Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-02-11


A Pharisee invit-
ed Jesus to dine at his house. Jesus
passed in and sat down without the
Journalism OF washing. customary to
the Pharisees. The host thought of
Jesus as a holy man. and remarked
that it was strange that He had not
washed. Jesus then pointed out that
much OF what even the hottest Jews
practised was merely ceremony, not
true religion. Outwardly they were
clean. but inwardly their hearts were
unclean-given to neutrality-suspicious.
wickedness. In Gods sight the heart
is the important matter. The inside OF
the cup should first be cleansed.
From our Lords expressions, appar-
emily one of the Pharisees' great fail
ings was covetousness. According to
the Greek, Jesus called them money
lovers" Once He told them that this
covetousness led them dishonesty to
disregard others rights. He said, "Ye
devour widows houses meaning that
they took advantage of widows to ac-
cumulate property for themselves. APP
parently many Pharisees were rich.
Jesus pointed out that with such
wrong heart conditions God could not
be pleased. even though they ever so
carefully observed the outward regu-
lations Of the Jewish Law. While they
were particular to 1.-THE even the small
seed of which they grew but Il tritiing
quantity. yet they neglected the weight
Ter matters of the Law-to deal justly
and to love mercy.
A Pharisee invites Jesus to Dine.
Their covetousness took the form OF
pride. as well as dishonesty. They
wanted to be very prominent in things
religious. and to be hailed as Rabbi
master. learned one. Jesus declared
that they were like sepulchres. out
wardly clean and whitewashed. but
inwardly full of corruption. They
were holiness people merely in the
outward form or ceremonial.
Some OF the Pharisees, especially ed
ucated. well-versed In the Scriptures
were styled awyers-Doctors Of the
Law. equivalent of what today are
termed Doctors OF Divinity. Jesus
upbraided them. saying that they
pidCeu STleNOuS DuTuenS upon Ine COLI
mon people. which they themselves
would not bear. He meant that they
gave such hard interpretations OF
Gods Law as discouraged the people
setting before them standards OF per.
lection which they themselves did not
try to live up to- Apparently they
wished to Impress the people with the
sanctity OF the clergy. They built sep
ulchres for the Prophets. forgetful that
their fathers. whose spirit they had.
were the ones who killed those Prophets
Wool Wool Wool Wool Wool
We are not to think of Jesus as con
demning the Pharisees to eternal tor
ment. or as intimating that this would
be the woe coming upon them. The
woe was that the Pharisees were
about to miss the great blessing which
God had promised Israel-chief assO-
citation in Messiah's Kingdom. Gen
esis 22:1SD Had there been enough "Is-
raeliteg indeed" to complete Gods fore
ordained Elect, the Kingdom offer
would not have gone to the GentiIes.
The Pharisees were I'm the most ia
vOred place for attaining joint-heir.
ship with Messiah; but they recognized
not what they were losing. Jesus ex-
preston, Woe unto you" Is therefore
to be regarded sympathetically. This
thought is borne out by the context.
which foretells the great time Of trOu-