The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-11-02

Int irrational Lesson for November .. 1894
Jesus Lord Of she sabbath - Mark
9:cy-sa; 3.l-S

CorDrx TrxT-lhe soa % Man j. Lord also
Of the ~abbaih--Iark 80.
PLACE ~ rnE LIFE or CnRIsr-Toward the
middle y; Tie second year Of Ills ministry the
year OF Development Taerc has 80 far been
Development 81 lis fields % preaching. Of
traiulna Ills disciple OF His power and teach
ing through miracles
LESSON NOTES.
A Question Of sabbath Keeping. The
Scene. 20 '-iIe went through the
corn fields" Through the grain fields
Of wheat and barley. The English
call all grain corn. Our corn, Indian
corn. was probably unknown in Pal
estine. on the sabbath day They
were doubtless on their way To or
from the morning service in the syn
agogue. for His disciples were an hun-
rered tNatt.l. The rabblnical law al
lowed no eating on the sabbath. ex-
ccpt in case Of sickness. prior 10 the
morning prayers of the synagogue.
similar canon in The ritualistic churches
OF to-day forbids breaking the fast be-
fore partaking Of the communion
bot began. as they went, To pluck
the ears Of corn" Luke adds: Rub
bing them in their hands," in order 10
separate the kernel from the chaff-
There was no road with fences, but .
mere path through the fields of stand
ing grain. so that they did not have To
60 out Of their way.
We see Jesus walking along by the
margins Of extensive stretches of stand
ing grain. These stretches, spreading
far and wide over the plain Of Genesa-
rcth. come down, on either side, close
to the path on which our Lord was
walking. His disciples are with Him.
and a group Of others. inclusive OF
band II disputatious and censorious
/ Pharisccs They are on their way to
or from some adjoining synagogue
Conversation and lively disputation go
ON all along the way. At certain
point the Lords disciples began to
advance. They began to 60 ahead OF
our Lord, plucking the corn as they
nt.~-Morison.
Note. The narrative carefully
avoids saying that Jesus plucked the
grain and ate. lie simply defended the
right Of His disciples 10 do So Jesus
had a perfect right not to pluck the
grain. if thereby lie could remove any
obstacles in the way Of the success 81
His work. He gave the Pharisecs no
ground for personal accusation
against Himself. Teachers thus may
often refrain from using their rights
with the same object.
False Critics -. And the Phari-
sees said" These Pharisecs were accom-
paning Jesus, not to learn the truth.
good or bad. but for the one purpose
OF finding some fault with Him. They
hated Him because they were wrong.
and His teaching rcproved them; lie
swept away many Of their false rules
and customs, and they must either
change their lives. or prove the teach
er to be in some wrong Therefore
they found every fault possible; they
perverted His acts and His words; they
measured them by false Standard;
. they were pitilessly unfair. There can
scarcely be any habit more injurious To
the character than that of looking for
faults in Others, putting the worst pos
sible construction on what they say
and do. and shutting their eyes 10 the
good in them. Why do they on the
sabbath day that which is not lawful:
There was no harm whatever in pluck
ing the ears; that was not only sane
toned by custom, but even distinctly
permitted by the Mosaic law. Bu: the
heiuous fact was that this should DO
. done on n Sabbath.-Farrar. The law
and practice Of Palestine continue to
be this day what they were 50 many
thousand years ago. tDeut 2j:a'-)
. The law allowed them to pluck the
, grain toappease hunger. but not To APP
a. tim IL
: ing grain
The unlawfulness. in the opinion OF
the Pharisecs, was that what they
did broke the law Of the sabbath
. IL w:s doing work, namely.
, harvesting on the sabbath. Tho
. disciples really transgrcssed, not the
Divine law Of the sabbath. but the
Pharisaical Interpretation Of that law
: The pharisces' Interpretation Of the
: sabbath Law There are two ways OF
: DESTROYING the sabbath: one by disre-
I garding its principles, the other, quite
= as effccfual. by smothering them
: under an immense number Of artificial
{ interpretations and prohibitions, which
! keep the letter If the law. but utterly
/? destroy it, spirit The PhariSces took
this latter course Win TIC uttilpot ih-
renuitv. almost satanic shrcwdness Of
folly. Ii was impossible to keep the
\ sabbath on their plan. The conscience
! was continually bound with letters.
There could he no true, loving sabbath
spirit.
The law commanded them to do nc
: work on the sabbath day. The Phari'
!, sees based on this thirty-nine principal
:" prohibitions Then they made a mui
!. titudc Of decisions as to the definite
things these thirty-nine permitted o.
forbade For instance. reaping and
thrcshing were forbidden, hence \
was asserted that pluclxing grain wa
> wrong because il was kind Of reap
: ing. and rubbing of the husks was
= sin because it was kind Of thrcshing
Grass was not to be trodden, a
/" being akin to harvest work. shoe
with nails were not to be worn. as tn
= nails would he burden. and
burden must not he carried. \ tailo
. must not have his needle about hin
towards sunset on the Friday. for fea