The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-10


So ger has a very diff
fereut meaning
from our general usage. 1t applied to
those religious teachers of the Jews
who made special professions Of sane
tity of heart and earnest desire to
know Gods will, as expressed In the
Mosaic Law. and to teach the same to
the people. The corresponding class
of today are designated Doctors of
Divinity. Our text, therefore. with
this correction reads. Woe unto you.
Doctors of Divinity, for We have taken
away the Key of Knowledge; you en-
tered not in yourselves, and them that
We're entering We hindered."
"Ths Common People Heard Jesus
Gladly"
1t was the custom amongst the Jews
that lessons from the Law and the
Prophets should be read every day in
their synagogueS The people We're
thus familiar with the letter Of the
Divine Law and promises. The ma
jority of them, Of course, We're Hitter
ate. for educational facilities were not
what they are now. AS a result only
a few claimed to have an understand
ing of the spiritual part of the Law
and the Prophets. These were chiefly
of the literary and wealthy classes.
To these the common people looked
for guidance respecting the Divine
will and plan.
AS an illustration. When the com
mon people heard Jesus gladly they
were unwilling to trust their own judg
ments. but inquired, Have any of the
Scribes and Pharisees believed on
Him." Have the Doctors of the Law.
the Doctors of Divinity. endorsed Him?
They have made study of these
things and we would rely more upon
their Judgment than upon our own.
But none of the Scribes and Pharisees
endorsed Him. and hence comparative
ly few of the people believed Him and
became His disciples.
The common people were hungry for
the Message which Jesus brought 1t
is recorded that they said of Jesus
teachings, Never man spake like this
Man." The nation would have gone
over promptly to Jesus had the Scribes
and PhariseeS, the Doctors Of the Law.
set the example and given the word.
Moreover, the teachings Of Jesus har-
mOniZed the message of the Law and
the Prophets over which the Scribes
and the Pharisees and the Sadducees
had long wranged and disputed. Had
the Doctors of the Law been as hun
CRY for the Truth as were the people,
undoubtedly all Of their differences of
Interpretation of the Old Testament
solved in the light of the then present
Truth and knowledge Of God, which
was shining upon the Bible through
the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Apostles
being Jehovahs mouthpieces.
The Key of knowledge Buried.
In our text Jesus charged the Jewish
Doctors of Divinity with the response
bility of having taken away the Key Of
knowledge. refusing to use it them
selves to enter into the great apprecia-
ton of the blessings then due, and hid
ing it from the common people who
that the same thing Is true today. Not
only were the Jewish people typical of
spiritual Israel. and their Age typical
of this Age, and their Harvest typical
of the Harvest or closing time of this
Age, but additionally, now as then.
Gods people perish for lack of knowl-
edge" Hosea iv, g. Now, as then. the
Doctors Of Divinity will not use the
Key of knowledge themselves. to ell
ter heartily into the wonderful privi-
leges and blessings now due. and addi-
tionally they have buried the Key Of
knowledge. hiding it from the people
under a mass of forms and ceremonies
But Is Knowledge Necessary
In our Lords day the Jewish Doctors
of Divinity, or Rabbits, contented them
selves with telling the people what
they should do and what they should
not do. but they did not teach the peO-
ple-they did not help them to any un-
Outstanding of the deep meaning of the
Law and the Prophets. In our text
Jesus said to the I'D. DIS" You bind
heavy burdens on the people. grievous
to be borne" but you do not attempt to
carry those burdens yourselves.
1t is so to this day with the Jewish
Rabbis. as well as with other Minis
ters; for instance, minister stands as
a representative and mouthpiece of the
church creed. which in round-ab
terms declares that whoever does not
live a sanity life will suffer an eter-
nifty of torment. Is not this griev.