Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-04-05
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR APRIL 8.

Subject: Jesus and the Sabbath, Matt
Kill, 1-14-GOlden Text, Exod. XXX
S-Memory Verses, Z, s. Topic'
The Lords Day.
1. An act of necessity performed Oh
the Sabbath Tvs. 1-8). ]. "At thai
time" 1t must have been in early sum
mer during the harvest season
"Through the corn" To an American
reader the word corn suggests the idea
of Indian corn or maize; but the woru
in the text has reference to grain,
such as wheat. rye or barley. Began
to pluck" They rubbed it in theif
hands luke 6:D to separate the grain
from the chaff. This was allowable &C
cording to the law Deut. 23:25).
"Pharisees saw it," The Pharsees,
who were watching for an opportunity
to catch him, object to the disciples
doing this OH the Sabbath day. They
considered the plucking and rubbing
in the hand sufficiently near to reapihg
and thresEing to constitute them Sec
Ondary violations of the fourth com.
mandment. "Not lawful" The Phari
sees extended their Sabbath regula.
lions beyond what Moses commanded
in order to avoid the possibility OF
transgression. The worthless childish.
ness of the Sabbath rules Christ op
posed may be judged from its Ieins
forbidden to 20 out with needle or
q pen when Friday was closing, as one
might forget to lay them aside before
the Sabbath began. Thirty classes
of work were forbidden. and each OF
these had endless subdivisions. These
regulations tended to make void the
law, and many of them were in direct
opposition to the real design of the
Sabbath. 3. "Have We not read"
To vindicate His disciples Christ re.
ferred the Pharisees to a similar case
recorded in their own Scriptures and
with which they should have been
familiar See / Sam. 2l:l-G. "An
hungered." Our Lord here is not ar
guing for an excuse to break the law,
but for its true construction.
4. "The house of God" The taber.
nacle. ibid eat" Ahimclech. the
priest Mt Mob, gave David and his
companions five loaves of the shew-
bread. The law provided that twelve
loaves of bread should he put in two
piles upon the table in the sanctuary.
to remain week and then to be eaten
by the priests only G.ev. 2:5-9. Now
David. fleeing from Saul, weary and
hungry. had eaten this bread contrary
ment was that if David could do this
without blame i must be right for the
disciples to satisfy their hunger on the
Sabbath day. "Shewbrcad.' Liter
ally bread Of setting f0rth-that is.
bread that was set forth in the sane.
tunry nev. 24:G.S. :. "Profane the
Sabbath" Jesus continued His ar2u.
ment by showing that even the law
under certain circumstances provided
for the doing of that which had been
expressly forbidden by tie law. On
| the Sabbath days rs we'll as on the
other days the priests were engaged in
killing, preparing and burning th" sac
rifices and in performing the whole
| temple service. 1t was one of the say.
ings of the rabhns that there was nc
Sabbath keeping in the temple.
&. "Greater tLGn the temple In
! as much as the one who huiIled thc
! house is greater than the house. Christ
refers there to His own authority and
power. The law-givcr is greater than
| the law. Christ was greater than The
temple. Z. IF We had knowa." y
/ knowledge of the true nearing OF
Gods word will prevent rash judS
mcnt, Jesus here charges His critics
with ignorance of their own prophets
s. Lord even of the sabbath. JeSu:
now afiirms Ilii"seif gre ter than The
statute law OF Moses; nay, He /:
greater than the sabbath law estab
lished by God at the creation. Thu:
does He maintain Himself to be til,
incarn; te Legislator of the world. AT
ter the resurrection of Christ the Jew
ish Sabbath WIS abolished, and TIN
Lords day" Nev. 7:13, or Christian
Sabbath, was given Is in its stead.
IL. An act Of mercy performed OIL
the Sabbath Tvs. 0-12). TO- "Hani
withered." A case of paralysis. Sucl
diseases were considered incurable
Luke say it vas his right hand
"They asked Him." From Luke W
learn that they had been watching Hin
before they asked this question
might accuse" Might bring Him t
trial for breaking +he Sabbath.
II. He said Luke says lie kney
their thought. Jesus proceeded to an
swer them by drawing an argumen
from their own conduct. IF it fall,
etc. This was a self-evideEt propos
ton. Deeds of mercy and humanit
did not infringe on the Sabbath day
"Pit." Cisterns dug in the earth fo
the purpose CT holding water, int
which animals often fell. II. "A ma
better than a sheep" Christ Away
puts an enormous value on man. .
man is of infinitely more consequence
and value than brute. If they woul
show an act of kindness to sheer
would they not show mercy to man
ut is lawful" This was UNIVERSAL
allowed by the Jews themselves.
Is. stretch forth" A remarkabl
command. The man might have rei
s0ned that his hand was withered an
that he could not obey, but being con
manded it was his duty to make I'll
effort; he did so and was healed. Fait
disregards apparent inpossibiitit
where there is a command and prom
Use of God. Restored whole"
little before this Christ had elaine
divine authority; He now proves tn;
He possesses it. these two cases d
termined what may be done on II
Sabbath. The one was a case Of nece
sity. the other of mercy.
IA. Held council" Mark say
they called in the erodians who wei
in favor of the Roman dominion ov,
Judea. Thus did these sticklers fl
the law of Moses unite with its Dol
political subverters in order to accoI
Ciish their designs against Jesus.