The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-31
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
NOVEMBER 4.
Lesson Text: "Jesus, Lord of the
Sabbath" Mark H., 1925; ILL.,,
1-5-GoIden Text: Mark
H., 2S-Commentary.

H., 2S-Commentary.
%. "And It came to pass that he went
through the cornf1elds on the Sabbath day.
and His disciples began, as they went. to
pluck the ears of corn." In Math. Kill, l, It
is written that His disciples were hungry.
80 that we must bear In mind that there
was an actual bodily need to be supplied.
(Nlath. iv.. 2; XXI. 1s ; John w., 81, and the
disciple must be content to be as his Mas
ter John xy., 20). II we suffer, we shall
also reign with Him II Tim. H.. 12). In
our abundance we are apt to forget Him,
! and He oftttmes proves US to see II we are
relying on Him or on our circumstances
(Deut. viii, 2; Gen. XIII. y.
"a. "And the Pharisees said unto Him, Be
hold, why do they on the Sabbath day that
class OF religious people not yet extinct. who
were full OF talk, but lacking In deeds, ex-
cept when their deeds would bring them
praise of men. They were hypocrites and
whited sepulchers, fair outwardly, but all
unclean within (Math. xiii. 8, 5, ~. 2S).
We may be sure that He who said, RE
member the Sabbath day to keep It holy
would In no sense transgress His own COM
mandment nor lead others to do It. These
uypOCEltoS muk0 Ino luiuh VI d Sdplain VI '"
ferryboat whom I SAW collecting fares one
Lords day and at the same time finding
fault with man for whistling the air OF q
sacred song.
25. "And He said unto them, Have ye
never read what David did when he had need
and was An hungered, he and they that were
with him2" believe there is an analogy In
Scripture for about every event In life that
can come to any one Jesus, being full OF
the word, knew just how and wheh to apply
1t hence we 80 often hear Him saying. "It
is written" "Have ye never read2" How
many church members would hang their
heads in shame II He should ask them,
"Have ye never read?'
26 s.How He went into the house Of God
in the days OF Abiahar, the high priest, and
did eat the shewbread, which Is not lawful
to eat, but for the priests, and gave also to
them, which were with them" In Math.
XII, s.. T. He cites also the conduct OF the
priests tn the temple on the Sabbath day and
and not sacrifice" An outward apparent
disobedience does not always spring from
spirit of disobedience. and the Lord always
looketh upon the heart. He reads our mo-
tives and reckons with us accordingly. he
weigheth actions and spirits q Sam. H., 3
Prov. vxt, p. Behind an outward con-
formity He often sees a spirit Of rebellion.
Let US be ambitious to do right In His sight
who readeth hearts.
q. "And He said unto them, The Sab
bath was made for man, and not man for the
Sabbath" This sentence Is found only In
Mark In this incident. II Is the gospel OF
service, and every servant OF God Is to serve
God every day, but one day in seven is
specially set apart for man that on that day
he may wholly and peculiarly delight him
self in the Lord and thus be refreshed for
the work Of the other days. Man Is not
slave of the Sabbath, but the Sabbath is for
his special benefit and Joy, not to enjoy him
self Elsa. lvlli., 13, 14), but that he may de-
light himself In the Lord and thus learn to
ride upon the nigh places OF the earth.
%. Therefore the Son OF man Is Lord also
of the Sabbath" This statement is also
found both in Matthew and Luke. Allthings
were made by Him and for Him. It ts His
day. He is the maker OF it and the proprie-
tor Of 1t. He gave It to US that we might
the better glorify Him and enjoy Him. He
certainly has a right to tell US what He would
like done with His own property. When
we, too By faith In Him become His prop
erty and truly call Him Lord, then the day
and the people being all His aud for His
pleasure he will surely be glorifed In them.
The secret Of rest and victory Is found In be-
ing able to say from the heart, Thou art
worthy, o Lord, and am for Thy pleasure
(Rev. w., 1D.
ILL.,, /. .'And He entered again into the
synagogue, and there was O man there
which had withered hand" In Luke vi, ,
6, it is written that this was on another
Sabbath, and that He was teaching In the
synagogue. It would seem, then, that
He was always found In the synagogue on
the Sabbath day and ready to read andteach
as opportunity offered. These synagogues
were not the most spiritual places In the
world, for the service was very formal, yet
1t was His custom to be there.
2. "And they watched Him whether He
would heal him on the Sabbath day, that
they might accuse Him." What odd kind of
people did 20 to church on Sabbath days
long ago, and He knew just what kind of
people they were. Yet He went, too. Well,
BE must have had more grace than many Of
His followers nowadays. Yet It Is written
that "if any man have not the spirit of Christ
he Is none OF His" (Rom. viii, 81. Why
should they want to accuse Him when He
never did any harm to any, but always went
about doing good9 They must have been
related to one who Is called ''the accuser OF
the brethren" Grew. Kill, 1o).
8. "And He said unto the man which had
the withered hand, Stand forth" Luke
says, "He knew their thoughts Guke w.,
81. It will greatly help US If We remember
that there Is always one with US who Is
reading our thoughts and searching our In
most hearts. But how can we help our
thoughts? Only by being filled with His
thoughts. We are not responsible for the
thoughts that are presented 10 us, but we
are responsible for receiving and pondering
them.
4. "And he saith unto them, Is 1t lawful
to do good on the Sabbath days or TO do evil,
to save life or to kill? But they held their
peace" In Meth. xii, II. IL, 1t is written
that He used the illustration OF the lawful
ness of taking sheep out OF pit on the
Sabbath day, adding "How much better Is
a man than sheep?" and then said, ''It is
lawful to do we'll on the Sabbath day." We
are certainly safe in doing on the holy day
whatever will glorify God and tend to mag
Nifty Him through any work OF necessity or
mercy.
S. "And when He had looked round about
on them with anger, being grieved for the
hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the
man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he
stretched 1t out. and his hand was restored
whole as the other" What good thing for
that man to be found in the synagogue that
day! How much he might have missed BY
not being there Think what Thomas
missed for a whole week BY not being with
the brethren on the night alter the resurrec-
tion.-Lesson Helper.
Pot In an EJenhaDt,s Trunk