The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-05

stserns.
copyright. 1891. by d. M. stearns.I
1. AT that time Jesus went on the Sab
pies were an hungered and began to pluck
the esrs Of corn and to eat" The lesson
today touches the Sabbath question, the
one which, according TO all the gospels,
determined the PhArisees to kin Christ
See verse IA immodtstely following our
lesson, then Mark iii, 8; Luke vi, II;
John v, 16. DIR. Weston says that the Sab
bath was the Jewish national dag; other
nations practiced circumcision, offered
sacrifices and had temples and religious
rites, but In the Sabbath the Jews claimed
peculiar relation to God as their Creator,
Redeemer and Rest. AS the nation grew
I'm national feeling and pride and In the
thought Of separation from and superiority
to other nations, they became more and
more tenacious OF their Sabbath. II we
keep in mind that 1t was their national
honor they were thinking Of and not the
honor of their God and His Word, we shall
understand many things otherwise dark.
g. "But when the Pharisees saw it they
said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do
that which Is not lawful to do upon the
Sabbath day." The Sabbaths were sign
between God and Israel, not to show how
holy and honorable they were, but to hon
or Him and delight in Him and magnify
Him. If eating little corn, even fresh
from the field, would quiet the body that
the soul might the better commune with
God it was well so to do (See Elk. xxi.
13, and lisa. lviii, 1?)
8. But He said unto them, Have ye
not read what David did when he was an
hungered, and they that were with himY"
They would hardly wish or dare to find
fault with David, their great king, whom
they praised SO much, even II they were so
unwilling to recognize the Son Of David
and Davids Lord in Him with whom they
now find fault
A. "How He entered into the house of
God and did eat the shewbread, which was
not lawful for Him to eat, neither for
them that were with Him, but only for
the priests" God would have us consider
the spirit of His law rather than the ex-
IRENE letter of it, He would have us to
know Him and His great heart of love.
1t is better to know Him than to be wise,
or mighty, or rich He delights in loving
kindness, Judgment and Righteousness
(Jer. TX, 23, 24).
B, 6. "Or have We not read in the law
how that on the Sabbath days the priests
in the temple profane the Sabbath and are
| blameless? But l say unto you, That in
| this place is one greater than the temple. !"
Thus He directs them to their king and
| priests as both doing that which by the
| strict letter of the law was forbidden, and
| yet they are blameless. In verses Al and
| AZ of this chapter He says He is greater
| than Jonah and Solomon. He now says
| He is greater than the temple, and implies,
what is elsewhere taught, that He is
| greater than David or Aaron. In Hebrews
| we read that He is greater than angels or
| Moses, or tabernacle, or sacrifice. He Is
our great Priest King.
| z. but if we had known what this
! meaneth, / will have mercy and not sacri-
| flee, We would not have condemned the
! guiltless" What comfort that we are
to have righteous Judgment, and our Judge
\ will not decide by what He sees or hears
I lisa. XII, g. ~, and will never without
cause condemn either a person or work
Let us have more of His Spirit, remember
ing Cor. iv, 5.
8. For the Son of Man is Lord even of
] the Sabbath day." AS Son of Man He is
| Lord of all earthly institutions and the
direct object of all earthly allegiance. All
things were created by Him and for Him,
| and by Him all things consist (Col. l, is,
| ~ He shall yet subdue all things unto
| Himself, even all kings shall fall down be-
| fore Him and all nations serve Him Il
| Cor w, 2S; Ps. Xxi, III. We feel like
| saying, "Oh, that these people had known
| Him, that they might cheerfully receive
| Him and submit to Him instead of judg-
| ing Him.
8. And when He was departed thence
| He went into their synagogue. If He
| could not get good, He would be where He
| might do good The Scriptures were read
| In the synagogues, and there is nothing on
| earth like the Word of God Whether
| those who read see much or little of God
| in His Word He is in every page of IL and
opened eyes and ears will see and hear
Him
| 10. "And, behold, there was a man
which had his hand withered And they
asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on
| the Sabbath daysY that they might accuse
| Him." The impotence of the man was
very suggestive of the spiritual condition
| of the nation, but he knew his condition
| and they did not. They were blind, and
deaf, and lame, and palsied, and leprous,
| and thought that nothing allied them, but
that, on the contrary, they were the only
righteous people on earth.
| H. And He said unto them, What
| man shall there be among you that shall
have one sheep, and if it fall into pit on
the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on II
| and lift it outS" One has well suggested
that He did not say see sheep but have
a sheep; the point is that of ownership.
| He is the Lord of the Sabbath day. The
law commanded to help creatures not your
own If you saw them in trouble (Deut. xxi,
A.
H. "How much, then, is a man better
than Sheep Wherefore it is lawful to
do well on the Sabbath days" Better
than many sparrows, better than all beasts,
Gods own property every day, and, though
oft in rebellion against Him, yet loved by
Him and watched longingly to see If he will
turn to His good and loving God. God Is
good to the unthankful and to the evil,
but how little they think that His good.
ness is intended to lead them to Him.
49, "Then saith He to the man, Stretch
forth thine hand. And he stretched II
forth, and 1t was restored whole, like as
| the other" The man could not help him.
\ n A .l...1L t