y School
FEBRUARY IS, 1?47_
' By Dr. Paul
Caudill
At The Feast Of
John 0:1-12, 80-SS.
The coming of Jeans to the
Feast of T86ernaclei created in
tense excitement on the part of
the people concerning the Mes
siahship. * ^
The rulers -would have arrest
ed him, doubtlessly, had it not
been for the division of sentiment
in the Galilean multitude at the
Feast. The impressions of the
Jerusalem populace and the Ro
man officers varied greatly, and
besides there was the work of
Nloodemus: "Doth oar law Judge
a nfan, except it first hear from
himself and know what he do*
eth?" (John 7:51).
Following the Feast Jesus
greatly angered the Pharisees by
claiming to be the light of the
world (John 8:12-20), and later
on, the Pharisees attempted to
stone Jesus when he exposed
their sinfulness (John 8:21-59).
Sin and Suffering
Upon leaving the temple
8:69) Jesus;
disciples, came upoi
"blind from his bl
was common In the Ori?
Mark tells us of two cases (8r
23; 10:46) which were healed
by Jesus. In view of the prevail
ing Jewish notion that sickness
was invariably a penalty for sin,
the disciples questioned Jesus as
to who committed the sin the
man or his parents "that he
should be born blind/'
If the man were guilty of sin
it had to be pre-natal sin for the
simple reason that he was born
blind. This would have been, as
Dr. A. T. Robertson puts it, "a
curious notion surely." The other
alternative would lay the sin at
the door of the parents. After
all, did not the Beriptures teach
(Elxodus 20:6) that Jehovah God
is a Jealous God visiting the In
iquity of the fathers upon the
children, upon the third and
fourth generation of them that
hate him."'
No one would dispute the fact
that there Is much in heredity
.but Jesus makes it clear that he
redity is not everything. "Jesus
answered, Neither did this man
sin, nor his parents: but that the
works of God should be made
manifest in him" (John 9:3).
There is much comfort for
sufferers to be found here in the
words of Jesus. Denying both al
ternatives Jesus .plainly declares
that the man's suffering is to be
thought of as an avenue whereby
the mercies of the living God
might be more fully demonstrat-l
ed.
?, . ? . <w . -. v
Of course disease may be the
result of personal sin as in the
man in John 5:14, and it is pos
sible for parents so to live that
the scars of their sinB will be|
borne by the children of the third
and fourth generations.
On the other hand there are
cases free from blame like the
one of this lesson. Herein lies]
great comfort for sufferers.
Hie light of The World
"Whensoever I am in the
world, 1 am the light of the
world" (v. 5). When Jesus had
thus spoken, he spat on the
ground, made clay of the spittal |
and annointed the eyes of the I
man born blind with clay, and
said unto him, "Go, wash in the
pool of Siloam." The man did
as he was instructed and came j
seeing. . 1
The neighbors who had been |
acquainted with his past, know-1
ing that he had been a beggar,
w/fere surprised when they saw
him in his new stat^f-.'JIs not
this he who sat and begged?
others said, It is he: others said,
No, but he is like him." But the
man said, "I am he." ( |
Upon being asked how his eyes
were opened the man told the
story of how Jesus had made
clay, annointed his eyes and in
structed him to go to Siloam and
wash, and how, following the ex
perience, his eight was restored.
So far as we know there is no
record of healing of the blind in
the Old Testament, nor by the
apostles in the New Testament.
In recounting the signs that I
were to accompany the disciples
as they should go out in the namej
of Christ, Mark does not men
tion the healing of the blind
(Mark 16:18). The experience
of the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:17
f. is of course an exception from j
whatever angle it may be con
sidered. .
The restoration of sight to the I
blind was to be a sign of the
Messianic times: "Then the eyeej
of the blind shall be opened, and i
the ears of the deaf shall be un
stopped" (Isa. 35:5). See also]
Isaiah 29:18.
The Believer's Responsibility
In verse 4 Jesus associates usl
with him in the task that was
committed to him by the Father:
"We must work the works of him
that sent me, while it is day:
there cometh night when no man j
can work" (v. 4).
In the discussion of the char
acter of the office of the Chris
tian Jesus said, "Ye are the light
of the world. A city set on an
hill cannot be hid. Neither do |
men light a lamp, and put it
under the bushel, but on the
stand; and it shineth unto all
that are in the house. Even so, let
youT light shine before men; that
they may see your good works,]
and glorify your Father who is
in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).
While Jesus is the light of the
world we also are associated with ,
him in his world task. He is able
to work only through us who
know him and who have already
come to experience the glory of
his indwelling presence. Repeat
edly following the resurrection
and before the ascension he em
phasized the duty and responsi
bility of believors to go with the
message of salvation to all man
kind throughout the world. "The
field is the world," he said, and
we are to he witnesses even unto
death for the sake of the mes
sage. Jesus, did not say "I must
work the works of him that sent
me," but rather "we must work
the works of him that sent me." I
Jesus calls attention to the
urgency of the task. "Night is
coming on," he said. Night was
coming' for Jesus. (7:33), and
it is coming for eaoh of us. '
&
The ejection of the blind man
'ho had been healed from the
council of the Pharisees marked
the dawn of a new era in the
ife of man. "For the first time
the Lord offered Himself as the
ibject of faith and that in His
universal character in relation
to humanity as 'the Son of man'.
He had before caused men to fol
low Him: He had revealed Him
self, and accepted spontaneous
homage of believers: but now He
proposes a test of fellowship . . .
the blind who acknowledge their
blnldnees are enlightened: the
Beeing who are satisfied with
their sight are proved to b?
blind." (Westcott).
Jeeus heard that they had cast
him out; and having found them,
said, "Dist thou believe on th?
Bon of man? He answered and
said, And who is he, Lord, that
I may believe on him? Jesus said
unto him, Thou hast both seen
him, and he that talketh with
thee is he. And he said, I believe,
Lord. And he worshiped him."
One cannot help but wondei
what must have been th<
thoughts of the Pharisees in th<
light of the words of Jesus and
hie ministry to the man borx
blind. He had not only kneaded
clay on the Sabbath and applied
it to the eyes of the blind?there
by violating Jewish tradltioi
that had been held sacred foi
centuries;?'but had also demon
strated his power over disease
and bad declared himself to bf
a worthy object of faith. He hac
manifested living proof of hii
deity!
* ? o
WAC's NEEDED
BY U. S. ARMY
It was announced today bj
Sergeant Francis M. IDarcy, Com
mander of the U. S. Army Re
cruitlng Station in Lenoir, N. C.
that a special effort is to be made
to obtain twenty former mem
bers of the Women's Army Corpi
with a Military Occupational
Specialty 213, Stenographer, foi
assignment to the TJ. S. Forces
in the Eutopean Theatef.
Applications for reenlistment
can be made at the Lenoir Re
cruiting Station, which is located
In the Post Office Building. All
applications must be made be
fore 1 March 1947.
Smoker Pays $25 Fine
For Cigarette In Bed
Indianapollfc. ? John Macon, |
25, of Indianapolis, first person
charged -with violating a new city |
ordinance against smoking in
bed In a hotel, pleaded guilty
yesterday and was fined $26 and
costs.
Mason said he wonld pay the 1
hotel $46 for the damage done to 1
the bed on whclh he dropped a
cigarette while asleep early Sun
day.
The ordinance bans smoking in
hotel and hospital (beds and in
department stores.
t?o A
February 2-8 has been desig
nated as National Garden Plan-1
nlng Week by Secretary of Agrt-ij
culture, Clinton P. Anderson.
Forty-eeven states are now co
operating in a National Poultry
Improvement Plan to provide
more eggs per hen, eggs of bet
ter quality, and superior birds
tor the frying pan and oven.
The United States has suc
cessfully repealed eight invasions
of the dread hoof-and-mouth di
sease, one of the world's most
contagious and devastating lire
stock maladies.
CLEAN-UP SALE
OF ODD AND END LOTS
I'S SHOES
Large Rack
MESS SHOES
one price?
'1-M pr.
Special Table
PLAY SHOES
Limited quantity of Park
Fashion and Connie Casuals
?$5.00 values?
2-00 pr.
SAVE ON HOUSE SHOES!
. ?
Entire stock on sale. Good variety of
styles and sizes. Values to $4.98.
pick $! .00
at I pr.
COME EARLY FOR CHOICE
SELECTION
SPAINHOUR'S
Street Floor
Advertising Pays Dividends in Sales '
7H? POMY &CPKBSS
i
Immortalized in song and story
...it thunders to the screen with
all its greatness and glory I
MONDAY
and
TUESDAY
LIBERTY
who built it... fought for it.
loved for ?t . . . and
?
Starring
ELLIOTT VEM RALSTON
i
?at.
JEWELRY
REPAIR SERVICE
J? .
damtmg*4 f?w?lry for
mi ?|f? VVt ait lira
expcr? woncmonsmp, use
faect raplQcmnn( wote?
rtqk in aft IbbfcWl Mdk Hf
Ml WORK GUARANTEED
EXCELLENT SERVICE
Next Boor to Liberty Theatre
NORTH WILKESBORO, N. C
? Bendix has now overcome its production
bottleneck ? new Washers are now avail
able.
?Come in today and let us show you this
fine, fully-automatic Washer.
IT WASHES
IT RINSES THREE TIMES
IT DAMP DRIES
IT SHUTS ITSELF OFF
RHODES DAY
FURNITURE CO.
t "Always Outstanding Furniture Values"
'Phone 424 North Wilkesboro, N. C.
*T
"?tii - <
T.
A Product of General Mittrs
Here's our picture for '47!
We are proud to present for 1947, the finest car Poodac again offers two outstanding series in
Pontiac has ever produced. ten body types. The Streamliner is on the "122
In the new 1947 Pontiac, now in production, all inch wheelbase; the Torpedo on a 119-inch
of Pontiac's traditional quality, dependability, wheelbase. Each is available as a Six or an Eight,
stamina, trouble-free operation, ease of handling Millions of people have learned to expect an out*
and downright goodness have been retained. standing value from Pontiac . . . and the 1947
These qualities have made more than a million Pontiac fulfills their expectations in every way.
friends of more than a million Pontiac owners. The 1947 Pontiac is a fine ear made finer.
Added for 1947 are appearance changes to en- ? ? ?
hance Pontiac's beauty; mechanical improve- THE SOONER YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER
ments to uphold Pontiac's known reputation for for a new Pontiac, the earlier you will get it. So
depepdable and trouble-free performance. place your order now for future delivery.
Tune in HENRY J. TAYLOR en Hin air Met weakly
Features that Make PONTIAC a GREAT Car!
amiaranci? Distinctive Silver Streak Styling . . . eight cylinder engines, Full-Pressure Metered
IJiew massive and harmonious front end design. Flow Lubrication, Permanent Oil Cleaner.
eotWOtT-Big, roomy Body by Fisher, Triple- .cOMORtT-Scotch-Mist Quick Warm-up Manifold,
Cushioned Ride. Luxurious Interiors, Shock-Proof M c i r- UHOT"U""1U>
Knee-Action, Fisher No-Draft Ventilation, All- Gaselector, Vacuumatic Spark Control.
Weather Engine Temperature Control. SAHmr-Multi-seal Hydraulic . Brakes, Unisteel
npendability?Smooth, powerful L-Head six Body, Tru-Arc Safety Steering, Clear Vision.
PONTIAC,
.EC
Telephone 547 East Main Street Wilkesboro N. C.
r