the desire of ages-第53部分

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ned　to　bless　those　who　came　not。　While　He　drew　the　publicans；　the　heathen；　and　the　Samaritans；　He　longed　to　reach　the　priests　and　teachers　who　were　shut　in　by　prejudice　and　tradition。　He　left　untried　no　means　by　which　they　might　be　reached。　In　sending　the　healed　leper　to　the　priests；　He　gave　them　a　testimony　calculated　to　disarm　their　prejudices。

The　Pharisees　had　asserted　that　Christ's　teaching　was　opposed　to　the　law　which　God　had　given　through　Moses；　but　His　direction　to　the　cleansed　leper　to　present　an　offering　according　to　the　law　disproved　this　charge。　It　was　sufficient　testimony　for　all　who　were　willing　to　be　convinced。

The　leaders　at　Jerusalem　had　sent　out　spies　to　find　some　pretext　for　putting　Christ　to　death。　He　responded　by　giving　them　an　evidence　of　His　love　for　humanity；　His　respect　for　the　law；　and　His　power　to　deliver　from　sin　and　death。　Thus　He　bore　witness　of　them：　〃They　have　rewarded　Me　evil　for　good；　and　hatred　for　My　love。〃　Ps。　109：5。　He　who　on　the　mount　gave　the　precept；　〃Love　your　enemies；〃　Himself　exemplified　the　principle；　not　rendering　〃evil　for　evil；　or　railing　for　railing：　but　contrariwise　blessing。〃　Matt。　5：44；　1　Peter　3：9。

The　same　priests　who　condemned　the　leper　to　banishment　certified　his　cure。　This　sentence；　publicly　pronounced　and　registered；　was　a　standing　testimony　for　Christ。　And　as　the　healed　man　was　reinstated　in　the　congregation　of　Israel；　upon　the　priests'　own　assurance　that　there

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was　not　a　taint　of　the　disease　upon　him；　he　himself　was　a　living　witness　for　his　Benefactor。　Joyfully　he　presented　his　offering；　and　magnified　the　name　of　Jesus。　The　priests　were　convinced　of　the　divine　power　of　the　Saviour。　Opportunity　was　granted　them　to　know　the　truth　and　to　be　profited　by　the　light。　Rejected；　it　would　pass　away；　never　to　return。　By　many　the　light　was　rejected；　yet　it　was　not　given　in　vain。　Many　hearts　were　moved　that　for　a　time　made　no　sign。　During　the　Saviour's　life；　His　mission　seemed　to　call　forth　little　response　of　love　from　the　priests　and　teachers；　but　after　His　ascension　〃a　great　company　of　the　priests　were　obedient　to　the　faith。〃　Acts　6：7。

The　work　of　Christ　in　cleansing　the　leper　from　his　terrible　disease　is　an　illustration　of　His　work　in　cleansing　the　soul　from　sin。　The　man　who　came　to　Jesus　was　〃full　of　leprosy。〃　Its　deadly　poison　permeated　his　whole　body。　The　disciples　sought　to　prevent　their　Master　from　touching　him；　for　he　who　touched　a　leper　became　himself　unclean。　But　in　laying　His　hand　upon　the　leper；　Jesus　received　no　defilement。　His　touch　imparted　life…giving　power。　The　leprosy　was　cleansed。　Thus　it　is　with　the　leprosy　of　sin；deep…rooted；　deadly；　and　impossible　to　be　cleansed　by　human　power。　〃The　whole　head　is　sick；　and　the　whole　heart　faint。　From　the　sole　of　the　foot　even　unto　the　head　there　is　no　soundness　in　it；　but　wounds；　and　bruises；　and　putrefying　sores。〃　Isa。　1：5；　6。　But　Jesus；　coming　to　dwell　in　humanity；　receives　no　pollution。　His　presence　has　healing　virtue　for　the　sinner。　Whoever　will　fall　at　His　feet；　saying　in　faith；　〃Lord；　if　Thou　wilt；　Thou　canst　make　me　clean；〃　shall　hear　the　answer；　〃I　will；　be　thou　made　clean。〃　Matt。　8：2；　3；　R。　V。

In　some　instances　of　healing；　Jesus　did　not　at　once　grant　the　blessing　sought。　But　in　the　case　of　leprosy；　no　sooner　was　the　appeal　made　than　it　was　granted。　When　we　pray　for　earthly　blessings；　the　answer　to　our　prayer　may　be　delayed；　or　God　may　give　us　something　other　than　we　ask；　but　not　so　when　we　ask　for　deliverance　from　sin。　It　is　His　will　to　cleanse　us　from　sin；　to　make　us　His　children；　and　to　enable　us　to　live　a　holy　life。　Christ　〃gave　Himself　for　our　sins；　that　He　might　deliver　us　from　this　present　evil　world；　according　to　the　will　of　God　and　our　Father。〃　Gal。　1：4。　And　〃this　is　the　confidence　that　we　have　in　Him；　that；　if　we　ask　anything　according　to　His　will；　He　heareth　us：　and　if　we　know　that　He　hear　us；　whatsoever　we　ask；　we　know　that　we　have　the　petitions　that　we　desired　of　Him。〃　1　John　5：14；　15。　〃If　we　confess　our　sins；　He　is　faithful　and　just　to　forgive　us　our　sins；　and　to　cleanse　us　from　all　unrighteousness。〃　1　John　1：9。

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In　the　healing　of　the　paralytic　at　Capernaum；　Christ　again　taught　the　same　truth。　It　was　to　manifest　His　power　to　forgive　sins　that　the　miracle　was　performed。　And　the　healing　of　the　paralytic　also　illustrates　other　precious　truths。　It　is　full　of　hope　and　encouragement；　and　from　its　connection　with　the　caviling　Pharisees　it　has　a　lesson　of　warning　as　well。

Like　the　leper；　this　paralytic　had　lost　all　hope　of　recovery。　His　disease　was　the　result　of　a　life　of　sin；　and　his　sufferings　were　embittered　by　remorse。　He　had　long　before　appealed　to　the　Pharisees　and　doctors；　hoping　for　relief　from　mental　suffering　and　physical　pain。　But　they　coldly　pronounced　him　incurable；　and　abandoned　him　to　the　wrath　of　God。　The　Pharisees　regarded　affliction　as　an　evidence　of　divine　displeasure；　and　they　held　themselves　aloof　from　the　sick　and　the　needy。　Yet　often　these　very　ones　who　exalted　themselves　as　holy　were　more　guilty　than　the　sufferers　they　condemned。

The　palsied　man　was　entirely　helpless；　and；　seeing　no　prospect　of　aid　from　any　quarter；　he　had　sunk　into　despair。　Then　he　heard　of　the　wonderful　works　of　Jesus。　He　was　told　that　others　as　sinful　and　helpless　as　he　had　been　healed；　even　lepers　had　been　cleansed。　And　the　friends　who　reported　these　things　encouraged　him　to　believe　that　he　too　might　be　cured　if　he　could　be　carried　to　Jesus。　But　his　hope　fell　when　he　remembered　how　the　disease　had　been　brought　upon　him。　He　feared　that　the　pure　Physician　would　not　tolerate　him　in　His　presence。

Yet　it　was　not　physical　restoration　he　desired　so　much　as　relief　from　the　burden　of　sin。　If　he　could　see　Jesus；　and　receive　the　assurance　of　forgiveness　and　peace　with　Heaven；　he　would　be　content　to　live　or　die；　according　to　God's　will。　The　cry　of　the　dying　man　was；　Oh　that　I　might　come　into　His　presence！　There　was　no　time　to　lose；　already　his　wasted　flesh　was　showing　signs　of　decay。　He　besought　his　friends　to　carry　him　on　his　bed　to　Jesus；　and　this　they　gladly　undertook　to　do。　But　so　dense　was　the　crowd　that　had　assembled　in　and　about　the　house　where　the　Saviour　was；　that　it　was　impossible　for　the　sick　man　and　his　friends　to　reach　Him；　or　even　to　come　within　hearing　of　His　voice。

Jesus　was　teaching　in　the　house　of　Peter。　According　to　their　custom；　His　disciples　sat　close　about　Him；　and　〃there　were　Pharisees　and　doctors　of　the　law　sitting　by；　which　were　come　out　of　every　town　of　Galilee；　and　Judea；　and　Jerusalem。〃　These　had　come　as　spies；　seeking　an　accusation　against　Jesus。　Outside　of　these　officials　thronged　the　promiscuous　multitude；　the　eager；　the　reverent；　the　curious；　and　the　unbelieving。　Different

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nationalities　and　all　grades　of　society　were　represented。　〃And　the　power　of　the　Lord　was　present　to　heal。〃　The　Spirit　of　life　brooded　over　the　assembly；　but　Pharisees　and　doctors　did　not　discern　its　presence。　They　felt　no　sense　of　need；　and　the　healing　was　not　for　them。　〃He　hath　filled　the　hungry　with　good　things；　and　the　rich　He　hath　sent　empty　away。〃　Luke　1：53。

Again　and　again　the　bearers　of　the　paralytic　tried　to　push　their　way　through　the　crowd；　but　in　vain。　The　sick　man　looked　about　him　in　unutterable　anguish。　When　the　longed…for　help　was　so　near；　how　could　he　relinquish　hope？　At　his　suggestion　his　friends　bore　him　to　the　top　of　the　house　and；　breaking　up　the　roof；　let　him　down　at　the　feet　of　Jesus。　The　discourse　was　interrupted。　The　Saviour　looked　upon　the　mournful　countenance；　and　saw　the　pleading　eyes　fixed　upon　Him。　He　understood　the　case；　He　had　drawn　to　Himself　that　perplexed　and　doubting　spirit。　While　the　paralytic　was　yet　at　home；　the　Saviour　had　brought　conviction　to　his　conscience。　When　he　repented　of　his　sins；　and　believed　in　the　power　of　Jesus　to　make　him　whole；　the　life…giving　mercies　of　the　Saviour　had　first　blessed　his　longing　heart。　Jesus　had　watched　the　first　glimmer　of　faith　grow　into　a　belief　that　He　was　the　sinner's　only　helper；　and　had　seen　it　grow　stronger　with　every　effort　to　come　into　His　presence。

Now；　in　words　that　fell　like　music　on　the　sufferer's　ear；　the　Saviour　said；　〃Son；　be　of　good　cheer；　thy　sins　be　forgiven　thee。〃

The　burden　of　despair　rolls　from　the　sick　man's　soul；　the　peace　of　forgiveness　rests　upon　his　spirit；　and　shines　out　upon　his　countenance。　His　physical　pain　is　gone；　and　his　whole　being　is　transformed。　The　helpless　paralytic　is　healed！　the　guilty　sinner　is　pardoned！

In　simple　faith　he　accepted　the　words　of　Jesus　as　the　boon　of　new　life。　He　urged　no　further　request；　but　lay　in　blissful　silence；　too　happy　for　words。　The　light　of　heaven　irradiated　his　countenance；　and　the　people　looked　with　awe　upon　the　scene。

The　rabbis　had　waited　anxiously　to　see　what　disposition　Christ　would　make　of　this　case。　They　recollected　how　the　man　had　appealed　to　them　for　help；　and　they　had　refused　him　hope　or　sympathy。　Not　satisfied　with　this；　they　had　declared　that　he　was　suffering　the　curse　of　God　for　his　sins。　These　things　came　fresh　to　their　minds　when　they　saw　the　sick　man　before　them。　They　marked　the　interest　with　which　all　were　watching　the　scene；　and　they　felt　a　terribl