Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-17

Throughout Palestine there had
grown up during the years preceding
Jesus birth an institution which was
calculated to accomplish great good for
the people, and the use of which en-
abled Jesus to speak HIS messages to
the people in a way that would not
have been as possible otherwise This
institution was the synagogue. Among
other things it had group of men
who were officers, and of this group
there were three who constituted the
city court, before which came all minor
cases, such as theft, disorderly con-
duct, debt, etc. They we're called the
Rulers of the Synagogue Another,
known as the angel, or messenger OF
the church, was charged with the duty
of leading the congregation in wor-
ship. Three more were deacons with
especial care over the collection and
distribution of gifts for the poor.
These all were called 1.-THE Seven Good
Men of the Town Should any cases
of a more serious nature arise, the
offender had to be brought before the
20 at Jerusalem, the council or SAN
hedrim, who might impose sentence
of death by stoning, but they ala not
deal with minor offenses.
Another custom we must know to APP
preciate the words of Jesus. which we
study today Back of the city of Jeru-
salem was a deep and narrow valley
known as Geheuna-. This word is the
Graecized form Of the Hebrew words
Ge-hinnom, meaning the valley or
Hinnom 1t had once been spot Of
beauty but during the reign OF Ahao
it had been profaned by making 1t
place where sacrifices were offered In
the worship of Moloch. At the refor-
N1I
filed to stop the sacrifices of sons and
daughters there thencef0rth. He made
it a place where the, refuse of the city
was thrown. To prevent the terrible
stencil from arising the garbage was
there burned and a continual fire was
thus kept up there. The bodies or
criminals were cast out there as worth
less, to be eaten by the scavenger
dogs or burned. From this in later
days this horrid hole, where the worm
dieth not and fire is not quenched, be-
came a symbol of the place of DOOM
JESUS STRIKES DEEPLY. =.
In setting forth sthe principles which
should govern the subjects or the
kingdom of God, the king made it very
plain that He had not come to ruthless
ly set aside the law and the prophets.
But He struck deeply into Che heart OF
things and gave a new emphasis to
1hese things, such as they had not
dreamed of before.- Jesus, in all that
He had done until now, had differed so
from the religious, rulers that He had
been laid liable to the charge Of setting
aside the old law and the messages
of the prophets. He was not antago-
nistIc to them at all, but only to the
Interpretation which had been given to
them by the ruling elemnt in religious
circles AS with the Sabbath law about
which we studied some weeks ago, so
with other laws; they had OVERLAND
them with silly interpretations which
made them not only burdensome but
without force. They observed rigidly
the letter, of these laws all the while
neglecting the spirit of them In lay
ing down His principles. therefore, he
assures them that hIhe law should not
only not be neglected but that the
smallest letter and the slightest infiec-
ton of a letternin iG was important
and should be fulfilled.
To further emphasize His belief IN
and obedience tos the law, He even
made obedience to lit and the teachings
of others to obey it the supreme test
of greatness in the new kingdom, and
the failure to do and teach it a critic
ron Of leastness. in that kingdom. He
made the plane on which the subjects
Of the kingdom were to live So high
that they not only had to keep the
law as scrupulously as the scribes ana
Pharisees but even to exceed this II
they we're to even enter the Kingdom
of heaven. In doing this. He no doubt
angered the scribes and Phriseeas' VINO
were self-righteous TO degree; but He
AZ the same time absolutely knocked
the prop from under any charge that
He was antagonistic to the law and
the prophets
THE HEART OF THINGS.
If YOU will study closely the whole
section from which. the lesson is today
(from 5:17 to 5:4s) you will appreciate
the force of those words, but L say
unto you" He gets below the surface
and down to the very heart of the mat
ter He took up really the second table
of the law, that which deals with mans
inhumanity to man If he followed his
own dictates and desires, and which
this table seeks to check and change.
Even a superficial reading will convict
YOU, or any other man, of guilt in the
light of Jesus Interpretation. Take, for
example His Interpretation of the sixth
commandment. Murder is not merely
the act; it is the elimination of series
of thoughts. In the days of Jesus a
man guilty of the act of murder was
brought before the Seven Good Men of
the Town Jesus. said that a man who
allowed the thought of anger to enter
his heart uncontrolled was just as truly
in danger of being brought before the
Seven as one who had actually com
mitted the act, for he had but lacked
opportunity. He, went further, deeper
into the heart of things; for He said if
one allowed his anger to hold him in
contempt he was not only in danger Of
being brought before the Seven, but the
Seventy, who tried more serious Of
lenses. And that if he allowed his an
ger to get to the point of abuse he was
on a level with those vile criminals
whose bodies were cast out into the
stencil and filth of Gehenna for destruc-
ton.
In this connection He thought of an
other of their customs closely related to
this If, on their way to offer sacrifices