The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-03-20
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les.
son for Teachers and Pupils.
BY CHAS. X. MEYERS.

A>~~~~-~A~~A~~~->~
March 24.-Feasting and Fasting
Mark 1922.
The scenes of the lesson are on the
shores Of the Sea of Galilee. The first
incident of the day to which our at
tention is called is that of the calling
of the disciple Levi also known as
Matthew There are at least three
strong points about the calling of
Levi worthy of careful thought. The
first OF these is that Jesus called to
be His special companions men from
all walks of life. We have before
learned how He called the lowly fish
ermen, Peter, James, John, Andrew,
men of good repute, but of the humb-
Ter class. Today we shall catch a
thought of the widening out OF the
mission Of Jesus; that He came for the
rich and the poor, and particularly
those who were sinful and who needed
Him the most.
F, Of course all remember that at the
time when Jesus was on the earth,
the Jews were under the rule of the
Roman empire, and therefore the rails.
ing and the collection of taxes was a
leading question. The tax collector
for hated Rome was most unpopular
man and looked upon as low in the
social scale, although usually one OF
~
whom Jesus saw at his place of bust.
ness collecting money and whom he
addressed with the command, Follow
me-" To the marvel of the people
about, this rich man rose from his
place and joined himself to the cause
of the lowly Jesus.
slLevi shortly after made a great
|. asst at his house and invited Jesus
and his friends. Now these friends
of Levi were looked on by the self
righteous Jews as certain sinners, and
not worthy of being made social equals
to the extent of eating with them. So
these Jews came to Jesus, finding fault
with His conduct. These received
the answer which is used as the gold
en- text OF the lesson, II came not to
call the righteous but sinners to re-
pentance."
This declaration of Jesus has been
subject of many, many sermons in
the past and will be likewise used in
the years to come. His call was not
to the self-righteous. but to those VINO
recognized that they were not perfect.
had lived wrong lives, and ready to
do better by Gods help. That let's us
all in. There are even christian peo
pie today who are self-righteous and
seem to desire to keep the gospel
message to just their set, or those
who are of the same station in life.
Let the good God give judgment as
to them and their hurtfulness to His
cause. 1t is one of the blessed things
which goes with the christian religion
in foreign lands where the caste feel
ing prevails, that all followers of
Jesus love Him in common, and be-
coming christian means equality as
far as the existing castles are con-
cerned.
The self-righteous Jews who as
sumed to tell the people just what
they should do, to obtain favor with
God, made much of fasting and many
forms and ceremonies. 1t shocked
them much that Jesus paid no atten-
ton to what they tried to make people
believe was true religion. He came to
teach that God is spirit and those
who worship Him must do so in spirit
. and in truth; that to obey Gods will
is better than outward forms and cere.
monies; that fasting or eating much
did not effect ones eternal salvation.
knowing full well that in a short time
the joy of His bodily presence would
be denied His disciples, Jesus found
no fault if while with Him they ate as
hunger and inclination demanded.