Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-14

Render unto Caesar ae thlhSs liiat
are Caesars: and unto sou tile tiiiiiSs
| that are Gods"
The Pharisees and Sdducees OF oup
.ord's dav were the leaers OF religion
| They had formed a tfst or fedora
tion. so to speak. and raHiy made an
attack upon each other. aRioush tlIeil
doctrines were directly opposed. me
Pharisees acknowledged Go anu the
prophets and the Law, and BheFed In
a future life by a resulrectionFoIil the
dead. and believed in coming 2les-
siah to exalt their nation and broNsh
it to bless the world. The Sadaaces
believed nothing of the kind-they wee
agnostics, Higher Critics. TheE we
making the hes, of the present lle'
doubling any future existence. Hi'
Pharisees opposed Jesus because h"ai
rot acknowledged them, but CRITICISED;
them. and showed the hypociisies o.
their claims to he perfect and hog III
the keeping of the Law. and reppNed
them for tilcir lack or sympathy WIN
the poor and less pretentious.
The Sadducees opposed Jesus bsaus'
from their standpoint of unhelPl' ne
WIS a fraud. But even as a fraue ilieE
would not have bothered themselves u
oppose him; oriy thaJ they perceived
that he was gaining an influence. VIII
the peopIn-an influence which they
feared might sooner or later, lead tC
sone disturbance of the peace ana I'M
favorablv influence the conduct of the
Roman Empire toward the Jews. SC
Il
both opposed Jesus, their opposition
was for different reasons.
Tlu4 triumphal entry Of Jesus mo
Jerusalem. and the crying of the multi
tude, "lIosanna to tie Son Ct David
tie MtssiAhi awakened envy in the
minds of the pharlScts, But il the
Sadducees it produced Il fear that the
common people should become So
aroused as to involve their nation II
some strife with the Empire. The
Pharisans strove to turn away the
sympathy of til" people from the Great
Teacher. and, to this end. sought to
catch him in his words by putting the
question. as it lawful to give tribute?'
They reasoned that if Jesus would
say. 1t is not unlawful. they would
have little difficulty in having him ar
rested rs d leader of Soditicn and thus
compel PLATE to put him to death
They reasoned further that if Jesus
should answer that it was lawful to
give tribute to Caesar he would there
by ALLEVIATE the sympathy Of the multi
tude. which cried "Hosanna,' after
him: fer the Jews held, almost super
ctitiously, the iGca that they, as Gods
Kingdom. must not pay tithcs to any
earthly KinGd om--that it would BE ir.
revent 10 do 50, excepting under com
lIlsion. We notice row artfullV they
cndearcd to en%narc the Master by
"omplimentiag him upon his truthful
ness, saying, Master, VIC know that
thou art truo"bNet only 50, hut they
sought to impress fiphn him their ap-
probation of him as Il r"achcr that
he would teach the light. the Truth at
any cost And 80 they said, Thou
teache5t the way OF God in TRUTH"
And further. they fortified their posi-
ton by saying. "Wo know that thou
rcGard"st rot the p"rson of men,
These treachrrm,s compliments wer,
intended to cnsnare him. but H.
promptly answered. "Wuy tempt He
me We hyrocritcs?" Why do YOU veil
your base designs under euiso IF speak
ing for the Truth? ".ShoW me the trib-
ute money" This was. literally. tho
census coin in which the tax VAS to be
paid. They handed him dcn2rills, til,
usual wage for the day laborer, CORE
spondrG in value to about seventeen.
Of our cents Jesus asked. Whose is
this image and supcrscription" They
answered. "CaeSar's.' Jesus replied
"Rcrdcr unto Caesar the things that
are CAESARS and unto God the things
that are Gods" No wonder the willy