Sabbath school lesson 8, 3rd quarter of 2015

1. Lesson 8 for August 22, 2015

2. The Roman
centurion’s servant
(Matthew 8:5-13).
The daughter of the
Canaanite woman
(Matthew 15:21-28).
The Samaritan leper
(Luke 17:11-19).
Jesus planned to establish a strong mission base among the Jews before reaching
other cultures. Nevertheless, He didn’t miss any chance to help non-Jews. He even
trained foreigners so they could be missionaries among their people.
BARRIERS BROKEN DOWN
TRAINING MISSIONARIES
The Samaritan woman
(John 4:4-42).
The bedeviled Gadarene
(Mark 5:1-20).
The Greeks who sought
Jesus (John 12:20-32).

3. “And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and
west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of
Heaven.” (Matthew 8:11)
1. He was kind-hearted. He didn’t request
anything for himself but for his servant
(Matthew 8:5-6; Luke 7:2-3)
2. He had a good relationship with the Jewish
leaders. He even built a synagogue (Luke 7:3-5)
3. He knew that Jewish tradition didn’t allow
Jews to enter a Gentile’s house (Matthew 8:8).
4. He had a strong faith in Jesus (Matthew 8:10).
What do we know about that Roman centurion?
What did Jesus taught about the centurion’s faith?
Jesus pointed out that the centurion was a
prototype of the great day when people from all
over the world would join the Jewish patriarchs at
the Messianic banquet.

4. “Jesus told her, ‘First I should feed
the children—my own family, the
Jews. It isn’t right to take food
from the children and throw it to
the dogs.’” (Mark 7:27)
“She begs for the crumbs that fall from the
Master’s table. If she may have the privilege of a
dog, she is willing to be regarded as a dog. She
has no national or religious prejudice or pride to
influence her course, and she immediately
acknowledges Jesus as the Redeemer, and as
being able to do all that she asks of Him.
The Saviour is satisfied. He has tested her faith
in Him. By His dealings with her, He has shown
that she who has been regarded as an outcast
from Israel is no longer an alien, but a child in
God’s household.”
E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 43, pg. 401)

5. (Luke 17:11-19)
“Jesus asked, ‘Didn’t I heal ten
men? Where are the other
nine? Has no one returned to
give glory to God except this
foreigner?’” (Luke 17:17-18)
Adversities may break down
intercultural barriers. Those lepers
were united in their illness; their racial
differences didn’t matter anymore.
They put their faith in Jesus first; He
was the Master that could heal them.
The Jews thought the “foreigner” was
less worthy to be healed, but he was
the only one who showed appreciation
to Jesus.
That lesson made a profound impression on the disciples. It opened their hearts
to preach the Gospel in Samaria some years later (Acts 1:8).

6. THE SAMARITAN
WOMAN
(John 4:4-42)
“Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we
believe, not just because of what you told us,
but because we have heard him ourselves. Now
we know that he is indeed the Savior of the
world.’” (John 4:42)
Jesus stepped outside the bounds of
tradition. Both the Samaritan woman
and the disciples were surprised.
1. The Samaritan woman was
surprised at Jesus asking her for
water (John 4:9).
2. The disciples were surprised at
Jesus talking to a woman alone
(John 4:27).
Jesus understood the difference between human tradition and divine
commandments. He didn’t care about breaking cultural traditions to
reach that foreign woman.
That woman became the first native missionary among her people.

7. THE BEDEVILED GADARENE
(Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39)
“But Jesus said, ‘No, go home to your
family, and tell them everything the
Lord has done for you and how
merciful he has been.’” (Mark 5:19)
The region of the Gadarenes was an area at
the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. It
was part of the Roman province of Judaea,
but the natives followed Greek customs
(the even raised pigs).
The economic loss from Jesus’ miracle
closed the doors of the Gadarenes to the
Gospel in that region.
Nevertheless, Jesus made the bedeviled man a missionary
so he could preach where Jesus and His disciples couldn’t.
People are usually more receptive to those with the same
social and cultural background.

8. “And when I am lifted up from the
earth, I will draw everyone to
myself.” (John 12:32)
When those Greeks sought Jesus, they
looked for a man close to their culture:
Philip.
Non-native missionaries must know all
the local customs so they can preach the
Gospel more effectively. Then the Good
News will be more easily understood.
Jesus used the visit of the Greeks to
explain the universal and intercultural
scope of His mission.

9. E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 68, pg. 621)