Evening star., 1918-02-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
JESUS LORD OF THE aAHBkTH
Mark, z.13-3.e.
Golden Textile Son Of man
Is Lord even OF the Sabbath.
Mark. 2.3s.
By Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.

4
By Rev. Hugh I. etevenson.
Jesus by his unexpected healing Of
tho paralytic, As an evidence OF his
authority to forgive sins. opened uD
hostilities between the PhAfisees and
Himself. Tho Masters teachings were
In direct contract with the Pharisee's
ritualistic Journalism and self-righ .eous-
ness. They refused to pay any serious
attention to Him when He was preach
ing and teaching In Judea, but His
growing popularity and power caused
them to hound Him everywhere 30 -
to fasten upon Him 30 serious chafge
that It would crush His rapidly In
creasing influence with the masses. The
collector, who was not only. ~ a result
of the publican's profiteering. q social
outcast. but also classed by his coun-
trymen as a traitor. to be one OF the
onfsm, which developed into bitter op-
position when Jesus accepted an In
vitation to dine with social outcasts
upon q feast day. They were sticklers
which forbade teacher to ''sit down to
eat with the common people,, ssps-
ctally concerning the Sabbath.
The shameful neglect OF the Sab
bath was the germ Of the Jewish cap
Babylon they concentrated their at
tention upon the observance OF the
Sabbath. The small nucleus OF the Legal
requirements grew under the raopi-
nfcal interpretation Of the law into .
burdensome and oppressive system, un-
til the ceremonial observation became
q substitute for spiritual worsnip.
marked by rest and renection.- Jesus
never hesitated to trample the III
III -
the interests of humanity demanded IL.
Seven at least Of His miracles wers
wrought on the Sabbath. 1t was His at
| titude toward their interpretation Ss
how the day Sf re rest snai sn0b,e breaS that
united antagonistic forces in an enort
| to secure His death.
Christ sounded new note Of liberty
claiming the right to adopt new MEN, sIn.
DDS of applying the eternal prlnciples
of life, law and liberty. The conservs-
tive cynical Pharisees objected. but the
Master defeated every enort thai hn0y
made to undermine His fnnuence. ne
revealed their narrowness about aie
mingling with sinners, for He came 70
seek and to save the lost. The Lofo OF
life saw the hidden posstbiittes IN tns
renegade Jew whom He trens.oTmeo
by accepting the Pharisees At their own
valuation Of being righteous. He
checked their efforts to stir up strife
among Johns disciples, with whom they
Were Yin agreement apoue as1hnSs LII 49,, ~
enee with His disciples prevented their
fasting. He exposed by His claims, rs
the Lord of law. the falseness OF their
pharasac pieay snG as by
the defense He made concerntng the
performance Of deeds OF necessity ana
of mercy upon the Sabbath day.
The innocent act OF piuexiinS snS .nS
eating the corn as they passed through
some field of grain brought upon HIS
disciples the charge Of breaking tne
Sabbath The Master defended their
dent of David at Mob to Justify Hls
hungry followers taking the few gretne
to satisfy their hunger As they passed
through the field. Few fences are round
one to satisfy their needs when hungry,
although they could not reap any OF
their neighbors' grain without being
charged with stealing. He pointed out
for man to supply the needs OF man.
whose physical, mental, moral and spir-
itual health requires that work be sus-
pended at least one day In seven. II
was not Jewish. but universal Qrdt-
nance that God has written In our very
being. Jesus had no desire to abolish
| this the day of rest. The Lord OF the
Sabbath agreed with the Pharisees that
differed with them as to how the day
should be observed. He did not abcl-
ish she Sabbath when He insisted that
men were greater than the law and
that the interests OF humanity took
strict Interpretation Of the law. Il was
this principle that called for the recent
action Of the fuel administrator in cre--
that America could recover from the
congestion upon the railroads and
mans needs for fuel be supplied.
Christ's logical defense Of His dfsci.
ples' action did not put an end to the
Pharisees' desire to ensnare the Lord.
for shortly after His return to Caper-
naum it would appear that they framed
up a plot to entrap the Master, because
they knew how He would be touched
by mans infirmity. 1t was no acci-
dent that brought the man with the
withered hand into the synagogue. He
may have been injured while working
at his trade, which. according to the
apocryphal gospel to the Hebrews. was
that of a mason. Luke records that
the infrmity was In the man'a right
hand, which would probably prevent
him working at his trade. .5
The Pharisees expected Christ to heal
him and to defend His curing him ON
the Sabbath day. because they opened
their contest about Sabbath healing
with I'll the s .~f n.t to ss, hs
might accuse Him. Jesus was aroused
BY their moral cowardice and wither.
ing hearts when He hoored them with
the question. ''Is II lawful on the Sab:
bath day to do good or to do harmy
To save life or to kill?" The eae-
walton Of religious rules above human
needs stirred His soul. for Mark mem
tions for the first time "the impressive
gaze, afterwards so frequent in every
gospel" Christ escaped from their
meshes by comma nding the man TO do
what was apparently impossible. He
tried to obey. and the moment he made
the effort he Immediately received
power to comply with Christ's, COM
mands. Jesus closed the argument.
established His Messianic claims and at Z
the same time defeated the Phartsees
pernicious plot by acting upon the
fundamental principle, 'The Sabbath
was made for man, not man Tor the
Sabbath
Emerson has pointed out that the
Sabbath 10 the core OF our civilization.
The day of rest. reflection and rev
erence is in danger Of being lost in our
modern civilization. The preservation
Of the physical. mental. moral and
spiritual welfare OF the race demands
that in the midst OF wartime speeding
up that men shall stop to rest one day
in seven. The state cannot say thee
the individual Is to use the day In .
religious way. but the wise man viii be
ruided by the spirit Of the Christ ana