The Raymer enterprise., 1918-05-23
LESSON FOR MAY rs
JESUS SIlENcES His ApvER.
SARiES.

GOLDEN TEXT-Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesars. and to God the
things that are God's.-Mark 1871.
DEVOTIONAL READING-Mark 1911.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 2i:23-e6; 22a-a5.
PRIMARY ToPIC--Jesus and the Wild
ow's gift.-Mark l2:4i-4i.
JUNIOR ToPIc-The two great COM
mandments.-Mark i2:2s34: Luke io:e5-s7.
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-Religion
and citizenship.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAI-Romans Is:
IL: Timothy 2:l, 2.
!. The Parable Of the Husbandman
tvv. 1-12).
Having put the scribes. chief priests
and elders to confusion by sklllful
countcr-question when they demanded
his authority, Jesus, by means Of a 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 deslsted for fear
Of the people. This parable Is simple.
yet very comprehensive.
u. The Tribute Money tvv. 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 dlscredit
him among the people. To this end
they send the representatives Of both
factlons-"certaln Of the Pharlsees
and Of the HerodInns to catch him In
his words" ". 13).
III. The Resurrection Of the Dead
wv. 1920.
The Pharisees and Herodlans being
sllenced, the Sadducees came with
question which involved not only the
Immortality but the resurrection Of the
body. The Sadducees were the ration.
allsts Of their day. They denied the
reality of the resurrection. and be-
iieved not In angel nor spirit (Acts
% :8).
!. The case proposed (vv. 1929.
The law Of Moses made II not only
legal but morally binding In the case
Of a man dying without children for
his brother to take his wife (Deut.
% :5). They propose the case Of
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.
ly In hypothesis.
2. Jesus reply (vv. 24-28).
BY quotation from the Mosaic law
tEx. 3:6) he proves the resurrection
Of the dead, and their continued ex-
Istence 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
present life-does not belong to the
resurrection 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
humankind Will be as the angels In
the resurrection life. He points out
10 them that their great error was due
10 two things:
!. Ignorance Of the Scriptures ".
24). In the very Scriptures which
they pr0fessed to believe was positive
proof Of the resurrection (Ex. 800.
Rationalism and infldellty today, as
then, 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
on q 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 (vv. 2S-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 Cod
The second Is like unto II 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
u question which Involves the central
doctrine Of the Christian falth-the
person of Christ wv. 35:40).
Is he human or divine. or both?
Whose Son is he? is the supreme test
Of mans orthodoxy.
v. The Widows Mite wv. 41-44).
This is q 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. hut 10 the sight of
the Lord was Of great moment. The