21   And they go into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.
      22   And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.
      23.   And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
      24   saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
      25   And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
      26   And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
      27   And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
      28   And the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about.
      29.   And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
      30   Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell him of her:
      31   and he came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
      32   And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were sick, and them that were possessed with demons.
      33   And all the city was gathered together at the door.
      34   And he healed many that were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many demons; and he suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Questions and Brief Comments.

Verse 21. What city is here mentioned? Find it on map. (See west shore of Galilee). Capernaum now becomes Jesus' headquarters--"his own city." Matt. 4:12-16 shows when this was and what prophecy was so fulfilled. Capernaum, much favored, failed to make good use of her light. Matt. 11:23.

Verse 22. What was there about Christ's teaching that astonished His hearers? By what authority did Jesus speak? John 12:49, 50.

Verses 23-26. How was this man afflicted? Did the unclean spirit know who Jesus was? Did he know that Jesus had power and authority to destroy him and all his kind? Comp. Mark 5:7, 10. Did Jesus accept testimony from that source? See v. 34. Did the unclean spirit have to obey Christ's word of command?

Verses 27, 28. What was it that so specially amazed the people? What was the result of this miracle?

Verses 29-31. Who are the four disciples (two pairs of brothers) here mentioned? In what city did Andrew and Simon live? (v. 21). Their home originally was Bethsaida. John 1:44. Was Simon Peter a married man? (1 Cor. 9:5). How was the condition of Simon's mother-in-law brought to Jesus' attention? Can we do a similar thing today? What did the Lord Jesus do for her? Did she "minister" in order to get healed, or did she minister because the Lord Jesus had healed her and made her able?

Verses 32-34. Why did they wait till sunset? (It was Sabbath. Verse 21). After sunset, the Sabbath being then over, they could lawfully carry burdens. But see Matt. 12:11, 12. Why

NOTES AND TEACHING POINTS.

WHEN JESUS MOVED TO CAPERNAUM.

      This was in our Lord's earliest ministry. After His baptism came the Temptation; and after that He "returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee," and came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. There they rejected Him and made an attempt on His life. So He moved on to Capernaum. (Luke 4:14-41). (Locate Nazareth and Capernaum on the map.) There the Lord Jesus established new headquarters. Henceforth Capernaum became known as "His own city." (Matt. 9:1, 2. compared with Mark 2:1, 2). This was a very great privilege for Capernaum. A "great light" had come among them. (Matt. 4:12-17). Light is a blessing when taken advantage of; but if rejected it brings a heavier condemnation. That Capernaum did not appreciate the Light was manifest in the fact that they repented not. Read and think over Matt. 11:20-24.

"JESUS AND THE SICK."

      The Lord Jesus showed forth the compassion and the power of God by His healing of the sick. No appeal for help was ever refused; and no affliction was ever too great or too incurable for Him to heal. His power was a unlimited as His goodness and love. It is the same today.

      However, the Lord did not come merely to patch up our present bodies. What he did in that line was chiefly for a sign, for credentials of His missions (John 20:30, 31) and also to indicate what He could and would do for men in their spiritual being. For all bodily diseases portray in a general way the various forms of a man's spiritual ruin. Fever, paralysis, blindness, leprosy, have their spiritual meaning and counterpart; not necessarily in the individual who is so afflicted, but in the condition of human souls. It was the great work of Jesus Christ to save men from their sins. His redemption of us means in the end a new body also and a new life, free from all disease, and incomparably superior to our present bodies and mortal existence. (Rom. 8:24; Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:42-54).

CASTING OUT DEMONS.

      Demon-possession was a peculiar affliction, distinguished from insanity and epilepsy, yet often having the symptoms of both. The same sort of phenomenon is still me with in China, Korea, Japan, India, and other heathen countries along the firing-line of the gospel. The Lord Jesus did not speak of it or deal with it as though it were an imaginary trouble, or a mere superstition. But before His word of authority the demons had to depart and the afflicted human beings were restored to sound mind. The demons (evil spirits) knew Jesus, and seemed eager to tell out who and what He was, but He would not receive testimony from them. Satan-possessed people cam speak much truth; but nothing is to be accepted from such a source. (Acts 16:16-18). The tests by which evil spirits were discerned in Christian assemblies are given in 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 John 2:22 and 4:1-6. Also 2 John 7.

QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS.

1. What are we studying this quarter?
2. From which of the four gospels?
3. What was last week's lesson about?
4. What has happened since then? (Mark 1:12-20).
5. What is the title of this lesson?
6. What is the Golden Text?
7. Where was Jesus at this time?
8. What was the first thing He did in Capernaum?
9. What did he do in the synagogue?
10. Why were the people astonished?
11. To whose home did Jesus then go?
12. What blessing did He bring to that home?
13. Of what did He cure Simon's mother-in-law?
14. When she was healed what did she do?
15. What happened at sunset?
16. Why did the people wait till sunset to bring their sick?
17. What did they bring them for?
18. What did Jesus do for them all?
19. Can we ourselves save anybody?
20. But can we bring them to the One who can and will save them?
21. How can we do that? [27]

Source: Second Lord's Day Lesson of January. Lesson 2. January 8, 1928. Jesus and the Sick (Mark 1:21-34).