The Brinkley argus., 1914-08-28
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 LESSON Ry E. o. SELLERS, Director of Evening Department. The Moody Bible Institute. Chicago.)
LESSON FOR AUGUST 90
A DAY OF ougsTloNs.

A DAY OF oUgsTIoNe.
 LESSON THxT-Matt. as:1B-ez
 , GOLDEN TExT--"They say unto Him, Caesars. Then said He unto them, ren- der therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesarsi and unto God the things that are God'A" Matt a2:91 R. V.
 The title of this lesson suggests moro than the portion of Scripture se- lected seems to warrant. We have seen in previous lessons how the Mas ter condemned and denounced the rulers by his teaching in parables This led the Pharisees to take coun- sel how they might ensnare him (v. 15). Three questions were asked. one political, one doctr1nal and one ethi- col. Our next lesson deals with the third question.
 Secret Methoda.
 !. Tho FIrst Question, w. 1892. This parable of the wicked husband maS (ch. 21) seems to have been oisarly understood by the Pharisees (v. 45). While 1t stung 1t did not bring them to repentance. The hard ening effect of unaccepted truth Is one of its most terrible results upon the human heart. The record tells us plainly (ch. 21:46) why these Phart- 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- dict with the Roman government The Pharisees entered into this plot to en- tangle Jesus with their most deter mined enemies, the Herodian party (Mark 12:13). It was q good scheme from their viewpoint to get Jesus to utter something reasonable and then to turn him over to Herod. who was Q puppet of Rome. These Pharisees scorned to pay taxes to this same gov ernment with which they are now con- niving. They began with words of smooth flattery (v. 16). The devil is never 50 subtitle, so dangerous nor so malicious as when he flatters. Apart from Jesus each party would have given quite a different reply to this question. In fancy we can see them as they must have gloatingly ex- claimed, Now we will see him en- trapped" If Jesus declared 1t 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 foreign government would seem to them for him to deny his mes- sianic claim. according to their under standing of the messianic program. Calling for a Roman denarius, a legal taxpaying coin worth about IT 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 denounces their hypocrisy and then exposes the folly of their question.
 Ills Teaching ls Plain.
 n. The Second Question, V. 23-33. The rationalistic Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection at all, now 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 urrection of the body and the immor- tality 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. It is al- ways a favorite way for those who bubble to imagine suppositious case and then to put subtle question. In this case our Lord. by one sentence demolished their well-planned attack. "Ye do err. not knowing the Scrip lures, nor the power of God"
 The Teaching. Jesus here shoys us the true relation of himself and of his people to political questions. He rec ognixee the authority of human gov- ernment and 1t is his will that his fol- lowers shall enjoy the liberties or privileges which that goverpment has to offer; at the same time they are to submit themselves to it's requirements under one clearly stated condition, vis., Gods supreme will. In 90 far as the laws of the state are just and true and in harmony with the law of God 1t Is the duty of Christian people to support and to obey them. Jesus ~ouldsally himself with neither party. thereby avoiding complicity with any measure of evil. We may likewise maintain a similar relationship with God and speak with authority in the correction of abuses, and in the direc- ton of civic and national life.
 We have purposely included the sec ond question inasmuch as the next les son concerns the third of this group. which ought to be studied as a whole. Jesus was ever ready to meet any question. He never equivocated, but lifts hie answer out of the realm of the controversial into that of abiding principles. Jesus denounced the hy- nocrfsy of his assailants. condemned