Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-09-16
THREE
QUESTIONS
Sunday School Ls,'On for Sept. IL, 1910
Specially Arranged for This PsHs;

GOLDEN TEXT.-"Render theretuIo
unto Caesar tho things which my
are qod's"--Matt. 22!22.
TIME.-Tuesday. April "a. ~ u. sV'
The same day as our last lesson
PIACE.-Tho Court OF the Temple In
Jerusalem.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The rulers Of the Jews had deter
mined on the death Of Jesus mark
1913, and we're now seeking some
way Of ensnaring Jesus into express
ing opinions which could be used as an
accusation for which he could be con
victed In the courts. But by Jesus au-
swers Divine truth was made more
clear.
The question was asked by a willy
combination OF two parties. II was. Ls
lt 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 u
| tho 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 a Pharisee
named zadok, formed a 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
licentiousness, 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 II
I ottIlth lilDOSSlDlt lOI nut 10 hCII-
ously damage his cause. II he decided
for either jarty. the other would be his
enemy. He was sailing between Scylla
and Charybdis. II he said II was not
right TO pay taxes, he would be in col
! lision with the whole Roman power,
which would regard and treat him as n
criminal. His career would be ended.
II he said II 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 arc Caesars"
/ The image and superscription on the
coin implied the sovereignty of Caesar.
The Jews. by using the coins. In so fa1
were served by the Roman govern,
ment. They therefore owed II 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 right to
claim love and obedience from them.
Christians have TO live In countries
where the government is not perfect.
and It 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-.
pirs. 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. II 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 II possible to be re-
! blOANNB W itNCANC Nuo bW0otNr.
more perfect image OF Gods holiness.
When Tamerlane was In his wars.
one Of his captains dug up a great poA
of gold, and brought It 20 him. Tanner.
lane asked whether It had his fathers
stamp upon 1t; but when be saw It had
the Roman stamp. and not his fathers.
he would not own It.
lawyer. scribe. a student ana
teacher Of the law. asked, Master.
which is the great commandment of
the lawf" Tempting him, testing hjr,
to see what kind of en- answer thu
wise teacher would give to one OF the
stock questions which divided tAa
Jewish teachers into rival schools. for
he realized that Jesus had answered
wisely the Sadducee's question (Mark).
All we have and are we owe 70
him; and the only way In which wO
can make any return is to love him