The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1914-08-28

Fta A14l
are Caesars; and unto God the thing,
that are Gods" Matt. 22.2l r.. v.
The title Of this lesson suggests
more than the portion of Scripture Sc.
lected seems to warrant. We have
seen in previous lessons how the Mas
ter condemned and denounced the
rulers by his teaching In parallels.
This led the Pharisees to take coun.
sci how they might ensnare him ".
49,. Three questions we're asked, one
political, one doctrinal and one ethi-
cal. Our next lesson deals with the
third question.
Secret Methods.
I. The First Question, w. 1922.
This parable Of the wicked husband
man (ch. 21) seems to have been
clearly understood by the Pharisees
". 45). While it stung it did not
bring them to repentance. The hard,
ening effect of ~unaecepted truth is one
of it's most terrible results upon the
human heart. The record tells US
plainly (ch. 21:46) why these Phari-
sees were withheld from at once put
ting Jesus out of the way. They
therefore resorted to secret methods
and ~endeavored to bring him into con.
fict with the Roman government. The
Pharisees entered into this plot to en-
tangle Jesus with their most deter
mined enemies, the Herodian party
MARX 12:13). 1t was a good scheme
from their viewpoint to get Jesus to
utter something reasonable and then
to turn him owe to Herod, who was
a puppet of Rome. These pharisees
scorned to pay taxes to this same gov.
eminent with which they are now con.
niving. They began with words Of
smooth fiattery ". ICY. The devil Is
never so subtitle, SO dangerous nor so
malicious as when he iatters. Apart
from Jesus each party would have
given quite a different reply to this
question. In faEcy we can see them
as they must have gloatingly eY.
claimed, NOW we will see hiEi en-
trapped" II Jesus declared It illegal
to pay tribute to Caesar they could at
once formulate a charge of sedition
against him. On the other hand. for
him to declare 1t proper thus to pay
tribute to a foreign government would
seem to them for him to deny his mes
sianic claim, according to their under
standing of the m~essianic program.
Calling for q Roman denarius. q
legal taxpaying coin worth about II
cents, he asked, Whose Is this image
and superscription? Caesars" they
reply, and by those words they have
caught themselves and not Jesus. His
reply was, In effect, Very well, you
accept the money Of Rome, you must
by that act accept the responsibility
which accompanies It," Jesus first Of
all d%enounces their hypocrisy and then
exposes the folly Of their question.
His Teaching 10 Plain.
bs TIC oSCOHQ NuCoIiOHy W GSSSs *
The rationalistic S%adducees, who did
not believe in the resurrection at all,
o try to entrap Jesus by question.
ing him along the line Of their particu'
lar doctrine. The teaching Of Jesus
Is plain and unequivocal as to the res
direction Of the body and the immor-
tally Of the soul. Jesus seems In this
reply rather to ignore the first and
to strike at the second, which is more
fundamental. Their plan Of attack
was very scholarly and philosophical
and was designed to show the absurd.
ity Of his teaching and thus by ridi-
cule discredit his standing. 1t is a.
ways a favorite way for those who
bubble to imagine a suppositious case
and then to put a subtle question. IN
this case our Lord, by one sentence
their ~well-planned attack.
"Ye do err, not knowing the Scrip
lures, nor the power OF God" MAI.
is a relation of this present state
Of affairs only and not with the resur'
life. We who are worthy OF
the resurrection of the dead neither
marry nor are given IN marriage
luke 20:35), nor do we die any
more luke 20:36), but are equal 70
the angels, 9. g.. In the Immortality Oh
their nature Luke 20:30). More than
that we are sons Of God Luke
These Sadducees accepted
only the Pentateuch, yet Of this which
they protested to accept they were
ignorant. Here as elsewhere God den
nitely and repeatedly declares himself
10 be the God Of Abraham. Isaac ana
Jacob. Jesus proclaims these men,
their ~patriarchs, AZ yet alive.
Jesus accuses them Of error In be-
Ing ignorant Of these Scriptures. This
ignorance was not among the un-
learned and can be commonly dupli-
today among those who profess
10 be scholars. Most especially do We
Ind a marked ignorance Of "the power
God" Some Of these discomfteo
could not conceal their admire
hon Of Jesus reply Huke 20:39l.
The Teaching. Jesus here shows "
he true relation of himself and OF Dis
people to political questions. He rec
the authority Of human gos.
eminent and It Is his will that his iot
overs shall enjoy the liberties o.
privileges which that government nss
offer; at the same time they are %
submit themselves to it's Requirements
inder n clearly stated condition
H., Gods supreme will. In so far =
he laws Of the state r just ana