The Yale expositor., 1906-04-06

cident is related much later in Mat
thew than in the other Gospels, be-
cause of Matthews tendency TO group
events topically rather than arrange
them chronologically. In his twelfth
chapter Matthew masses together va
rious indications OF rising opposition
to Christ. of which this was one. We
study 1t therefore out of Matthew's or
der, but in Marks and Luke's.
l. AT that time" II. v. season
Probably some Sabbath in the month
Nissan. '-Cambridge Bible. In late
spring or early summer. as Christ was
! journeying In Galilee. Jesus went on
the Sabbath day through the corn"
| The disciples and Jesus were walking
along a public path through a field,
with standing grain on either side.
! The grain C'cOrn") was wheat, or, less
! likely, barley. His disciples were
an hungred." They were doubtless on
! their way to or from the morning serv-
ice in the synagogue, and "the rab-
! binical law allowed no eating on the
! Sabbath, except in case Of sickness,
prior to the morning prayers of the
synagogue. A similar canon in the
ritualistic churches of to-day forbids
| breaking the fast before partaking Of
the communion. Abbott. And be-
gan to pluck the ears of corn" The
ever-watchful Pharisees criticised as
soon as the disciples began to do this.
2. Behold. thy disciples" Christ
was not plucking and eating the grain,
but the fault-finding Pharisees see
chance to make a point against him
through his disciples, implying that he
permitted their act, and was therefore
responsible for it. DO that which is
not lawful to do" Permission to
pluck and eat ears of standing corn
was given by the Law, provided that
no instrument was used (Deut. %:
25). '-Swete. But the Pharisees had
arbitrarily decided that this humane
permission was not operative upon
the sabbath day" because, forsooth,
lit involved at least two sins. viz,
plucking the ears, which was reaping,
and rubbing them in their hands,
which was sitting, grinding, or fan
ming.
Our Savior therefore, pleaded the
cause of the disciples so much more
eagerly. because now their lives were
in danger; for the canons of the
scribes adjudged them TO stoning for
what they had done. if so be it could
be proved that they had done it pre-
sumptuously. "-Lightfoot, Horae He
braicae.
H. Christ Answers the Question with
Two Bible Examples.-Vs. SIS. AS in
the temptation, and under many other
circumstances, our Lord draws his ar
guments from the Bible.
8. Have we not read" This ques-
ton, favorite formula of the rabbis,
is used ironically. Perhaps the very
passage referred to had been read in
the synagogue only few minutes be-
fore. What David did" one of the
greatest of the Hebrews. See l Sam.
81: II. when he was an hungred."
THE prefix an, like the in athirst is
a proposition, equivalent to on or in,
so that the whole expression means in
(the state of being) hungered and hun
gry."-Morison. And they that were
with him. 1.-The young men," whom
David was to meet afterwards. He
came to Mob alone. Int. Crit. Com.
4. How he entered into the house
of God" THE Tabernacle. 1t was at
this time in Mob, town of Benjamin
near Jerusalem. "-Swete. And did
eat the shewbread." The twelve
loaves, corresponding to the twelve
tribes of Israel, kept on the golden Ia
bic in the Holy Palace to show"
God as the Provider of his peoples
food. (Which was not lawful for him
10 eat E. but only for the priests"
Nor, indeed, were the priests allowed
to eat the fresh bread. but only that
which was removed.
This example teaches that love is
superior to law, and is illustrative of
the great principle of spiritual religion
propounded by the prophet Hosea, i
desire mercy and not sacrifice -
Crosby. Gods Sabbath law is always
to be interpreted as permitting works
of necessity and mercy"
5. "Or have we not read in the law"
In such passages as Mum. %: 9. 10.
THE priests in the temple profane the
sabbath" by kindling fires for the
burnt offerings and bearing the sacri-
fees and utensils through the temple.
The Sabbath was the priests busiest
day."-Abbott. And are blameless."
Because by the labor of few they
made possible the worship of the
many: moreover. this labor of the
priests contributed to their own wor-
ship.
This example teaches that, as a lit
eral Interpretation of the Sabbath law
must give way TO actual necessity, so
also must ii yield to the requirements
of worship. Ministers, Sunday-school
workers in charities and missions,
choir singers. physicians, find the Sab
bath busy day., but II need not be a
whit less holy.
III. Christ Answers the Question