The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-04-27
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les.
son for Teachers and Pupils.
By CHAs. K. MEYERS.

May /. Two Sabbath Incidents.
Matt. 12:l-l4.
It might be noted in the beginning
that the events Of the day We study
at THE time are told not alone in
Matthew, but in Mark 2:23-28 and
Luke 6:l-5 Our lesson relates to
sshat took place on Sabbath days. In
one the disciples Of Jesus ate gram
ont OF . field through which they were
passing. q another time Jesus healed
t ! man with a withered hand.
On reading Deut. 23:24-25 it will
be found that according to the law Of
Moses, it was lawful to enter the
vineyard of . neigbhor and eat all
the grapes one wanted providing he
did not carry any of the premises in
: vessel: and likewise one could on
passing field Of grain pluck some
and eat. but no sickle could be
FUSED. To give further understanding
.of the lesson it should be recalled
how David vas given sacred bread
from off the alter by the priests
when he and some Of his soldiers
svere very hungry.
1t would appear that on certain
Sabbath day the disciples Of Jesus
ate grain from ont Of . field. The
Jews who were sticklers for keeping
the outward letter Of the law Of
Moses, and the code Of regulations
which had grown up since, found
Eaait with Jesus for letting the dis
riples eat the grain. 10 defense
Jesus called to their minds what
I David did, and was held blameless.
It sometimes seems strange why Jesus
performed 30 many deeds on the
Jewish Sabbath when He knew. Of
course, what the Jews would think
and say.
1t seems to me that He wanted to
Show that the spirit Of the keeping
OF the Sabbath was more important
than the mere outward fern of doing
90. In the old days Of Jewish history
Il will be remembered that Samuel
tDld Saul that to obey was better than
Il sacrifice. Later. in Hosea &c that
prophet wrote the words quoted by
Jesus in the lesson Of today, ~ de-
sire mercy and not sacrifice. y In
Aisah 6:8 the Jews were told that
God asked them to do justly. to love,
tmercy and walk humbly before Him.
Jesus called the attention Of the self :
righteous Jews about Him to these
words from the Law which they pre-
tended to hold 80 sacred. AZ David
aby the right Of necessity could law,
fully take the sacred bread. 30 Jesus
the Son Of God. had power to do good
s on the Sabbath day.
Likwise on the Jewish Sabbath
Jesus cured q man who WAS afflicted
With withered hand. He justified
this becaus it was lawful and proper
% do good on the Sabbath day. He
reminded his critics that one could
save or rescue lost Or crippled sheep
and that man Was greater than the
smere animal. u
In the lesson Of this date Jesus is
-shewing the Jews about Him, and 10
'that we please God best when obeying
His commands to show love and
mercy, rather than in On outward
4 compliance with the letter Of the law.
The action Of Jesus at this time and
B The arguments He made, have with us
alWays had bearing on the oft dis
putsd question Of keeping the first.
and not the seventh day. holy and
Il sacred. Those who hold out for the
seventh day are like the narrow Jews
~ old, who magnified the letter Of the
coznmands Of the laws. Those who
contend for the first day are more in
lins With the broad thoughts Of Jesus,
- expressed In the lesson Of this day.
whether Monday, Sunday, Wednesday,
Saturday are kept sacred makes no
differences in the sight Of God. he .
aks one day out Of the seven. To
magnify the keeping Of Saturday %
the chief article Of christian faith is
70 US narrow and trivial, afailure to
grasp the greatness and broadness Of
the gospel Of the blessed jesus. So
the lesson Of his date should make us
nj truer. broader. causing Us to catch
= glimpse Of the liberty which Christ
Jesus has given Us. and then live by
at.
"A GOOD COUGH MIXTURE