The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-02-18
rlfs SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the International seraes
for February n, 10O4-Jesus
and the sabbath.
the LESSON TEXT.
Nat rg.I19

Gazing OF MattheW.............Isu Luxe o:N-U.
Question About Fasting. Matt S:4-1J.
Question About Fasting......Mark 2:lS-22.
Question About Fasting Luke b:sS-3s.
Plucking Grain on Sabbath. Matt. 12:1-s.
Plucking Grain on Sabbath. Mark 2:2s-@.
Plucking Grain on Sabbath. .... Luke 6:1-b.
Heal on the Matt. n:s-H.
Heal on the Sabbath. Mark 3;l-S.
Heal on the Sabbath. Luke 6:6-11.
T1ME.-The summer harvest time) OF
A. ID. 20 (part Of THE Year of Public Fa-
vor')
PLACE-A country road near Caper-
naum. and a synagogue In one Of the
Galilean towns.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Jesus teachings and methods and
those of the orthodox religious leaders
we're so different in every particular that
trouble was certain to come. Many of
the scribes and Pharisees may have
been perfectly sincere, but their point OF
view was so entirely different from that
of Jesus that they could never see things
as He did. and Of course they considered
Hin hereto and dangerous man. In
the first place. in teaching. II not in char
acter, He seemed to them to be an up
start. He spoke without authority"
And then He had made a publican one
of His disciples (9:9-13). The Pharisees
saw in the publicans or tax collectors
set Of contemplate. unpatriotic merce-
naries who had sold themselves out to
the hated Roman tyrants. Jesus eat
ing with publicans and sinners con-
vinced the Pharisees that He was man
of decidedly questionable character
Q1:19 Again Jesus and His disciples
braved all criticism and misunderstand-
ing Of the best people by ignoring the
weekly fastings and the rabbinical laws
enjoined and which all religious people
observed. Jesus was directly opposed to
asceticism on principle. This opposi-
tion was considered an affront to the
whole religious system OF the Jews.
These four things, without the one we
take up next. were enough to insure the
bitter opposition of ofncial Judaism.
(Matt12:1-S) One Of Jesus most OBJ
noxious heresies was in regard to the
Jewish Sabbath. The Fourth Command
ment He always reverenced and obeysd,
but the absurd restrictions with which
the scribes had surrounded II He reject
ed bodily. Disciples were hungry"
What the disciples did was to meet the
physical necessity for food. Began to
pluck ears and to eat" This was per-
mitted by Jewish law on week days. A
man passing by a wheat field or a vine
yard might eat enough to satisfy his
hunger But the oral law forbade this
on the Sabbath. on the ground that to
pick the heads of grain was harvesting,
/ to rub them In the hands was threshing
and to blow out the chaff was winnow-
ing-which things were unlawful!
Note Jesus twofold defense of His
disciples: ~ He cites examples $3.50 I:
/ reminds them Of what David once did to
meet his own need Il Sam. 216). They
would not think OF questioning the pro-
priety of David's act, especially since he
did what he did with the sanction Of the
priest. In his case necessity was seen TO
be above ritual. Even the law (Num.
28:9-10) recognized that certain work
connected with the sacrifices was neces-
sary and therefore right. (2) He shows
the underlying principles (6-S). 1.-THE
Pharisees were men Of rules, not accus-
toned to go back on principles. The pas
sion for minutiae killed reflection. -
Bruce. "One greater than the temple" "
Commonly taken az a reference to Him.
self, but the Greek reads: But say
unto you greater thing than the tenn
pie is here" The man-made regulations
had given way before the claims of the
temple service, the lesser interest CIV
ing way 70 the greater. A greater inter-
est than that Of keeping up the temple
sacrifices was involved here: 1t was the
work Of the kingdom itself. This inter-
probation Is the more natural; either Is
possible. 'T desire mercy, and not sacri-
nce:" (Hos. 6:S); Jesus way Of remind
Ing them that the principle He was con
tending for was Scriptural. The Son
Of man is lord of the Sabbath" Mark
quotes Him as saying in this conn nection |:
The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath" The real
good Of the Sabbath had been lost
( Christ's purpose was to restore 1t.
". 9:14). "Is Il lawful to heal on the
Sabbath day" Jesus does not answer
the question directly. but with an illus
tration tries to appeal to their common
sense and humane feelings. The discus
sion over the picking Of the heads OF
wheat made His position plain on works
Of necessity: this deals with works OF
mercy. TT Is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath" To refuse to do good to one
who needs II is to do evil, no matter what
the day Of the week. Jesus was unyield-
Ing. His influence was increasing and
the Pharisees saw that the only way To