Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-05-23

his authority, Jesus, by means Of lit
tie story, lays before them his claim
of divine authority, and charges them
with betrayal Of trust and plotting to
murder the very Son Of God. His
teaching in this parable cut them to
the quick, and they sought to lay
hands upon him, but desisted for fear
Of the people. This parable is simple.
yet very comprehensive.
II. The Tribute Money wv: 1910.
They already would have gladly TAX
en- him by violence and killed him,
but they feared the people. In order
to destroy him. they seek to discredit
him among the people. To this end
they send the representatives of both
factions-"certain of the Pharisees
and of the Herodians to catch him in
his words" ". 13).
III. The Resurrection Of the Dead
wv. 1920.
The Pharisees and Herodians being
silenced, the Sadducees came with a
question which involved not only the
Immortality but the resurrection Of the
body. The Sadducees were the ration
alists Of their day. They denied the
reality of the resurrection, and be-
lieved not in angel nor spirit (Acts
23:s).
!. The case proposed wv. 1929.
| The law Of Moses made 1t not only
legal but morally binding in the case
of man dying without children for
his brother to take his wife (Deut.
% :5). They propose the case of a
woman married successfully to seven
brothers. They ask whose wife she
shall be in the resurrection. This
was doubtless hypothetical case.
This is the way the successors Of the
Sadducees do today. They deal large
" in hypothesis.
2. Jesus reply wv. 24-26).
By quotation from the Mosaic law
eek. 3:6) he proves the resurrection
of the Dead and their continued ex-
tstence beyond the dead as human be-
lngs. The immortal spirit clothed with
a deathless body is his thought. He
shows that marriage is only for this
/
resurrection life. Some Of the func-
tons of the body will cease with this
| life. Since there will be no death af-
ter the resurrection, there will be no
necessity for births. In this respect
humankind will be as the angels in
the resurrection life. He points out
to them that their great error was due
to two things:
/. Ignorance Of the Scriptures ".
24). In the very Scriptures which
they protested to believe was positive
proof Of the resurrection (Ex. 3:6).
Rationalism and infidelity today, as
then. are due to ignorance Of Gods
Word. a
2. Ignorance Of the power of God
/ ". 24). God is able to provide life
where there is no death. no births or
marriages. In heaven. life will be
on plane infinitely higher than the
most blessed relationships Of this life.
Our chief concern is to find out what
Is written. and then believe that God
Is able to accomplish that which he
has promised.
w. The Great Commandment Of the
Law wv. 28-34).
The code of morals among the Jews
was very complex. The question as to
which of Gods commandments was
first was frequently debated. Christ's
answer shows marvellous insight. He
sums up mans whole duty in one word
love, love to God and love to man.
The first and great commandment is
supreme and undivided love to God.
The second is like unto 1t in that love
Is its center, but love is for our neigh
Dor in the measure that we love our
selves. Love for God is to be supreme.
He is worthy of all our affections.
Love is the actuating power behind all
our service. Having put his question:
ers to silence, Jesus now puts to them
a question which involves the central
doctrine Of the Christian faith-the
person of Christ wv. 35:4O).
Is he human or divine. or both?
Whose Son is he? is the supreme test
of mans orthodoxy.
v. The Widows Mite (vv. 41-44).
This Is picture in striking contrast
with that of the Pharisees and Saddu.
Gees This poor woman was doing
that which in the sight of the world
was insignificant. but in the sight Of
the Lord was of great moment. The
words of the Lord discover unto us
the fact that in Gods sight a gift is
measured by the heart motive, and not
by Its amount. The widows mite was
all she had. Our gifts are rot mites
unless they are our entire possessions