The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-03-11
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays Lesson
for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by Charles K. Meyers
March 15-The Lawful Use of thu

lpFdCLlCdl SuDJecC-tudL Ol Luc hecp1u8
of the day of rest, which is so firmly
bound up in the bible religion. First.
let us look at the lesson verses. The
record tells us that one Sabbath day
as Jesus was preaching in the syna-
gogue, or Jewish church, He noted
the presence of woman who was bad
ly crippled, in that she was bowed
over with weakness. The compassion
of the Master was moved and calling
to her He said the gracious words.
woman, thou art loosed from thine
infirmity." He laid His hand upon
her, she was healed and glorified in
God. This thing made the Jewish
leaders present to be moved with in.
dignation. They insisted that there
were six days for work and that Jesus
had committed sin in their eyes by
healing the woman on the holy Sab
bath day.
Jesus made answer to his accuserA
by calling attention to the fact that
even according to their narrow rules.
it was all right to furnish food and
water to stock on the Sabbath, and
hen added that the helpless condition
of the woman who was faithful
daughter of Abraham, should appeal
more strongly for compassion than the
needs of the cattle for food and wa
ter. At another time on the Jewish
Sabbath Jesus healed man who was
afflicted with dropsy. At that time
He asked the self righteous Jews who
were present if they thought it wrong
to rescue an ass or an OK which had
fallen in a pit on the Sabbath To
this question they held their peace.
Iney would have been obliged to say
that the animals would be helped and
the conclusion could not be avoided
that helping the sick man ought to
rank with the rescue Of unfortunate
animals.
To understand the condition of
things when Jesus was on the earth
and the way the Jewish leaders had
laid down rules for Sabbath observ-
ance it might be noted that accord
ing to their view it was wrong to walk
on the grass with shoes having nails
in for this was kind Of threshing, to
catch a flea on the person was wrong
work for the Sabbath, for it was hunt
ing. 1t was even debated whether it
was right to eat an egg laid by hen
on the first day of the week, for it
must have been prepared for laying by
the hen on the seventh or holy day. It
was to people bound up in prejudice
and narrow reasoning that Jesus
sought to show the true way to look
at the keeping of the holy day. The
record shows that Jesus did seven mir
acles Of mercy on the Jewish Sabbath.
,Schiv tn
study will find them as follows: Matt.
IL: 1913; Mark l: 21-26; Luke 4:
3S-39; Luke 13: 1916; IA: 1-6; John 5:
5-11; John 8: LA.
1t is hard indeed to lay down an
iron clad rule as to how each individ-
ual shall spend the day Of rest re-
quired by God. | shall not attempt it.
The blessed Jesus gave US a rule
which is worthy of much attention and
here it is: 1T is lawful to do good on
the Sabbath days" Mark 8: 4. What
wonderful statement this is. How it
covers the ground. By it there can
be settled practically every dispute in
ones mind as to what can be rightly
done on the Sabbath day. If your con-
science says an act is doing good"
then Jesus says it is allowable.
How far sighted was the mighty
God in arranging for the one day rest
in seven. By impressing this on the
Jews before the coming of Jesus they
were kept a peculiar people. their
health and strength were preserved
and conserved. After the death and
resurrection of Jesus the christians of
the early days by common consent
kept the day of the resurrection OF
Christ as the rest day and for gather
ing for religious ceremonies, reading
the scriptures and prayer. This has
been handed down to US as a priceless
heritage. The tired body needs the
rest from toll which the day Of rest
gives. the soul needs the day for par
taking of the spiritual food so neces-
sary for growth in things which fit us
for companionship with the hosts OF
heaven. Blessed be God for the Sab
bath day. Happy is America that it
has chung to the day, and happy and
blessed will the nation be if it CO.
ntinues in the same ways.
will again state views given at an
other time when this subject was be-
ing considered, as to the keeping OF
the first day of the week. believe
that God asks us to give up ordinary
work in Difference to Him on one day
in seven; that He is not displeased if
the day be what we call arbitrarily
day one, three, four. five. seven. 1t is
the act of the keeping which counts
and not the day. do not believe that
God or Jesus is displeased when chris
tians keep by general consent the first
day of the week as the Sabbath day.
I have no quarrel with any who may
wish to keep Saturday for their holy
rest day. God loves and will reward
them for their recognition of that day.
God equally loved and rewards those
who keep Sunday and He would have
no displeasure towards those who may
wish to keep Tuesday or Wednesday.
1t is the spirit of the matter and not
the day which counts.
Now in closing, again l call atten-
ton to the words of Jesus, 1T is law
full to do good on the Sabbath day"
Let these words be blazened on the
heart and there is no danger that in
each individual case the right things
will not be done.
hx, Pow Iosanh Stonhan and the hOdv