Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-11
The SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
las taught at the Bible Institute of
Los Angeles by Rev. J. H. Sammis]
Clean and Uuclean. or Hand Versus
Heart Holiness

Heart Holiness
LESSON II. MARK 7;1-23.
October Is.
1. Historical Connection.
1. Jesus popularity was at it's
height in Galilee.
2. Pilgrims to the Passover brought
to Jerusalem reports of His works of
might and mercy, e. 6, % feeding the
thousands; CD walking the sea; (3)
healing the multitudes.
5. The rulers were filled with alarm
and envy.
4. A deputation of scribes and Phar-
isees went into Galilee to oppose Him.
II. The Pharisees Find Fault With
Jesus.
1. They found fault" % This was
their errand into Galilee. (2) This is
the business of a good many people.
2. Their blunted sensibilities. az
Neither the might nor the mercy of
the Lord aroused (a) their reverence.
or tb) their sympathy. Journalism is
fatal to spiritual feeling. (2) There
is more hope for the non-professor
than for the mock professor; for the
sinbound than the hidebound. (S) Be
sure that you worship God in the
spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have
no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. S:S)
3. Their wickedness. GD To envy
the popular and prosperous; the more
worthy and virtuous, is common and
devilish trait of fallen humanity Il in
3:12; Ac. 7:9; Mt. 27:1S); 1t turks with
in you, beware of it. (2) They travelled
from Jerusalem to Capernaum to pick
flaws in Christ. Men will go further
and toll harder to discredit Him, His
gospel, His church, than to confirm
them, and share the grace and good
ness of God.
4. The traditions of the elders. %
Moses distinguished between things
"clean" and "unclean" Lv. 11:1-47; Nu.
1913, 9, Is, etc), not that they were
so naturally, or intrinsically, but for
object lessons from the outer world TO
create a sense, in the inner world, of
moral distinctions. 50 a childs mouth
is washed with soap that it may asso-
ciate immoral or obscene speech with
filth, and loathe it. David saw. and
said, Create in me a clean heart, Ol
God" (Ps. 51:6-1O), but unregenerate
Israel sow no deeper than the outward
form. There are millions like them. |
2) To Moses simple and symbolic puri- |
fications the "elders" added intricate.
impracticable and absurd ceremonies. !
Separatists and professional men
though they were, the rabbis them
selves could not observe them perfect
ly. The common people had neither
time nor opportunity to learn or to prac-
tice them, and were regarded by the
Pharisees and their own consciences
as perennially defiled, and abhored of
God. 80 According to one ritual, there
were 26 rules for handwashing in the
morning alone. This was not for clean
illness or decency, but as having relig- |
ious value. Indeed, the hands were
first washed, and then "the tips of the
fingers were Joined and lifted up so
that the water ran down TO the elbows
c'the wrists"-Edersheim then turned |
down that it might run off to the
ground. Fresh water was poured on
them as they were lifted up, and twice
again as they hung down. The wash
ing itself was to be done by rubbing
the fist of one hand into the hollow of
the other. When the hands were washed
before eating they must be held up
wards; when after 1t, downwards, but
so that the water should not run be-
yond the knuckles. The vessel must |
be held first in the right, then in the
first on the right, then on the left
hand, and, at every third time the |
words repeated, Blessed art Thou who
hast given us the command to wash |
the hands," (4) These trivial and
empty rites, the breach of any rule of |
which made the whole void were thus |
blasphem ously ascribed to Jehovah, the |
Holy One of Israel. It involved (a) a |
n r Of ha
revealed religion TO a level with hea-
then superstitions; (c) the substitution
of formal trivialities for spiritual real
tiles; and I'D made the damnation or
salvation of souls, made in the image
of God, to depend, and that before |
"the judge of all the earth" on a silly |
ceremony. For (5) it was taught that
He who neglects hand washing de-
serves to be punished here and here
after" He who does not wash his
hands after eating is as bad as a !!
murder sis guilty of death" etc. 80 !.
Now We see why (a) Jesus came to |
declare the Father)) Ono. 1873; (bl |
to teach that He must be worshipped |
(c) lin spirit and in truth" (Jno. 4:24)
I'D that men must be born again"
Ono. 3:3); (e) "by the washing of wa
ter by the word" (Eph. 5:26) (f) Why |
His indignation so burned against the
Pharisees, and they so hated Him.
III Jesus Finds Fault With the Phar-
isees.
1. Jesus fault finding was justifia-
BILE. There is a difference between !
carping criticism and holy, righteous
judgment. 1t is not knocking to wit
ness against wrong in doctrine or prae-
20 oh in
,. The Lords charges. v S. % Hy-
pocrisy, You hypocrites." Men cannot
altogether deceive themselves. They
do know the difference between clean
hands and clean hearts; between form
and spirit; between pretense and re-
ality. (2) Your worship begins and
ends at your lips (your forms), yom
hearts, for which God alone cares, are
far from Him" V. Z. % Your wor-
ship is vain (useless); as it goes no
deeper, SO it rises no higher, than your
lips; you were unwashed before you
washing; spare yourselves the care and
cost of your religious profession ard
performances, they are proitless to
God or man. Your doctrines are of
men; they are folly, lies. God never
1
men" V. 8. You put potwashing in
the place of the heart cleansing word
of God; and many other such like
things ye do" V. 9-13. you nullify
the commands of God, and % set your
own above them" They said. at is a
greater wrong to contradict the rabbis
than the scriptures" "Give more heed
to the rabbis than to the law" "the
law is as water, the traditions as wine;
the commentaries as spiced wine" SO
the Romanists set the traditions of "the
church" above the Bible; modern
the so-called findings Of
criticism; and the new theology it's psy-1
chology of religious experience, and
sociology of the kingdom, above the
revealed truth of God. All these pro-
Tossing to honor God, lay aside the
commandment of God, and substitute
the traditions of men. And then they