Crawford avalanche., 1898-03-03
Jesu. and the Sabbath.


Jesus and the Sabbath.
Golden Text.-"The Son of man is Lord
even OF the Sabbath day."-Matt. II: 3.
This weeks lesson is to be found in
Matt. II: 1-13, and its subject is Jesus
and the Sabbath"
Introductory.
This lesson is even farther from its cor
rect chronological place than any that
have preceded. Judging by the parallel
passages, Mark 2: 1928 and Luke @: 1-5,
the incidents of the disciples plucking
grain on the Sabbath and the healing Of
the man with the withered hand occurred
during the first period of the ministry in
Galilee, before the choosing of the twelve
and the Sermon on the Mount. But the
date of the incidents scarcely affects at
all their teaching, and it may be said again
as has been several times remarked, that
since we are not attempting a chronology
cal study of the life of Christ, the ques-
ton Of date is not here important. Mat
thew seems to introduce the two incidents
here as showing the growing hostility Of
the Pharisees.
Explanatory.
his VI NOutet HupptHtu Ut tnt tiiht
when the grain was ripe, that is, in late
spring or early summer. The place was
somewhere near Capernaun. Corn
means of course not Indian corn but wheat
or barley. We have no means of know
ing what special emergency had kept the
disciples so long without food that they
were constrained to transgress a perfectly
well known rule of the Pharisees, which
prohibited rubbing the husk from grain
on the Sabbath as species of work.
The Pharisees dogged his steps for the
very purpose of spying upon his actions
to find some cause Of complaint.
The incident in David's life here refer
red to is found in / Sam. 21: 10, which
see
Have We not read in the law" that is,
had they not read in the law directions
for the priests which required them to do
many sorts of manual labor on the Sab
bath in connection with the temple SER
vice. The word .'profane" is used here
in technical sense; they seem to profane
the Sabbath because breaking the letter
Of one set of laws; but in reality they are
honoring the Sabbath, by making it SER
yiceable for the worship of the people.
I'm this place is one greater than the
temple: The force of the argument is
plain If the needs of the temple worship
make it right for the priests to disregard
the traditions of the Pharisees and to
work on the Sabbath, how much more
shall the wisdom of the Son of man. who
is greater than the temple, be sufficient
to set aside those same traditions.
The quotation is from Hos. g: g. but the
thought runs through many of the pro-
phets. Not only Hosea but Amos, Micah,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and others
preached this doctrine, that ceremonies
are worthy and pleasing to God only when
they express the offering of humble and
sincere hearts; otherwise they are mock
cry and an offense.
In Mark this verse is preceded by a say
ing which explains it more fully: THE
Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath; so that the Son of man
is Lord even of the Sabbath" The pecu-
liar appropriateness of the title which
Jesus here and so often uses of himself
is thus brought out. The Sabbath was
established for the good of man as well as
for the worship of God. It's true observ-
ance cannot be of a sort that will restrict
and cramp mans activity beyond what is
good for him.
How much is a man better than a
sheep! We may echo the question. If a
man is treated less mercifully than a
sheep, it shows a terrible state of society.
Herod the Great. who put to death nearly
all his family and near relatives one after
another during his bloody reign, finally
visited the same fate on his own sons.
This led to the bitter sarcasm Of Octavius,
1T is better to be one of Herod's pigs
than one of his sons" pun in Greek,
the two words being similar in sound.
Herod would not have siaughtereda pig,
since it was contrary to Jewish law.
Teaching Hints.
The discussion of the Sunday question
would be very simple matter if it did
not go beyond the limits indicated by Je-
sus. TO satisfy ones physical necessities
and to minister to the physical needs of
others who are suffering is certainly per-
missible on the Lords day. Hardly any
body would object to either one. OF course
for the incidents in the narrative we must
substitute modern examples that CORE
spond. For instance, is it right for res
taurants and lunch rooms to keep open
on Sunday, and for people to patronize
them! The question answers itself in
case there are persons in the town or city
who have no home, and must buy their
meals in some public place. Is it right
for physicians to make calls (other than
emergency CALLS on Sunday? This also
answers itself. for most people. The man
with the withcred hand had been in that
condition long time; the next day would
have done gust as well to heal him; but
for this work of mercy the Sabbath was
ominently appropriate. If our only Sun
day calls were calls upon the sick or dis
tressed, the strictest of Sabbatarians
would never object.
But our Sunday question is very diff
ferent one from that of the time of Jesus.
No Jew, or at least no respectable or con-
scientious Jew, would ever think Of ask
ing whether he might spend the Sabbath,
or part of ii, In recreation.
Our difficulty is, first, with the amuse-
ment Of the people, second, yath the greed
of employers and the supposed necessi-
ties OF business, both of which encroa ch
upon the Sunday rest. These questions
can be settled upon. Jesus principle only
by the exercise Of Christian judgment.
III we are to appeal to the Mosaic law for
light. we find that we must interpret the
decalogue for ourselves. The fourth com
mandment, literally interpreted as did the
Pharisees, would forbid the maid servant
to cook the meals or tend the fires, would
forbid man to hitch up his horse and
drive to church. would forbid In short