Evening journal., 1905-10-02


and regulations to the Law. and these
traditions of men had been imposed
upon the people by the Scribes and
Pharisees. These enemies of Jesus
were quick TO seize upon any occasion
to entrap Him, and the Pharisees when
they saw It said unto Him. Behold
Thy disciples do that which is not law
ful to do upon the Sabbath ". p
"The answer given to this objection
by our Lord is very suggestive. He
first points His questioners to what
David did when fleeing from Saul.
David was the anointed of God to be
King Of Israel but he was rejected
and his enemies sought his life. Ar
irving at the house of God at Mob. he
asked Ahmelech the priest for bread
for his followers The story is told
in the twenty-first chapter of First
David and said. There is no common
bread under mine hand, but there is
hallowed bread David replied The
bread Is in a manner common, yea.
though it were sanctihed this day in
the vessel How could there he any
thing sacred to God. when Gods cho-
his life? so the priest gave him hall
lowed bread So now, what did the
Sabbath amount to after the covenant
was defled? What was the value Of
the outward sign when the inward
reality were gone?
"'Or.' Jesus went on, have ye not
read i'm the Law that on the Sabbath
day the priests in the temple profane
| the Sabbath and are guiltless? But
] say unto you that One greater than
the temple is here Tvs. 8, g. His
reference was to the provision of the
Law written in Numbers 2S: 9, 10,
that the priests should offer on the
Sabbath day two lambs Of the first
year without spot, and two tenth deals
of flour for a meal offering. mingled
with oil, and the drink offering there
Of: this is the burnt Offering of every
Sabbath, beside the continual burnt
onering. and his drink Offering To
fulfill this requirement the priests
must work on the Sabbath, and they
were not accused therefore OF violat-
ing the law. And here was One great
er than the temple, for it was He
Who had given them the temple and
the covenant and everything beside.
The temple itself. He knew, would
soon be torn down, for it had become
a hollow mockery where men put sac
rifce and forms and ceremonies in the
place Of love and justice and mercy.
But Jesus went on. II ye had known
what this meaneth. l desire mercy
and not sacrifice. ye would not have
condemned the guiltless.' (v.7) His
reference here is to Hosea 6. where we
read: % Ephraim, what shall / dc
unto thee? o Judah, what shall l dc
unto thee? for your goodness is as a
morning cloud. and as the early dew
lit goeth away. Therefore have
lhewed them by the prophets; 1 have
slain them by the words of My mouth:
and thy judgments are as the lghf
that goeth forth. For / desired mercy
and not sacrifice; and the knowledg,
of God more than burnt offerings. Bu
they like men have transgressed tn,
covenant: there have they deal
treacherously against me- Tvs. Al
And then with one majestic word
the Lord Jesus sweeps away the las
prop from beneath these blind leaders
of the blind. The Son OF Man sal,
He is Lord of the Sabbath. (v. s.
1t was a terrible blow and by it Juda
ism was smashed to pieces. The Sab
bath was gone; the priests werl
gone the temple itself was gone-an,
, in their place there stood One create
{ than the temple, greater than tn
] priests and Lord of the Sabbath Wha
had they left? II only they wouli
r receive Him. everything was left. Il
Him they would have found tempt
r the priest and Sabbath-rest. Blu
( they would not have Him-and thei
p house was left to them desolate.
y How hard it was for Him to give ther
q up. One last effort would be made. II
Y departed thence and went into thei
= synagOgue'-it was their synagogue now
! He had no part in It. And behold, a ma
y having a withered hand. And they aske
o Him saying, Is it lawful to heal on tn
l Sabbath day? that they might accus
y him. Tvs 3, 10) They are now out in tn
Open hunting for His life. They will nc
be content until they have killed N
Heir and seized the inheritance. II
: knows their hearts. and yet, with wha
, marvellous patience does He answe
o them! What man shall there be of yol
1 that shall have one sheep, and if this IA
p into pit on the Sabbath day, will he nC
Il lay hold on It. and lift it out? How niue
n then is a man OF more value than a sheer
y Wherefore it is lawful to do good on III
{ Sabbath day. Then saith He to the maj
a Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretche
3 il forth and it was restored whole, q
:. the other Tvs. 1l-13) This was the Lord
$ doing and a great cause for rejoicing an
: Thanksgiving, to say nothing more Of /
but the Pharisees went out and toe
> counsel against Him, how they migl
= destroy Him. Tvs. 14)
= $50 the die was cast and Israers dooi
was sealed. Jesus needed not that anyor
should tell Him what was In man, and II
clearly saw that there was nothing bl
n the intensest hatred for Him among II
y people And Jesus perceiving it withdre
n from thence w. 15) This is a most solem
# word. He withdrew from thence Fro
s that moment His testimony is confined
" the future in view OF His approachir
" death on the cross, followed by His pr
o longed absence from the earth and II
n return in power and great glory at n
IS end of the age. Meanwhile Israel is s.
y aside. blinded in part, till the fulness
= the Gentiles be come in. (Romans III
- remnant out of Israel. according to a
election of grace. will also turn TO Hi
=, while He is visiting the Gentiles to tai
d, out of them a people for His name. Thl
II we read here that as He withdrew fro
Te thence many followed Him and He heal,
'e them all. and charged them that tn,
l. should not make Him known; that