The Yale expositor., 1910-04-29
Two Sabbath
Incidents
Sunday School Lesson for May 1. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TENT.-MattheW 12l-H Mem
DRY verses H. L.
GOLDEN TENT will have mercy.
and not sacrifice. Matt. 1877.
TlME.--Early summer or A. ID. %. Mark
and Luke place the event earlier than
Matthew's grouping would indicate.
PLAcE.-Some field and synagogue in
Galilee; probably in Capernaum.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
A Work OF Necessity Tvs. 1-S. The
Cause CT criticism ". ~. What act
of the s'rciples 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-fleld 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-felds they are
hungry, and they pluck the ripe ears,
rub them in their hands, blow away
the light husk, and eat the hard
brown-yellow grains that remain in
their palms. Rev. s. Barring Gould.
The Charge ". p. What was it in
the act that the Pharisees. spying
upon them, objected 10? Not taking
the grain or 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 a kind of reaping, and rubbing
the husk off was kind of threshing,
c. The Fourfold Reply Tvs. 3-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 provider of the peo-
Plies food.
Moreover, this was done on the Sab
bath, the day when the loaves were
changed (see lnductive 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."
IL 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 yc not read? that 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. "-Alexande Maclaren. ID.
Second Reply, the Example of the
Priests Tvs. 5, 81, 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 ". y, which is mercy, and
not sacrifice--a point upon which the
prophets often insist
Fourth Reply. Christs Authority ".
81. Marks account precedes these
words with the notable uttersnce,
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. 8, 10). What
is the best test of correct Sabbath
keeping? See whether II conforms to
Christ's example, Seven of his re-
corded miracles were performed on
the Sabbath; among them, this of the
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 to heal him, and Luke tells us
that the scribes and Pharisees were
there watching him, as they had
logged his steps through the wheat
feld,-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 If the man
had stopped to think and reason, in
stead of promptly obeying. he would
not have been healed. And II was
restored whole"