35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

37. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

38. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

39. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

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indignation at the greed and foolishness of the sabbath-breakers who are determined to spoil God's nicest ' gift of rest and opportunity for worship." Anna Burnham Bryant.

"How to Enjoy Sunday." A Recipe for Fathers.

1. Stay at home Saturday night, and get acquainted with your family. Retire a little earlier than usual.

2. Get up early and help do the necessary work of the home. An honest division of labor helps to oil the wheels of the household, but a man who sits round reading the morning paper and letting his wife do all the work

66 3. If possible, make your plans to go to the Bible School. Go to church. Religion and worship are necessary to a full-grown life.

4. If you have a neighbor who does not go to church, invite him to go with you. If he faints away at your invitation, telephone to the head usher of this church and he will send an automobile for him.

5. Do not expect your wife to rush home from church and get you an extra good Sunday dinner. Let the Sunday meals demand a minimum of labor for housekeepers.

6. Keep some inspiring book on hand for Sunday reading. Write some letters to friends or to the boy or girl away from home.

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7. Ask some one who is not a Christian to confess Jesus as Saviour. How long have you been a Christian yourself without doing this?

"8. Get all you can out of the Sunday church services, either as a worker or a good listener and doer. Do not criticise the choir. You are not such a great singer yourself.

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9. Keep thanking God all day that you are well enough to work and good enough to keep out of jail.

10. Close the day with a song and a prayer after calling up the preacher and telling him you plan to follow his advice when you go to work to-morrow." From the Calendar of the First Congregationalist Church, Topeka, Kans., Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, Pastor.

SCENE IV. JESUS IN EARNEST PRAYER, Mk. 1: 35-39. Such a Sabbath as this was very wearing. Jesus needed the greatest rest from the weariness caused by so much overwork. How did he get it? In the morning, rising up a great while before day. It was not by longer hours of sleep that he found his needed rest. He rose earlier than usual, even. He went... into a solitary place, and there prayed. Here is the source of his rest. He felt he needed the companionship of his heavenly Father. The fountain of his human soul was filled with the wisdom and love of God. "If we truly enter into companionship with him, every need of our souls is fully met. Our whole lives are different when we consciously feel ourselves with him. How long he prayed we do not know, but it was long after the usual time for the people of the East to gather for their day's work, for (vs. 36, 37) Simon and others followed after him, apparently seeking him in all places round about, and when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. The crowds had again, apparently, gathered at the door, and were expecting him to heal as he had the evening before. Jesus, however, seems not to have returned at once to the city. He had won his rest, and was prepared for more work. Other towns besides Capernaum needed him, for therefore came I forth, as he said (v. 38).

39. So he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, the same Good News he had preached in the city of Capernaum. This was the best place for reaching the people, for it was their natural gathering place. Also nearly all that the people learned about their religion was learned in the synagogue, for copies of the Scriptures

were rare and expensive. And cast out devils. These miracles are named by Mark as those which showed the greatest power, and best illustrated the work of the Gospel as opposed to the kingdom of evil. Matthew tells us that Jesus "healed all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people." With him, learning from him, and becoming better men in the process, went, without doubt, the four disciples, as is indicated in verse 38 by the phrase

"Let us go."

LESSON IV. - October 26.

A LESSON IN TRUST.-Matt. 14:22-33.

GOLDEN TEXT. — I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

MARK 9:24.

Additional Material for Teachers: Mark 5: 22-24, 35-43; Luke 7: 18-23.
Primary Topic: HELP IN A STORM.

Memory Verse: Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I ;
be not afraid. Matt. 14: 27.

Junior Topic: JESUS COMES TO THE HELP OF HIS DISCIPLES.

Memory Verses: Matt. 14: 30, 31.

Intermediate Topic: HELP when most Needed.

Senior and Adult Topic: AN EVER-PRESENT Helper.

THE TEACHER AND HIS CLASS.

Introduce the lesson to the class by the fact that most persons who live near the seashore or by a river or lake are very fond of the water and delight in sailing or swimming and in feats of daring. Peter, in whose boat probably the disciples were crossing the lake, had almost lived on the water since he was a boy. His business was fishing, and in this very lake. John, also, and some at least of the other disciples were fishermen, and accustomed to take out their boats in every sort of weather when it was possible for a boat to live.

Approaching the lesson from this point of view gives a clearer idea of the peril and the difficulty of the situation; for these hardy men would not have been easily frightened, and besides, they knew how to take advantage of every possibility which would enable them to reach their destination.

A relief map of Palestine will be of great help, as showing how the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills, from which sudden gusts and gales often descend upon the unwary sailors in the lake.

saida, to which place, probably, they were bound.

THE ROUND TABLE.

FOR RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION.
The feeding of the 5000.

Why did Jesus send the disciples away without him?
Why did Jesus spend the night in prayer?
The Sea of Galilee and its storms.
Trace the voyage of the disciples.
The power of Jesus over nature.
Contrary winds, in life.
Peter's experience in walking on the water.
Influence of this experience on Peter's later life.
Be of good cheer, it is I.
The voyage of life.

PLAN OF THE LESSON.
Jesus Bringing Help in

SUBJECT:

Trouble.

Place. The northeastern part of the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were crossing the lake from the plain of Butaiha Master." on the eastern shore southwest of Beth- Bar."

"Our

I. THE HISTORICAL SITUATION. It was nearly a year after our last lesson that this incident occurred. Many events had happened between to give the disciples thorough confidence in Jesus as their Master and the Messiah. The twelve apostles had been chosen from among the number of his followers to be his close attendants and friends; the Sermon on the Mount, "the Charter of Christ's Kingdom," had been preached; the centurion's servant and the wild demoniac of Gadara had been cured; the widow's son at Nain and the ruler's daughter at Capernaum had been raised from the dead; the "parables of the kingdom" (Matt. 13, etc.) had been spoken, as well as many other teachings and warnings.

John the Baptist in his faraway prison had felt the stir, and had sent some of his disciples to learn if this was in very truth the Messiah for whom he himself had been preparing the way.

During all this time Peter and John had been learning of Jesus, and while there has been little mention of them, in distinction from the other disciples, we infer something of their progress in Christ's school from the fact that they alone, with James the brother of John, were allowed by Jesus to be present at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5 : 37).

At some time during the winter of A.D. 29 the twelve apostles were sent by Jesus on their first preaching tour, among the cities and towns of Galilee. In March of the same year, John the Baptist was put to death in his prison by Herod at the instigation of Herodias.

The disciples returned from their tour to Capernaum, or its vicinity," and told him," Jesus," all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught," for him to review, and correct and confirm.

Then, like a flash of lightning, came the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded in his prison. It must have caused a great excitement and commotion among the people at this crisis. John's" extraordinary influence over the people, and the wild hopes raised among certain classes by his preaching," might be transferred to Jesus, and attempt made to force Jesus to fill out their programme of revolt.

For two reasons, therefore, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert [uninhabited] place, and rest a while." (Mark 6: 31.) Matthew (1413) gives the retirement as caused by the death of John, and the danger to Jesus' work if he remained in Herod's dominions. Mark (v. 31) speaks of the summons to rest as the result of the return of the disciples from their tour; their need of rest after their new responsibilities, and desire to talk their experiences over with their Master. How long they remained in quiet retirement on the hill overlooking the plain of Butaiha we cannot know, but it was probably for some time. The people, who had seen in what direction they had gone, had been gradually gathering, and when Jesus at last came out from his quiet retreat he found " a great multitude" needing help. The teaching and healing of the multitudes continued until evening, at which time Jesus fed the people, 5000 men, beside women and children (Matt. 14 21), with the five loaves and two fishes.

:

This miracle he wrought was one of the quietest and most unobtrusive of his miracles, but yet was one of the greatest of all. Only a few would be aware of its greatness at first, but the facts would soon spread throughout the multitudes.

He had already healed their sick, and taught them with words of divine power about the kingdom of God, and they were sure that he must be the expected Messiah, the king of the Jews (John 6: 14, 15). "Who so fit to be their king as he who could banish want and labor from their borders, and revive the good old times when their fathers were fed with bread from heaven?" Kitto. Who so worthy to be their leader and to redeem them from the power of their enemies, and be a victorious king of a triumphant nation, as he who could feed armies by his word, and heal the wounded

22. And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

by a touch, and had in himself divine wisdom and power? Therefore they attempted to make him king by force. They would place him at the head of the Jewish kingdom, and march in triumph toward Jerusalem, arousing the whole country as they went, to make him a temporal king, outshining Solomon in glory in their royal city of Jerusalem.

The Temptation. In this effort of the people to make him their Messiah King the temptation of Satan in the wilderness was renewed with surpassing power. Jesus had failed to make the mass, or the leaders, of the Jews recognize him as the Messiah. Now seemed to come his opportunity. The vision of "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them," possibly a vision of the future with its glorious civilization, with its redeemed peoples, fulfilling all that the prophets foretold of the new heavens and the new earth, was spread out before his eyes.

But it would mean a real failure, if he were to yield. Christ would have given up his spiritual kingdom for a temporal; his spiritual power of love, for armies and palaces and outward honors; the conversion of the world for the ruling of the world. The real salvation of the world, the real kingdom of God, the will of God done on earth as in heaven, would all have been swept away, and with these would necessarily have gone all the best things even of this world.

II. JESUS SPENDS THE NIGHT IN PRAYER, Matt. 14:22, 23. Jesus constrained his disciples. "Not by outward compulsion, but by urgency of command." Meyer. "The reason why Jesus dismissed his disciples was probably their sympathy with the enthusiasm of the people." --Lange. They seemed extremely reluctant to go, for they had to be constrained, compelled against their will, for (1) this thwarted their hopes of seeing Jesus made king. (2) They would not like to go away alone at night. (3) They did not like to leave their Teacher alone, as if they were forsaking him.

Jesus had been all day under a severe bodily and mental strain, preaching, healing, teaching his disciples, feeding the great crowd of hungry people. He needed rest in his weariness. He needed even more communion with God. He needed, even as we, to" refresh a wasted strength by draughts from the celestial springs; and as Antæus, in his wrestling, recovered himself as he touched the ground, so we find Jesus, in the great crises of his life, falling back upon heaven." · H. Burton.

Especially did he need strength to overcome this renewal of one of his greatest temptations, to obtain a worldly kingdom, and greatness and honor, with ease and plenty and immediate success, instead of a spiritual kingdom and the salvation of men by the hard and slow way of self-denial and the cross. He must gain the victory, and he needed the help and comfort of his Father in Heaven.

Jesus, therefore, when he had sent the multitudes away, went up into a mountain apart to pray. This season of prayer alone with God began in the evening after sunset; how long it lasted we do not know, but he did not come to his disciples till the fourth watch (v. 25), or between 3 and 6 o'clock in the morning.

III. CONTRARY WINDS. THE DISCIPLES IN A STORM, vs. 24-27. The disciples were in their boat rowing, instead of using their sails, on account of the head winds. "We infer that he sent them to Bethsaida, which was not far off (Luke 9: 10), at the mouth of the Jordan, directing them to await him there, so that they would cross together to Capernaum on the opposite shore, which they actually did after the miracle. This accords best with all the details as given by the three evangelists.' Schaff in Rev. Com. Bethsaida would be a safe and quiet harbor where they could wait among friends till Jesus came to them from his hour of prayer, and could proceed with them to Capernaum.

So probably the plan of the disciples was to go " from the south end of the plain of Butaiha, on the eastern side, to the north end toward Bethsaida Julias, the rendezvous for the night. In that case the contrary wind which overtook the disciples would be the prevailing wind from the northeast, driving them in an opposite direction away from Bethsaida toward the western shore." Expositor's Greek Testament.

"And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them " (John) for " he was alone on the land" (Mark), on the mountain side whence he saw them toiling in rowing"

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24. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

(Mark). The Greek word for "toiling " is very forcible, and gives a picturesqueness to the account of the storm. It means, literally, "tortured by the waves.' The corresponding noun, basanos, is translated "torments" in Matt. 4: 24. It was "the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced to divulge the truth." It" originally meant the 'Lydian stone' or touchstone, on which pure gold when rubbed leaves a peculiar mark. Hence naturally a test, then a test or trial by torture. Thus the idea of test gradually passes entirely out of basanos, leaving merely the idea of suffering or torture." - M. R. Vincent, in Word Studies in the New Testament.

23. For the wind was contrary. From any point on the eastern shore the disciples would require to steer northward in order to reach Bethsaida. A contrary wind, therefore, would be one blowing from the north or northeast, and would drive them back far into the sea. The fact that in several hours they had made only about three miles (John 6: 19) shows the power of these contrary winds, for several of the disciples were experienced seamen on this lake, well known for its sudden storms; and they could make their way if any one could.

The Sea of Galilee and the region around it lie in a trench 680 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. "The sun beats into it with unmitigated ardor. The atmosphere, for the most part, hangs still and heavy, but the cold currents, as they pass from the west, are sucked down in vortices of air, or by the narrow gorges that break upon the lake. Then arise those sudden storms for which the region is notorious." George Adam Smith.

The sea was writhing like a man in agony.

"The winds like demons scream and rave!
The sheeted foam blends wave with wave!"

The storm drove the disciples out of their course into the midst of the sea, and it was while they were rowing back, against the wind, toward Bethsaida, where our Lord had promised to meet them, that he came out upon the waves for that purpose." 25. In the fourth watch of the night, between 3 and 6 o'clock in the morning, toward dawn, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. He would be visible in the dim light of the dawn, long before his form could be recognized even as that of a human being, and it was not strange that after the night of work and worry the disciples thought It is a spirit, nor that they cried out for fear.

A Spirit. The word in the Greek is not the usual one for "spirit." It was rather an apparition, a ghost, a phantom, a spectre, and hence to them a sign of disaster or death. "He would appear to them first like a dark moving speck upon the waters; then as a human figure." He may have been magnified in the dimness of early dawn, as often happens in a mist or a mirage.

Illustration. Recall the striking phenomenon of the Specter of the Brocken, which takes the form of a human figure. The spectator is surprised to observe his own motions and gestures mimicked. It is really a dilated reflection of himself, exhibiting gigantic proportions.

Mark says (v. 48) that Jesus" would have passed by them." Jesus would wish his disciples to recognize him. He would wish them to understand distinctly what he was doing, and what he had done, and what it was in his power to do. He would wish to pass onward by their side, and in their view, till it should be the very best moment to turn and give them relief." Morison.

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But note that both Mark and Matthew say that when they saw him, and were troubled, and cried out for fear, " straightway,' immediately," Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. He did not leave them in their fear, he comforted them at once. "It must have been with a radiant smile that Jesus said, 'Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.'"