The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-03-15
The SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MARCH 70.
Subjecu Jesus mt Matthews House. MARI
IT,, 1S-22-Goldoh Text; Luke ", 81
Memory Verses, i5-17-Commcntar,
ON the Days Lesson.


10. It is supposed that the call OF Mat.
thew followed soon after the healing OF the
parnlytic. See last lesson. 'By the sea
side" He may have gone there for room,
us He could clearly see thut no house was
OF suftlcient size to accommodate the great
crowds that desired to sec and hear Him.
This must have boen near Capernaum,
'where there was probably suburb OF
fishers huts and custom-h houses" "He
taught them" Jesus was alwnye busily en-
gagged.
IA. Levi" The same as Matthew. lie
was jew, and he calls himself publican
(Matt. l03), or tax-gatherer, an Office
which was worry odlous to the Jewish peo-
pie. "rhe son otAlpheus." Henry thinks
Lovl, james and Less, Jude and Simon, the
Canannlte, were brothers: but Lange and
others think differently. "Thc receipt OF
custom Toll-housc, or custom-b house. It
WIS busy center OF merchnndso
landing-place of many ships. ana "a nat
urnl place for the collection OF tribute and
taxes" There were two classes OF publi-
cans, the common tux-gathercr and tho
custom-houso official. Levi was OF tho
latter class, but was no less odlous to tho
Jews because OF that. Follow mo-" 1t is
supposed that Matthew had been infiu-
enced by Johns preaching, and had heard
Jesus ON other occasions, but as ho was II
publican the dared not hope for personal
recognltiOn-fnr less for n call to disciple
ship; aud when It came he waited not for
u sec ond call but Immediately left his Gus
tom-house. "arose and followed Him."
Our Lord calls mon from all classes and
conditions OF life.
10. "Sat at meat in his house" This'was
soon after tho call. The feast (Luko 5:2o)
wHs made to show his thankfulness to God
for his remarkable dellverance from the
old custom-house. HE also wished to in
troduee his friends and old companions to
Christ" MANY publlcans." Those, prob
ably, who belonged to his custom house.
According to jewish traditionnllsm tho
publican was, l. An accommodated per-
son. 2. An apostate. 8. An instrument
OF oppression. 4. A stumbling block and
II by-word. The Jews who were omployed
by tho Romans to collect taxes we're no.
toriously corrupt and belonged to tho
lowest classes, for no others would accept
tho position. 'Aud sinners" The openly
wicked. Perhaps, ns DR.. Clarke thinks,
the word here may mean tho Gentle
henthen. "They followed Him" That is,
Jesus. "rhey had not for conscience sake
left all to follow Him." but they had come
to the fenst and through tho Influence Of
Levi were being won over to Him.
1G "When the scribes and Pharisees." E"
They would not believe in Christ them
selves. and were always trying to hinder
others. Tho self-righteous Pharisee CON
sidered II equal to legal deilloment to sit
IN company with taX-gatherers and heath
ems. 1t shows the spirit OF Independence
on tho part OF our Lord to thus violate
their traditions. Jesus desired to save
men aud Io knew He must minglo with
them. But this should not be carried too
far. DR.. Clarke woll says at Is certain
that those who fear God should not Rsso-
ciate, through choice, with the workers of
iniquity, and should only be found with
them whom business requires It, or when
there Is prospect OF doing good to their
fH l..
endeavorlng to influence tho disciples
against Jesus.
II. "When Jesus heard it," Jesus IL
ready for them; He can answer their cavil-
Ing. They that are whole" You scribes
aud Pharlsees consider yourselves whole
You are, In your own estimation, righteous
persons; you do not need n physician; you
do not need My counsel and advice, and
the salvation | bring; but these .publl-
cans ana slnnors-these outcasts-know
they arc sick, they know they are the worst
OF sinners, and j came to call and save
them. SO Jesus meets and slences them
Notice that Christ represents Himself as
the Physician for soul and body. 'To re-
pentance.' These words are omitted In the
Revised Version. 1t is true, however, that
all who come to Christ must repent. There
must be such heartfelt coDtritlon for sins
committed that tho soul will loathe aud
forsake them Truo repentance Is wrought
1S. used to fast" In the law we find
only one fast-day enjoined, namely. the
tenth OF the seventh month, on which the
national, annual atonemcnt was made. But
tho Jews, OF their own accord, 'obscryed
many other days OF fasting (see lisa. 5S:9).
nnd In our Lords time the Pharisees tasted
twice week. They were surprised to find
Him overlooking this duty. Tho Pharlseos
fnsted In order to have lucky dreams and
to obtain things they greatly desired. 1t
seems very probable that this very day,
when Jesus and His disciples were feast
ing, was one OF their fast days, and this
fact seemed to aggrava.e the olYonse. "But
Thy:disciples fast not" Jesus not only Of
Tended them by eating with publicans and
sinners, but by eating at all.
10. Jesus said unto them" He pro-
ceeds now with three familiar illustrations,
pies in the course they were taking, and at
the same time brings out some very impor-
tant truths. "While the Bridegroom is
with them" This was not u proper time
to fast. His disciples werc then In tho lrst
flush OF enjoyment In their new-found
Lord, and while He was with them there
was no occasion for fasting. Marriage
feasts were times OF extraordinary festiv-
ity," and Jesus tells them that His discl-
pies now aro enjoying, and rightly too,
just such feast
90 "The days will come" IL is impossible
~ iOTnulHte ruleS TO meet Bucu lnulVluUnl
case. The days would come when His
disciples would fast, but not now. Away
from them" He would leave them after u
time. "ln those days" or calamity and
darkness TINT are coming, then 1t will be
proper 10 fast. Fasting is good, but to
make merit OF 1t or even to burden the
conscience with 1t, Is opposed to spiritual
freedom. 1t Is spiritual pride when In
matters which God has left to our free
dom, people desire that others should regu-
late their piety by their rules.
81. "On an old garment" Instead OF
closing the rent the now patch would only
mako the rent larger. He had given them
one reason why His disciples did not fast
and now He proceeds ogive another. They
are not prepared for 1t. It is not proper to
lay such rigorous commands upon thOm.
To impose such duties ms are not abso-
lutely necessary to salvation upon the
weak and newly converted, before God has
properly prepared the heart by His grace
for those duties, is as rulnous hs putting
piece OF new cloth on an old garment.
". New wine into old bottles" Bottles
made OF leather. SEQ Il. V. II new wine
wero put into old wine-sklns, the violence
OF the fermentation would burst them and
all would be destroyed. The point OF tho
figure Is that tho Jewish system was now
becoming old and ready to vanish away
(Heb. S:l9), and Christ was about to re-