The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-09-16
THREE
QUESTIONS
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. Is, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON rExT.-Matthew 22:15-22.
34-46. Memory verses 1879
GOLDEN TEXT-"Render therefore
unto Caesar. the things which are
are Gods. Matt 22:22.
-, TIME-Tuesday. April IA, A. D. 80.
The same day as our last lesson.
PLACE.--The Court Of the Temple III
Jerusalem.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The rulers of the Jews had deter
mined on the death of Jesus mark
11:18), and, were now seeking some
way of ensnaring Jesus into express
ting opinions which could be used as an
accusation for which he could be con-
victed in the courts. But by Jesus an
swers Divine truth was made more
clear
The question was asked by a willy
combination of two parties. 1t was, Is
1t lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or
not? The Pharisees sent their disci-
pies, learners, students, who would
come as those who wanted to learn,
and not as the teachers who, being
supposed to know, would appear to be
merely wanting to entrap Jesus, "a
cunning Device" These would repre-
sent one side of the question, opposed
to paying tribute to Caesar.
Fierce opposition was offered to
the tribute law :. which was regard
ed as an impiety, inasmuch as no Lord
could be recognized but God. .
Others offered opposition to the legal
ity Of the tax, while one leader, Judah
of Gamala, associated with Pharisee
named Zadok, formed party to work
solely on this line of attack. Then ven
geance was sworn against whomso-
ever should transgress the Mosaic law,
and the Zealots were pious assassins
who imposed upon themselves the sa.
cred obligations of killing all trans
gressors of the law
The Herodians were adherents of
the Herods, who owed what power
they possessed to the Roman govern.
ment. "They We'd with the Sadduces
in skepticism, and with the Greeks In
Righteousness, pandered to the vice
and cruelty of the Herods and truckled
to the Romans" These represented
the other side of the question, favoring
tribute to Caesar, and opposed to the
Messianic hopes of the Pharisees.
No matter which side Jesus took 1t
seemed impossible for him not to seri-
ously damage his cause. If he decided
for either jarty, the other would be his
enemy. He was sailing between Scylla
ND I, 4 - 4
right to pay taxes, he would be in col.
lision with the whole Roman power
which would regard and treat him as a
criminal. His career would be ended
If he said 1t was lawful for the Jews
the great mass of the people would be
against him, and he would lose his
hold upon them; for they hated the
Roman government, and one of the
first and greatest things they expected
of the Messiah was deliverance from
this subsection to a foreign power
The taxes were a constant cause of
revolt"
They say unto him, Caesars
pronounced Kaisar by Romans and
Greeks. 1t is the German kaiser and
Russian czar). Render therefore unto
Caesar the things which are Caesars. !"
The image and superscription on the
coin implied the sovereignty of Caesar.
The Jews, by using the coins, in so far
were served by the Roman govern
ment. They therefore owed 1t some
service in return. This service was the
payment of taxes.
"And unto God the things that are
Gods" God as your maker, preserver,
giver of countless good gifts, one of
the choicest of which was the gift of
his Son, their Messiah. had a right to
claim love and obedience from them.
Christians have to live in countries
where the government Is not perfect,
and 1t is their duty to be good citizens
in them. the best citizens they have.
This was one of the ways by which
Christianity conquered the Roman en-
pire. To have fought the empire with
their worldly weapons would have
been ruin; as Christ himself said:
For all they that take the sword shall
perish with the sword" Matt. 26: 52).
Gods image is stamped in the soul
of man. 1t is sometimes soiled in the
mire of sin, dimmed by the friction of
worldly cares, bent and distorted by
wrongs done and wrongs received; but
every man was created in the image of
God. This makes 1t possible to be re-
stored, to receive the fuller, sweeter.
more perfect image of Gods holiness.
When Tamerlane was in his wars.
one of his captains dug up a great pot
of gold, and brought tito him. Tanner.
lane asked whether 1t had his fathers
stamp upon it; but when he saw 1t had
he Roman stamp. and not his fathers,
he would not own 1t.
A lawyer. scribe. a student and
teacher of the law. asked. Master.
which is the great commandment of
the law" Tempting him. testing him
to see what kind of an answer the
wise teacher would give to one of the
stock questions which divided the
Jewish teachers into rival schools, for
he realized that Jesus had answered
wisely the Sadducee's question Mark.