The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-02-11
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays Lesson
for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by Charles K. Meyers
Christs Hate of Shams-Luke

Feb. IS. Chrsts Hate of Shams-Luke
2, 1884.
Our lesson for this week has for it's
basis one of the remarkable talks
given by Jesus while engaged in his
earthly MYSTERY. The words of Jesus
are in the main most kindly. loving
and persuasive such as to draw the
heart Of the listeners to Him. When
talking as recorder today, His words
are of fierce denunciation and most
scathing in tone. We remember how
once upon time He broke away from
His usual quiet manners and with
violence drove the money changers
from the temple using words which
would sting them to the quick. Our
lesson of today relates OF scene lik-
ened to the last mentioned.
AS is without doubt well known, in
the days of Jesus there was a class
of Jews who were held in special rev.
erence by the people. These were cal
led "Pharisees". They were those
supposed to be specially learned in the
law of God and the ceremonial obser-
vances Of the temple worship. They
were exclusive because of this sup
posed knowledge and holiness. They
were given to long prayers in public
places where they could be seen OF
men. Their clothing clothing was of
different kind from that of ordinary
persons. They were very careful not
to touch anything which was "unclean"
according to what they said was law
and custom If by chance hey did
be come "unclean' they, with much
pretense went through a series OF
washings to be holy again.
1t was to the home of the Pharisee
that Jesus was one day invited. Be-
fore eating the meal served, He did
not enter into all the particular rules
of cleaning set forth by the laws and
usage of the self-righteous sect to
which the host belonged. This caused
the Pharisee to wonder in his heart
why there had been no washing and
cleansing. The heart of the host being
an open book to Jesus, He took the
occasion to rebuke the sect of the
Pharisees, and hypocrisy and shams
generally. Jesus came right to the
true life of these men when He said
"You may clean the outside of the
platter; but your inward part is full
of extortion and wickedness." In an
other account of this talk it is said
that Jesus likened the Pharisees to
whited sepulchres which look fine on
the outside. but within ale full OF
dead mems bones and impu -ty.
Proceeding furthur, Jesus called at
tention to the custom of the Pharisees
to be very particular as to turning
over to religious uses 1.-THE or por-
ton of the herbs raised in their gar
dens called mint and rue" but for
getting or passing over 'infi justice
to neighbors and the love of God which
would make them kind and consider
ate. Jesus said "Woe unto you scribes
and Pharisee hypocrites for you love
the chief seats IN the synagogues and
greetings in the market places" A
lawyer who was present resented what
he thought to be critism OF his pro-
fession. whereupon Jesus added, Woe
to the lawyers. in that they said the
law required other people to do things
hard to bear while they themselves
would not touch these burLcns even
with an end of he finger" Jesus
furthur said that these people who
called themselves so holy were strong
in honoring the memories and tombs
of the prophets who We're dead, whom
their ancestors killed yet they kept
not the spirit of the sayings of these
prophets and were as religiously blind,
intolerant, bigoted as the men who
killed the prophets. Therefore special
punishment should come on the pres