The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-10

The Pharisees and Sadducees OF oui
Lords day were the leaders OF re
ligion. They had formed trust OIL
federation. so to speak. and rarely
made an attack upon each other, al
though their doctrines werc directly
opposed. The Pharisees acknowledge
ed God and the prophets and the
Law, and believed in a future life by
a resurrection from the dead, and be
lieved In coming Messiah TO exal
their nation and through II TO bless
the world. The Sadducees believed
nothing of the kind-they were
agnostics, Higher Critics. They were
making the best OF the present life
doubling any future existence. The
Pharisees opposed Jesus because Ht
did not acknowledge them. but criti
cised them, and showed the hypocris
les of their claims to be perfect anC
holy in the keeping of the Law, ant
reproved them for their lack of sym
pathy with the poor and less pre-
tentious.
The Sadducees opposed Jesus be
cause, from their standpoint OF unbe
lief, He was fraud But even as {
fraud they would not have bothered
themselves to oppose Him. only tina
they perceived that He was gaininl
an influence with the people--an in
huence which they feared might. soon
er or later. lead to some disturbance
of the peace and unfavorably influ
ence the conduct of the Roman En-
pire towards the Jews. So while thu
Sadducees and Pharisees both oppos
ed Jesus, their opposition was for diff
ferent reasons.
The tfiumphal entry of Jesus int
Jerusalem, and the crying OF the mul
titude, "Hosanna to the Son o
David" the Messiah! awakened env!
In the minds of the Pharisees. Blu
in the Sadducees IL produced a fea
that the common people should be
come SO aroused as to involve thei
nation in some strife with the En-
pire The Pharisees strove TO turl
away the sympathy OF the people fror
the Great Teacher, and, to this enc
sought to catch Him in His words b
, putting the question, is 1t lawful {
give tribute?'
They reasoned that II Jesus woul
] say. 1t is not unlawful, they woul
, have little difficulty in having Hir
arrested as a leader of sedition an
n thus compel Plate to put Him I
. death. They reasoned further that
|, Jesus should answer that IL was law
:, full 10 give tribute to Caesar II
!, would thereby ALLEVIATE the sympath
= OF the multitude, which cried "Ht
sanna." after Him; for the Jews helt
almost superstitiously, the idea ths
!. they. as Gods Kingdom. must not pa
y tithes TO any earthly Kingdom-tha
;. IL would be irreverent TO do SO, e.
;, cepting under compulsion. We motto
:. now artfully they endeavored to el
!. snare the Master by complimentin
a Him upon His truthfulness, sayin,
= Master; we know that Thou art true.
Not only so. but they sought TO in
press upon Him their appreciation {
Him as a Teacher-that He woul
n teach the light, the Truth. at an
e cost And so they said. Thou teacl
e est the way of God in truth" An
n further, they fortified their positio
l. by saying I'VE know that Thou r,
D gardest not the person of mem"
4, These treacherous compliments wer
4, intended TO ensnare him, but
e promptly answered, why tempt y
8 me, we hypocrites?' Why do yo
N veil your base designs under guise {
E. speaking for the Truth? Show m
t the tribute money" This was. lite
l. ally, the census coin in which the ia
d was to be paid. They handed him
denarius, the usual wage for the d.
laborer, corresponding in value
about seventeen of our cents. Jesu
y asked, Whose is this image and SUI
" erscription?" They answered, "Cae
4. ar's." Jesus replied. Render unt
T. Caesar the things that are Caesar
d and unto God the things that ar
O Gods No wonder the willy Pharisec
were troubled to know how TO cate
d Him in His words On the contrar.
n they were caught: for all of their con
n plimentary remarks stood to His cre1
v In the minds Of the common Peep Q.
8 Next, the Sad6 Gees, the agnostic
h tried TO entrap the Great Teacher
L asking one of their stock question
d Seven different brothers in turn ma
G ried the same woman and all die
before she did. To which of them wi
IT she be wife in the resurrection? The
e did not ask, To which will she
s. wife in heaven or Purgatory or etern;
D. torture, for neither Jesus nor the Jew
n held any such teaching. The Phar
n sees and Jesus taught the resurre
G ION of the dead, and it was again:
o this teaching that the Sadducee
l. aimed their sarcastic question.
II Note the majesty of the Master
" answer: "Ye do err, not knowing tn
a Scriptures. neither the power of God +.
d You do not understand the Scriptur
e teaching respecting such questions
and you are ignoring in your questio
r the great Divine power which. at tha
D resurrection time, will be exercise
r and will straighten out all the difficu
D. ties OF the situation. Then the Gree
r Teacher proceeded to inform thei
D that such as would gradually attai
e 10 the resurrection, such as would ee
), a complete raising up out of sin an
- death dt.ons. would "neithe
marry nor be given in marriage bu
, would he sexless. as are the angels
Thus the supposed great and unai
! swerable question of the Sadducee