The Story

Watch me now and see how soon you can tell what I am drawing? An ear? An oyster shell? No, the Sea of Galilee. People long ago thought it looked like a musical instrument that they used, and that was the reason of its old name, Chinneroth or Gennesaret. (Kinnor, a lute.) What is this river? What towns shall I put down near the shore? I wish we could walk along the shore at the northwestern part of the sea where the meadow of Gennesaret comes to the water, with just a little beach of shells and sand between. We would look out over the blue lake and see a white sail or two between us and the farther shore. Once there were many fishing boats sailing or lying near the beach. Turning about we should see the meadows now grown up with tall thistles, but once cultivated and filled with rich gardens and orchards. Beyond the meadow is the line of rocky hills which keep off the cold wind. At the northern corner of the plain, where the cliff comes down to the water, we believe that Capernaum stood, where the Lord made His home after He left Nazareth.

He walked along this same shore, and saw the water, the meadow, the hills; but there were many people then where it is lonely now, farmers in the fields, traders passing with loaded camels and stopping at the custom house to pay taxes, fishermen fishing from the shore or washing or mending nets on the beach or in the boats as they lay at anchor. The boats had three-cornered sails, one side fastened to a yard which was drawn to the top of the mast, the opposite corner made fast to the boat. One boat belonged to Simon and Andrew, and another boat near by belonged to James and John and their father Zebedee. Had either of these men ever seen the Lord? Some at least had seen Him at the Jordan where John baptized, and they had been with Him at Cana and in Judea and at Jacob's well. The time had now come for them to leave their boats and nets and to go with Him and be His faithful disciples. He had come to call them. Instead of drawing up the fishes from the natural water they would help to lift people from merely worldly pleasures and cares into a heavenly state. But first He gave them a sign that His power would be with them to make their work succeed. Read verses 1-11. Not long after, the Lord walked again by the sea, and called Matthew to be a disciple. He was a collector of taxes, one of the publicans who were despised and hated by the Jews. Read verses 27-32.

Every day of the Lord's life was full of kindness, and the Gospels tell us only a few of His works of mercy. (John 20:30; 21:25) Do you know what leprosy was? A disease chiefly of the skin. It made the skin dead, either white or discolored, and it sometimes broke out in sores. It was called very unclean in the Jewish law, so that the lepers had to live away from other people and cry "Unclean!" to warn people away when they saw them coming. (Leviticus 13:38-46) Most people would not go near a leper, but the Lord put forth His hand and touched the leper and made him clean. The law said that one who was healed of leprosy should make a grateful offering to the Lord. (Leviticus 14:4, 10, 21, 22) The leper who was healed by the Lord's hand ought to make the same grateful offering. Read verses 12-16.

The Lord was in Capernaum, which was now His home. The multitude crowded into the courtyard of the house and about the doorway which led from the street. We think of the people looking up, perhaps to a balcony above the court, where the Lord was standing teaching, with

Pharisees and others sitting by Him listening. Some kind of light thatch was over the balcony to protect it from the sun, projecting from the flat, earthen roof which covered the house. There were people in the town who were very anxious to come to the Lord, for they had a friend sick with palsy or paralysis, who could not move. They knew that the Lord could heal him, and they came, four of them carrying the mat or light couch on which he lay.^. But the crowd was about the door. They roof, perhaps by outside stairs, and uncovering the thatch they let the sick man down before the Lord. All the people were watching - and what did they see? Read verses 17-26.

1. At what other time was the disciples' net filled with fishes by the Sea of Galilee? Which of the Lord's disciples were fishermen?

2. Who was Matthew? Why do we remember his name so well? By what other name was he called?

3. What was leprosy? How were lepers treated? How did the Lord once treat a leper?

4. What is palsy? How was one sick of the palsy once brought to the Lord? What did the Lord say and do?

The sea in contrast with the upper air and sunshine represents the atmosphere of natural thoughts and interests. Fishes represent affections for natural things, especially for natural knowledge. One is a spiritual fisherman who lifts men up to higher interests; also one who loves to see in natural knowledge Divine and heavenly meaning, and who uses every natural experience in a way to contribute to heavenly life. (A. 3309, 10582; E. 513, 600; R. 405)

What is it spiritually to toil all night and catch nothing? (Verse 5; A. 10134) What is it to pray in the wilderness? (Verse 16)

The men who were called to be the Lord's disciples represent several elements in the church and in Christian character. Peter represents faith in the Lord, and his brother Andrew obedience to what is right; both belong to the understanding. The companions of the understanding are the will and its loves. These are represented by the men in the other boat, partners with Simon. John represents the deepest love for the Lord, and James love for the neighbor. The Lord needs all of these. (A. Preface to Genesis 18; R. 768, 879; E. 821) Must we leave our homes and business to follow the Lord, or how ought we to forsake all for His sake?

Do you remember the healing of a leper described in the Old Testament? The disease was so unclean in the law because it represents a state of life that is very unheavenly. The skin represents the outmost things of conduct. These should be a true and living expression of heavenly affection in the heart, but if one is a hypocrite the skin is dead. This and other kinds of profanation, or mingling of good and evil, are represented by leprosy. The Lord heals our leprosy when He helps us to make our life good and beautiful, a genuine expression of a heavenly affection within. (A. 6963; P. 231; E. 475)

The words which the Lord spoke to the man sick of the palsy teach very plainly that He did the miracles of physical healing to show us His power to make our spirits strong: "That ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins." The helpless state of this man sick of the palsy represents the helplessness which one is in when he knows that he has done wrong and thinks that he cannot be forgiven, that it is too late to begin again and do better. But it is never too late to make a new beginning with the Lord's help - never so long as we live on earth. The Lord thought of us too and our discouragements when He said, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matthew 9:2) "Arise, ... go into thine house" - to the useful life intended for us here and to the home in heaven.

The Lord was in many ways setting aside the requirements of the Pharisees, for new garments and new bottles of Christian life and worship were needed to contain the Christian spirit. (A. 9212; T. 784)

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