i m ; g i ve t h a n k s i o r al lt oH i m, c u r e or n o c u r e, nothin g doubting; , u s i n g w i t h a d o r i n g g r a t i t u de s u ch m e a n s a s c o mm on s e n se a n d c o mm on e x p e r i e n ce s u g g e s t, a n d g i ve g l o ry t o God. Say, " L o r d, I KTHO U WILT , tlio u canst. " A nd m a y H© say, " i will , B ETHO U CLEAN.. " LESSO N XI .Marc h 17 . CHHIS T TH E DOUBL E CURE : BOD Y AN D SOUL . Mar» v ¡i:1-12 . I . TH E SCENE . 1 . Capernaum ; "Hi s ow n city " ( Ma t t. 9:1), n ot b e c a u se H e o w n ed it ,o r I t o w n ed H i m. I t d i s o w n ed Him, f o r all t h e "might y works " w r o u g h t i n it, "Wo e t othee , Caper - nau m ( t h u s) exalte d t oheaven , tho u shal t b ebrough t dow n t ohell " ( Ma t t. 11:23). I t s v e r y s i te i s n o w u n c e r t a i n, b y w h i ch t h e Wor d i sm a d e m o r e c e r t a i n. C a p e r n a um w a s "Hi s ow n city, " b e i n g t h e c e n t er o f H i s g r a c i o us Operations. H e w a s b o rn i n B e t h l e h e m, b r ed i n N a z a r e t h, a n d w r o u g h t f r o m C a p e r n a u m. 2 . A n interior . I t w a s i n t h e c o u r t, o r h o l l ow s q u a r e, o f a no r i e n t al h o u s e, b u i lt r o u n d w i t h a p a r t m e n ts o n th e f o u r sides, h a v i n g t h e c o u rt r o o f ed b y a f r a il f a b r i c o fi n e x p e n s i ve m a t t i n g a n d p l a s t e r, e a s i ly b r o k en t h r o u gh a n d e a s i ly r e p a i r e d. T h e re t h e L o rd s a t a n d t a u g h t, a n d h e a l ed s u ch o f t h e m u l t i t u de a s could p e n e t r a te t h e j a m a th e e n t r a n c e. II . TH E DATE . "O na certai n day " ( L k. 5:17). T h e e x a ct d a t e i s l o n g f o r g o t b y o t h e r s, b u t will n e v e r b er a s ed f r o m t h e m e m o r y o f t h a t p a r d o n ed s i n n er w h o still s i n g s, "Oh , happ y day , tha t fixed m y choic e O nThee , m ySaviou r an dm yGod. " «1 .TH E DOCTOR' S OFFIC E HOURS . 1 . "I twa s noise d abroa d tha t H ewa s i n th ehouse. " W e h a v e seen t h e a n t e - r o o ms of t h e f a m o u s s p e c i a l i st c r o w d ed w i t h a w a i t i n g m u l t i t u d e, each f o r his t u r n. W e h a v e s e en w h e n t h e d o c t o r 's h o u r t oq u it h ad come, h o w h e slipped a w a y t h r o u gh a p r i v a te door. E v e n J e s u s w i t h d r e w f o r r e st a n d p r a y e r; t h e y t h a t s o u g h t could not find H i m (Mk. 1:37). S o i ti sw r i t t e n "Cal l o nth eLor d whil e H ei s near. " 2 . Bu tsai d another , "I >wil l eal l o nth eLor d a t al l time s (Ps. 34:1), a n d t h is i ar e a s o n- able, f o r t h e L o rd i s a l w a y s in ,a l w a y s "nig h unt o al ltha t cal l upo n Him , t oa l l t h a t call u p on H i m i ntruth " ( P s a. 145:18). W e s h o u ld a l w a y s "nois e I tabroad " t h a t H e i s i nthe: h o u s e. L e t t h e m u l t i t u de "gathe r together. " IV ."H E PREACHE D TH EWORD, " T h e W o r d i s a l w a y s t h e Grea t Physi - cian' s instrument . H e u s es i t i nd i a g n o s- i n g ( R om; 7:7, 8 ) ; i ns u r g i c al o p e r a t i o ns ( H e b. 4:12); a n d a s th em e d i c a m e nt a n d p a n a c ea ( P s a. 107:20). V . TH E HELPLES S PATIENT . "On e sic k o ith epalsy , born e o ffour. " T h e p o or m a n w a s, l i k e a l l p o or s i n n e r s, a b s o l u t e ly helpless. B u t h is m a l a d y p r o v ed his s a l v a t i o n. I t i sn o t l i k e ly t h a t h is tw o legs, h a d h e t h e u s e o f t h e m, w o u ld e v er hav e c a r r i ed h i m t o C h r i s t, b u t w h e n h e l o st h i s t w o legs, h e f o u n d eicrh t r e a dy t o b e ar h i m t o H i s S a v i o u r. A f f l i c t i o ns a r e o f t en " b l e s s i n gs i nd i s g u i s e ." VI .TH E HINDRANCES . t "Th e press. " T h e r e w a s a g r e a t m u l- t i t u d e; a "mixe d multitude, " P h a r i s e es a n d d o c t o rs o f t h e l a w, c a v i l l e r s; l a r g e - e y ed .and o p e n - e a r ed m a r v e l l e r s, a n d h u n g r y s e e k e rs o f s a l v a t i on l o n g i ng f o r t h e t o u ch of r e s t o r a t i o n. 2 .Ofte n th e"Christia n mass " crowd s ou th eneed y sinners » Som e
of the m m a y a t l a s t b e t u r n e d, a w a y f r o m glory's, d o o r s, w i t h o t h e r s, too l a te e a g er to g e t i n . L et t h e m r a t h e r n o w ge t ou t by t w o s a n d f o u r s t ob r i n g t h e p a r a l y - V i tics in. VII .TH E OVERCOMERS . X. "Th e faithfu l four" ; a l l h o n o r t o t h e m. T h e ir f a i t h w a s m a d e p e r f e ct t h r o u gh h i n d r a n c e s. T h ey w e r e a d v a n c ed In g r a c e b* t h e g r a c e l e ss o b s t r u c t o r s. 2 . Thei r earnestness . "The y sough t ho w 'the y migh t brin g hi m in " ( L k. :18). D e t e r m i n ed to g e t t h e m a n saved-, t h e y s et us a s h i n i ng e x a m p l e; t h a t w e m i g h t say, "Ho w shal l w e ge tthi sou l t o Christ? " "B ywha t mean s persuad e hii n t ocome? " "Wh o ca nSi " w ege tt ohelp? " a n d "Ho w many? " "I f tw owh o agree " ( Ma t t. 18:19} h a v e t h ex ) promise, n o w c an w e f a il w i t h 2 p l us 2 ? S . Thei i expedient . "The y uncovere d th e roof. " S o w h e r e t h e r e 's a will t h e r e 's a w a y. I n t h i s c a se a s t a i r w ay w i t h o ut t o t h e r o o f; a n d w h e r e t h e r e w a s n ow a y w i t h in — t h r o u gh t h e roof. I f y ou see n o w a y, tlnd one; i ft h e r e i sn ow a y, m a k e one. C ut a h o le i n t h e roof. W h a t i s a d a m a g ed roof b e s i de a d a m n ed s o u l? T h e y . one c an soon b e m e n d e d, t h e o t h er never. God u n r o o f ed t h e s k y ( Ma t t. 3:10; J n o. 3:3) t o let t h e S a v i o ur d o w n. 4. "Dow n be - - < for eJesus " ( L k. 5:19); n ot b e f o re s c r i be or ' h a r i s e e; t h e y a r e o f t e n h i n d e r e r s; • s t a n d i ng i n t h e w a y . T h e re i s o n ly "On e Nam egive n unde r heave n amon g me n whereb y w emus t b esaved " (Acta 4:12): T a k e y o ur case, o r y o u r p a t i e n t, d i r e ct t o Tesus. T h e re i s n o p r a y e r s o e l o q u e n t, n o b e g g a r s o s u r e o f a l m s b e t t er t h a n " s i l v er or gold," a s a h e l p l e ss s i n n er c a st a t t h e f e et o f J e s u s ! VIII .TH E PATIEN T CURED . 1 . "Jesu s sa w their faith. " The y were ,* i i s u p p o s e, u n c o n s c i o us o f h a v i n g f a i t h. They t h o u g h t n o t o ff a i t h, Bu t o f t h e ir u n h a p py c h a r g e a n d t h e A l m i g h ty H e l p e r. They s h o w ed t h e ir f a i t h b y t h e ir w o r k s ( J a s. 2:18). W e h a v e n o n e ed t os e e it , but t o s h o w i t .2 ,Jesu said , "Th y sin s ' b e forgive n t h e e ." J e s u s did' n o t n o t i ce t h e p a r a l y z ed b o d y, b u t t h e p a r a l y z ed soul. He g a v e t h e e s s e n t i al g r a c e first. T h e m a n s o u g h t h e a l i ng n ot p a r d o n. Men will t ry t ob e g o od t ob ewell. I f t o ld t h a t J t h e y m u s t c u l t i v a te t h e C h r i s t i an g r a c es f or t h e r e s t o r a t i on o f p h y s i c al s o u n d n e s s, t h e y will t r y h a r d t o " l o ok p l e a s a n t ." I t is n ot f o r g i v e n e ss o f sin t h a t t h e p e r v e rt T to " C h r i s t i an Science" i s a f t e r , b u t r e l e a se f r o m h i s t o o t h a c h e, a n d f o r t h e s a k e o f t h a t h e will d o w h a t t h e s t i n g o f c o n- M s c i e n ce could n e v er p e r s u a de h i m to. W e h a v e a m u l t i t u de o f C h r i s t i a n s, p s e u do C h r i s t i a n s, a n d a n t i - C h r i s t i a n s, t h e chief, t h e one, a r t i c le o f w h o s e r e l i g i o us c r e ed s e e ms t o be, " Ibeliev e i nphysica l health. " M a y God s e nd t h e m a s i c k n e ss t h a t will m a k e t h e m s e ek H i m indeed. T he o n ly p e r m a n e nt c u r e b e g i ns w i t h f o r g i v e n e ss o f 4 sins. W e t r u s t t h e p a r a l y t ic w e l c o m ed i t w i t h j o y f ul s u r p r i se a n d t h a n k e d God f o r t h e i n c i d e nt o f p a r a l y s is t h a t b r o u g h t it. - f " No w "th e hear t i sdeceitfu l abov e al lthings " ( J e r. 17:9), a n d b e f o o l ed the. scribes. B u t t h e ir r e a s o n i ng i nq u e s t i on w a s s o u nd e n o u g h. No ma n c an f o r g i ve a n o t h er m a n ' s d e b ts m u c h l e ss God's. God o n ly c a n f o r g i ve sins. B e t t er g e t s q u a r ed w i th H i m n o w. 2 .Thei r hearts ' decei t w a s i n r e j e c t i ng t h e o v e r w h e l m i ng p r o o fs t h a t J e s u s w a s b o th Lor dan dChrist . H e n o w ¡'"'Ive a n o t h er proof. I t i sa seas y t o sa y "Forgiven " a s IX .TH E SCORNFU L SCRIBES . 1 . Reasonin g i nthei r hearts.
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