Middletown transcript., 1918-05-25

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. N:Z3-26: Z:l-1o.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus and tho VIC
ow's gift.-Mark 12:41-A.
JUNIOR TOPIC-The two great com
mandments.-Mark 12:2S-34: Luke 10:2S-H
SENIOR AND ADULT TOP1C-Rensio
and citizenship.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL-Roman Il
IL: Timothy I'll. 2
I. The Parable Of the Husbandma'
wv. 1-12).
Having put the scribes, chief priests
and elders to confusion by sklllfu
counter-Question when they demanded
his authority, Jesus, by means OF lit
tie story, lays before them his CLAIM
Of divine authority. and charges then
with betrayal of trust and plotting t
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.
1. The vineyard ". u represented
Israel (sec Psalms 80 and Isaiah 81.
2. The husbandman ". u repre-
scented the rulers who were charged
with responsibility Of the spiritual IN
/ terests Of the people.
8. The messengers wv. 2-5) repre-
scented the prophets whom God sent
to Israel, even including John the
Baptist.
4. The Son wv. e-s) represented
Jesus himself.
5. The judgment Of the lord of the
vineyard ". 81. This represented
the time when the Jews shall De
brought to account for their treatment
of the servants of God and Jesus HIM
self.
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
q ~.
1. The case proposed wv. 1929.
The law of Moses made it not only
legal but morally binding in the case
Of a man dying without children for
his brother to take his wife (Deut'
22:5). 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 a hypothetical case
This is the way the successors Of the
Sadducees do today. They deal large
ly in hypothesis.
2. Jesus reply wv. 24-26).
BY a quotation from the Mosaic law |
lex. 8 :6) he proves the resurrection
of the dead, and their continued ex-
[stence beyond the dead as human be- |
Ings. The immortal spirit clothed with |
a deathless body is his thought. He
shows that marriage is only for this
present life-does not belong to the
life. Some Of the func-
lions 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
will be as the angels In
he resurrection life. He points out
% them that their great error was due
% two things:
/. Ignorance Of the Scriptures ".
~. In the very Scriptures which
hey professed to believe was positive
proof of the resurrection lex. 3:6).
and infidelity today, as
hen, are due to ignorance of Gods
Word.
2. Ignorance Of the power Of God
". 24). God is able to provide a life
where there is no death, no births or
marriages. In heaven, life will be
N a plane infinitely higher than the
most blessed relationships Of this life.
DUR chief concern is to find out what
3 written, and then believe that God
3 able to accomplish that which he
las promised.
~. The Great Commandment Of the
.aw wv. 28-34).
The code Of morals among the Jews
vas very complex. The question as to
which of Gods commandments was
rst was frequently debated. Christ's
nswer shows marvellous insight. He
ums up mans whole duty in one word
love. love to God and love to man.
he first and great commandment is
upreme and undivided love to God.
he second is like unto it in that love
J its center, but love is for our neigh
or in the measure that we love our
elves. Love for God is to be supreme.
Ie is worthy of all our affections.
owe is the actuating power behind all
ur service. Having put his question:
rs to silence. Jesus now puts to them