Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-05
Mat. VII, 24-37.

MAT. VII St-ols
Golden Text-"If Therefore the Son
shall make you free, we shall be Tree
indeed. John viii sc.
The opposition to Jesus grew SO
strong that He thought it wise and
prudent to leave the region of Caper-
paum temporarily. and to withdraw into
Phoenicia, up into Syria, down into
Decapolis, finally returning to Caper-
naum, six months being consumed by
this journey.
Jesus Frees From Unrea1ity.
The incident which brought the OPP
position to a climax was His attack
on their formalities. Always on the
outlook for something to accuse Him
of, they noticed that His disciples failed
to wash their hands before eating. So
they came to Him and asked Him,
why have Thy disciples failed to wash
their hands?" Mark tells us that the
PhariSees and all Jews did not eat un-
less they washed their hands often, and
when they came from the market they
did not eat except they washed their
hands, holding to the tradition of the
elders. They made much of washing
cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables.
This was not necessarily for the pur-
pose of making the hands and vessels
clean; they might be perfectly clean,
but the washing would be necessary, be-
cause of the tradition of the elders.
They had to be ceremonially clean.
When going through the market place
they might get some dust which had
been on some GENTLE or on some hog
meat, and unless they washed they could
not be ceremonially clean; and there
fore. they must go through some form
of baptismal service before partaking
of food.
The disciples of Jesus under His influence,
had begun to realize the unreality of these
things, and they left them off. This ca used
the question of the Pharisees, when they said,
why do the disciples eat with unwashen
hands, and not according TO the tradition of
| the elders?' He charged them directly with
substituting the traditions of man for the com
! mands of God. He illustrated by the subter-
! fGge which they had adapted by means Of
which a man might dedicate everything he had
| helping his parents and yet he would spend
| Just much himself as he wanted to. They
would dedicate their property to God, going
on living they pleased until they were
/ asked &c make some allowance to their parents
and then they would say that they would like
| to give something, but it is all given to God
| and could not be used for any other pur-
! pose. This just of the instances
that might be cited, in which they had sub
| stituted some subterfuge for real faith and
| trust in God.
These forms and ceremonies had been - en-
| to the Jews by God for the purpose of training
| them in faith in Him, that He might re-
| veal Himself TO them and through them. In
stead of this they had abused them. They had
! substituted shadows for substance, things which
| were unreal for the things that were real.
Jesus came and freed men from unreality, and
showed them that they did not have TO wash
| to be clean.
| Let us be warned however, against the
danger of too much freedom for JesLs did not
| mean that liberty should be turned into Ii
! cense; He set man free, but only to do that
which pleases Him and does not harm 9TH
| erS.
We are in the same danger that the Phari-
| mot in
pots; but there is danger that we lose sight
| of the verities in our use of the forms which
| were given a means OF grasplng the
! eternal God. There is a danger that we may
! lose Christ in the church services, in Work
for Him. in s>cial service. even in such instl-
/ buttons rs the Sabbath and the Sacramento
Jesus Frees From UncleanneSs
When He had called the people to Him, He
! told them that nothing from without makes
| man unclean, but that which comes from with
| in. His disciples did not understand fully the
! depth of His meaning and He had to explain
| to them, when He had gone with them pr
| vateIy that no meat could defile because i
thoughts coming from the heart made a maj
| Unclean. Jesus frees from uncleanness, because
| when He enters the heart He controls the
| thoughts and allows only those thoughts tC
enter which ennohle the life.
! 1t is rather significant that Mark records
| Just now the incident Of the Syro-Pheniciar
woman and her daughter. The stand whict
| He took made it necessary for Him to leav'
| the country. As soon He came into the
borders Of Tyre and Sidon, this woman, who
| vas a Greek, came to Him and besought Him
| most earnestly that He would cast the unclean
| spirit out of her daughter. This girl was not
rnclean because of something she had taken into