The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-04-21
Two Sabbath
Incidents
Sunday School Lesson for May I. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT.-hatthew l2:l-H Mem
DRY verses H. -.
GOLDEN TENT will have mercy,
and not sacrifice. Matt. 1871
TlME.-Early summer OF A. D. IS. Mark
and Luke place the event earlier than
Matthews grouping would indicate.
PLACE.-Some field and synagogue In
Galilee; probably In Capernaum.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
A Work Of Necessity.-Vs. Is. The
Cause OF Criticism w. ~. What act
Of the disciples seemed to defy the
law of the Sabbath? Can you not
imagine that quiet Sabbath afternoon
walk through the ripening corn-fields!
The sun is declining in the western
sky, there is not cloud in the blue
heavens. the breath OF wind stirs the
wheat-field now white with harvest
Tomorrow busy reapers will be here
with the sickle, TO begin the great
work of the year-the cutting and car
rying of the grain. Then the heavy
ears and the light ears. the scarlet
poppy and the blue-bottle and the
purple corn-cockle will be mown down
together. AS Jesus and the twelve
walk through the corn-fields they are
hungry. and they pluck the ripe ears,
rub them in their hands, blow away
the light husk. and eat the hard
brownyellow grains that remain in
their palms."-Rev. s. Barring Gould.
The Charge ". p. What was il in
the act that the Pharisees. spying
upon them, objected to? Not taking
the grain OF eating II. but the manual
work involved. Reaping and thresh-
ing were properly forbidden on the
Sabbath. and the Pharisees insisted
that plucking grain with the hands
was kind OF reaping. and rubbing
the husk OF was kind of threshing.
c. The Fourfold Reply Tvs. S-S).
Our Lords answer to the Pharisees'
charge is especially interesting be-
cause OF its variety.
First Reply, the Example OF David
Tvs. 3. ~, who. when fleeing from
Saul. persuaded Ahimelech the priest
to feed him and his hungry followers
with the twelve symbolic loaves OF
bread kept on the golden table in the
Holy Place OF the tabernacle to signify
that God was the proyider of the peo-
pies food
Moreover, this was done on the Sab
bath, the day when the loaves were
changed (see Inductive Study 81, and
no one but the priests was allowed
to eat that sacred food Thus Jesus
met them first on their own ground;
because life Is more than law. even
according to rabbis. Ian Maclaren."
II was an illustration of the far great
er importance OF human need than
any ceremonial requirement or out
ward form. however sacred. Per
haps there may be just hint in the
double Have ye not read? ptat they
could not produce Scripture for their
prohibition, as he would do for the
liberty which he allowed. The first
illustration is perhaps chosen with
some reference TO the parallel between
himself. the true King, now unrecog-
nized and hunted with his humble fol-
lowers. and the fugitive outlaw with
his band."-Alexander Maclaren. DID.
Second Reply. the Example OF the
Priests Tvs. 8, g.. for whom the Sab
bath is the busiest day OF the week.
But no one blames them. but rather
all men praise them. because they are
serving Gods holy temple.
Third Reply. the Laws Real Re-
quirement ". -, which is mercy, and
not sacrihce-a point upon which the
prophets often insist
Fourth Reply. Christs Authority w.
81. Marks account precedes these
words with the notable utterance.
The Sabbath was made for man. and
not man for the Sabbath" The Sab
bath was not made TO annoy man, re-
strict him, impoverish him. but TO en-
rich him, free him from bondage to
toll, bless him with the highest joys
that God can bestow upon him.
A Work OF Mercy.-Vs. 9-14. A. The
Blessed Opportunity Tvs. 9, 10). What
ia the best test OF correct Sabbath
keeping? See whether IL conforms to
Christ's example! Seven Of his re-
corded miracles we're performed on
the Sabbath; among them. this OF tho
withered hand.
What sad case won Christ's sym.
pathy? A man which had his hand
withered.-his right hand, the most
useful one, as Luke the physician
carefully noted.
Tradition says the man begged
Christ 10 heal him, and Luke tells us
that the scribes and Pharisees were
there watching him. as they had
logged his steps through the wheat
field,-watching him furtively, the
Greek implies.
How was the cure performed! With
a look of sorrow and indignation cast
upon the cold-hearted Pharisees
MARK. and with only a calm COM
mand to the cripple. stretch forth
thine hand" Perhaps only the hand
was withered. but probably the arm
also was paralyzed, and II the man
had stopped to think and reason, in
stead OF promptly obeying. he would
not have been healed. And IL was
restored whole"
The Unmerciful Pharisees ". 1D.
What effect had the miracle on the
Pharisees? They could bring no
charge against Christ, for he had done