The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-07

What the Church Folks Are Thinking
About and Doing. Religious News
From Everywhere.
SUNDAY school LESSON AND YOUNG PEOPLES ToPIc.

itself up to prideful vituperation
against all who break man-made rules,
with the result that the projectors Of
what at first gave promise OF being a
vital movement gave up in disgust
The twentieth century has brought
in many real and pressing and perplex-
ing problems in connection with the
Lords Day. These cannot honorably
be evaded; the church must face the
issue, or else lose the day. The subject
is an fnsistent one to be answered only
in the light of the eternally contempor-
aneous teachings of Jesus. If the pull
pit has no message here, its voice will
not be needed pom themes which less
directly affect human life.
A Few Guide Posts.
There is light in this lesson. Any
one who sincerely wants to know his
duty with respect to the Sabbath Day
may find help here. First of all. he
must get rid of the depressing con-
ception of the Sabbath which is so
j prevalent. Gods win is not meant to
be a hardship. Jesus taught that the
law of the Father for his children is
not a repressive. constructive, joy-kill-
ing thing h Sabbath was not de-
signed as a burden. but as an uplift;
it is not to be dreaded but to be en-
joyed.
At a single stroke Jesus cleared
away the thorn hedges which had
grown UP about this all-important in
IN ~ FNA3 e. IL
man. and not man for the Sabbath
How the stern old rabbis must have
gasped at those words! With them
Gods will and mans veal were two
thoughts, not one. They considered
the law as made to humble and hurt,
and not to help and heal. No matter
how strict its observance, it is a fail
ure except it please and profit a man.
There's No Righteousness in being mis-
cradle, our Puritan fathers to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
A word of caution is. however. nec-
essary at his point. The sabbath was
made for mans highest welfare; he
does not get most of it who uses it
for the service of his lowest desires.
If the Lords day leaves a man stron-
ger in Drawn, but weaker in spirit
and upward impulses, it has been a
poorly spent Sabbath. The practice of
Jesus, and the teaching of the Scrip
lures. are unequivOcally in favor of
worship and spiritual cultivation on
this day which is set apart for the
cOmmemoration of o The Lords
Day is to be kept in the Lords way.
Works of necessity and mercy is
a phrase still sufficient to limit Sab
bath employment. Jesus and his dis
ciples did not hesitate to pluck corn on
the Sabbath. and no less thar seven
of his miracles were performed on tha
day. Whatever is for the help of man
and for the glory of God is entirely
appropriate on the day that is the
Lords.
The Gentle Jesus Angry.
A curious fact about the gospel stor-
les of Jesus an the Sabbath is that he
usually appears in the light Of a Sab
bath breaker. He was Lord of the
| Sabbath, yet the rigid legalism of lis
mode put him in the attitude of op-
position to the prescribed practices. He
saw, of course, the rea meaning of the
institution. and did not hesitate to min
I iGrRT2 thereon IN human needs fhnvr
missed the point entirely.
The PhariSeeS were on the watch for
lapses on his part from their strict
code. They heard naught of beauty in
his words, and saw nothing fine in his
help and healing so freely extended
to the suffering So does suspicion
blind the mind to what is most worth
seeing. This cat-like and hateful at
titude quickly found grounds to justify
itself no man ever sought blemishes
without soon satisfying himself that
he had found them.
The value of man was voted highly,
Jesus. he oathed the state of mind
which would put a rabbinfcal inter
probation above a human life. When
criticised for healing the man with a
withered hand, he pointed out the in
consistency of their position reIig-
ion of mere rules is always inconsistent
for they permitted the extension Of
help to a dumb beast They were 81
fenced, but unchanged in spirit. He
read their minds, and he looked round
about on them with anger"
Yes, Jesus, was angry. Not only die
? he excoriate, with burning speech, an6
} hold up to the scorn Of the m%uItitudes
: these self-esteeming, hfnt-hearteC
: Pharisees, but he also was filed with
indignation at them. for their perver-
!. sion of Gods great law. The man who
has not a capacity for righteous wratF
is not a Christ-like man. It was thu
hatred of these enemies of the com
mon good whom he had so often pill
loried hat finally did to death on Cal
vary the gentle Teacher of Gods love
and mans ihartr.