The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-02
BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.
a SIGN FROM HEAVEN.
ITo-I- x-iii R-NOvember :


The Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus
day were perplexed by His success In
reaching the people. True, those who
heard Him gladly were chiefly of the
common people, whom the jewish
teachers refused to recognize as bretn-
rem. They considered Jesus competitor
and feared for their own regulations
because of the superiority of Jesus,
whose wonderful Words of Life"
touched the hearts of many.
These Pharisees came to find fault.
They asked him for "a sign from
the signs He was giving. Ignoring these
they said, We want a heavenly sign;
give us this and We will believe.
In order to be able to sympath1ze
with the rulers of the Jews, we must
remember how different were the proofs
of Jesus Messiahship from what they
had supposed. The Prophecies told
many things of Messiah, but they had
given heed to those which spoke of the
power that would come to the Jewish
alton.
Other Scriptures tell of how Messiah
should "be led as a Lamb to the
slaughter and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, SO He would open
not His mouth" They tell of how He
would preach deliverance to the cap
tives," and the opening of the eyes of
the blind, but this they associated with
the glorious Kingdom. Their difficulty
was that they lacked humility and were
not teachable. The "Israe elites indeed"
had misunderstanding of the. prophe-
cies but were open to conviction. and
to these the Masters teachings were
attractive. They were guided to the
correct understanding of the Divine
Plan land were ready for the Pentecos-
tai blessings as part of the "elect."
e.. No Sign But That of Jonah.
Our lesson tells that Jesus asked.
1,%1 - H., 49,
sign?'' refusing to give them sign.
ST.. Matthew (xvi, Id gives a more
detailed account: Jesus called the at
tention of the Pharisees to the signs
that He was giving. and then said there
would be one ''sign" given that nation.
That sign did have a great effect
upon thousands of Jews on Pentecost
Day, and upon their hearing st. Pc
ter respecting the death of Jesus.
His three days in the tomb and His
resurrection. Jesus cited the sign of
Jonah-that so the Son of Man would
be similar period in the EARTH and
so He would come forth.
Higher critics may fight out their
opposition to our Lords statement;
according to them, Jesus and the
Apostles were deceived; but according
to Jesus and the Apostles, the Higher
Critics are deceived.
The Leaven of the Pharisees.
Jesus cautioned His disciples against
the doctrine of the Pharisees-He lik-
ened it to leaven. Gods Word Is
Truth, the bread upon which His peo-
pie are to feed; but they are to use
pure Truth. This caution was neces-
sary because the Pharisees were the
most holy sect amongst the Jews. The
most jealous Jews, therefore, were at
tracted to that sect. Its association
with the best things made it's teach
ingS the more dangerous, because in
termingled with human traditions.
So today; no matter how holy any
denomination may claim to be, we are
to beware. of their false doctrine. The
pure Truth of Gods Word lis sufficient,
that the man of God may be thorough
ly furnished unto every good work.
Let US, of all denominations, unite
in full. conservation 70 our Redeemer,
and stand free from all creeds, for
there is but one Lord, one Faith one
Baptism, one God, one Church of the
Firstborn."
Perceive Yet Not Yct?"
The disciples missed the point of Je-
suss parabolic statement about the
leaven of the Pharisees. Their eyes OF
understanding were not widely open,
and Jesus plainly told them that they
were slow to perceive the spirit of His
words.
He reminded them of the five thou
sand fed with. five loaves, and of the
other feeding of four thousand with
seven loates, and asked, How, then,
do you not understand?
The same thing is noticeable today
in Bible Study; the spirit of our Lords
teachings is often missed by some
whose minds center around incidentals.
The remedy for this is q more careful
study of the Divine Word.
Another Peculiar Healing.
At Bethsaida a blind man was
brought to Him. Jesus led him out
beyond the village and spat upon his
eyes and put His hands upon him and
asked him if he saw anything. He
said that he saw something that look
ed like trees moving about Again
Jesus put His hands upon his eyes and
he saw clearly. The object in en-
ploying this method is not clear, bur
probably the man lacked faith and Je-
sus was developing it in him.
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