The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-26
THE sUNDAY-sCHooL LESSON.
Jan. %, 1901, Matthew xii, 34-46-
Christ SfIences the Pharfsees.

Christ Sflences the Pharisees.
Handel, when composing his oratorio 1.-THE
Messiah was found bathed in tears. What
touched him the prophets words. HE was
despised." The despising of Jesus was as evident
in the temple as at the cross. And physical
pains to spiritual soul
wounds inflicted upon that higher nature. Low
ell says: "Our modern martyrdoms are done In
tyre" So Jesus crucifed again and again
before ever He came to the cross. We come now
to the last onset of His despisng critics. .
1t is led on by the Pharisees. They have heard
OF the bewildering defeat Jesus had given their
rivals, the Sadducees; how. in a dalectical way,
he had put an end to them forever. Now IL
they, the Pharisees. could get the better OF this
brilliant young rabbi in debate they would score
a point against the Sadducees at the same time
they blocked the way of teacher whose success
meant the end OF their system. We can
not know whether the questioner disingenu-
Gus or not. To assert Expositor that the
question was asked by "a true man. "a genuine
inquirer" is an assumption. and. at any rate,
| aside from the real point at issue. What the
Pharisees wanted to elicit from Jesus
sentiment, IL possible. a categorical statement.
which could be used against him in the trial for
heresy impending The question itself IL
lustrates the character of religion then current.
1t technicality gone TO seed Liberalism had
killed spirituality. There such batch of
commandments that classification seemed imper-
| alive; there were the little and great. light
and weighty. And the question which the
| chief of all was naturally much mooted. A
| spiritual virtue not thought Of. 1t was for
| some. washing hands; others, how to build n
| booth for the Feast of Tabernacles; or al best.
| circumcision and keeping Sabbath. The
answer of Jesus has been called a miracle OF
genius. a fash of inspiration He escaped the
| snare Of the fowler. He allied himself with TO
| pickering faction. He carried the question over
into entirely new realm, where there
| disjointed commands and sacramento Offices,
| but where there is life which gives continuity.
vigor and progress to the whole. With me
| splendid flash. as of heavenly searchlght,
Jesus discloses the permanent and fundamental
| element in religion-for all time and all people
| Absent, 1t makes the Christian heather: pres
| ent II makes the heather Christian, though he
may have never much heard of Christ.
| The disputatious .cotere fades away. Jesus is
| speaking TO the universal human heart. The
man of to-day. technically rated an unpelievsr.
must recognize the dvineness of this message.
4 and receiving IL into honest heart, must be-
| gin the life of love toward God and his fellows.
| And that is religion. Too great tech
| nicality must be avoided in defining the manner
| of our loving God-viz. heart. soul. mind 1t
| means as Meyer aptly says, 1.-THE complete, har-
1 monious self-dedication of the entire inner man
| to God" 1t seems worth while. however, to en-
| phasize the fact that can love God with the
| mind 1t is to be feared that, as Phillips Brooks
| says there are ignorant saints who come very
| near God and live In the rich sunlight of His
love- but none the less for that is their ignorance
| a detraction from their sainthood. Give your in
| telligence to God. Know all you can about Him.
49, These two principles-love to God and love
| to man-from which all religion flows. be
| consistent with one another. otherwise they could
| not both be principles OF the same religion.
| tHomiletic) Love to God is also love to His
children. fellow-men. (Geike) Nothing Is
! or ought to be esteemed religion that is not re-
| ducible TO the ether of these principles.
| Sherlock . Now the questioned turned
| questioner. 1t no Scripture conundrum
| however Jesus really proffering them the
| clew of faith IL with the spirit OF teachable-
ness. which is the prerequisite to entering all
| other kingdoms. as we'll as the kingdom OF
heaven, they had followed the thread. they
| would have escaped the labyrinth OF Pharisee-
| ISM Alas! they loved the maze, and they would
none OF the leadership of Jesus. They would not
| welcome Him Son of David and Son of God.
So it ended with their finding themselves in the
same plight the sadducees. But the mouths
that were gagged might have been vocal with
| hosannas.
| Key and Analysis
| l. Jesus moral agony; greater than physical:
cause OF II. Contradiction OF sinners against
| himself Effort 10 entangle Him in His words.
| Refusal to accept Him His message.
| CD Particular instance; Pharisees's covert at
tack. Effort elicit eliminating statement.
The chief commandment; mooted because OF
| number and variety
CD Jesus answer; partisanfsm avoided. Sub
stance OF religion. life. Characteristic OF that
life-iove: towards God. toward man.
| ii. Questioners questioned. No Scripture con-
| undrum proposed A clew OF faith profered. Re
| jected. Questioners slenced.
| THE STUDY LAMP
| Technically in religion finds its burlesque In
Phariseesm. They taught Gle commandments.
one for each letter OF the Decaogue: ss5 OF these
| were negative-one for each vein in the body or
day I'm the year. They also commanded Num-
| beers XIV $50 fringes to be worn on the corner OF
their taith, bound with a thread OF blue; each
fringe had eight threads and 1--WE knots-thirteen;
| and the letters of the word tsltslth (fringes)
| makes GOO plus 1s-sl3. Absurd. Yes; but so il
| salvation by legaism. No doubt Jesus
| pointed to the shema which the lawyer wore in
| the phylactery between his eyes. How near anc
yet how far. the answer from the lawyers
! mind. We familiar with the Incl
| dent, we are apt 70 lose the power OF H. How
| easily the answer seemed to glide from Jesus
| Iipsl Yet. under most trying circumstances Il
| was tie instantaneous enunciation to order OF
| the fundamental principle Of religion. II Was q
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