The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-05-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights On Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils
Edited ny Charles x. Meyers.

accepting the hOnOrs of a king and
then exercises authority as such.
Jesus in His talks had claimed to be
the son of God, but had never made
advances to active rule as such here
on earth. There was now change in
manner, much to the establishment OF
His enemies. On coming to Jerusa-
lem to the passover feast He did not
refuse to take part in the triumphal
entry when the people threw their
garments in the way. and broke
branches off the trees and placed them
in the path of the animal on which
He rode crying "Hosanna, blessed is
he that cometh in the name Of the
Lord" When the Jews asked Jesus
to rebukc the people for thus showing
Him honor, He replied that the very
stones would Cry out did the populace
hold its peace.
Entering the great city the hero and
popular idol of the common people
and after assuming the rights of a
king, one is not surprised to find Jesus
taking notice of the conditions about
the temple and using even physical
violence in showing His disapproval
of the unholy things going on there.
The temple at Jerusalem was not
shaped and arranged by the will of
men. Back in the days of the travels
Of the children of Israel in the wilder
ness the plan of the movable taber-
nacle was given Moses by God, and
when the permanent place Of worship
was finally set up, the arrangements
Of the structure were patterned after
the first place authorized during the
flight from Egypt. There was sacred
meaning to each division wall, to the
things con tanned in the various rooms
and large enclosures. Every ceremony,
the killing of the innocent lamb, the
sprinkling of the blood OH the altar,
the mercy seat, with the great angels
guarding: the lamp ever burning fed
by seemingly invisible sources of oil;
the court of the Gentiles; the Holy Of
Holes; the movements OF the priests
and their attendants, all had connect
ed Herewith reference to deep relig-
ious truths. All these Jesus knew,
and when He saw the entire sacred
edifice. its forms and ceremonies
prostituted to selfish ends, with no
true religious thought entering in, He
decided to give the Jewish rulers a
lesson which would for all time to
come show divine disapproval Of the
misuse of the temple and churches
and places of public worship.
The record of what was done is well
known. The account is found in all
the gospels. Entering tine temple
Jesus found it a scene of merchandise
ing over the animals. goods, money,
brought by pilgrims as demanded by
the man made rules and customs,
which had grown up in the hundreds
of years of the past. Bursting forth
with feelings of righteous indignation
the Master with His own hands under
took to put out the merchants, money
changers, trafickers, Overturning their
stalls and tables. 1t is needless to
say that this action made great
comanotion among the people and
fierce resentment on the part of the
high Jewish rulers. The latter came
to Him asking by what authority
these things were done. They received
no answer which justified their words
of protest before the people, and re-
tired full of bitter hatred which led
to the plan to put Jesus to death at
once before He could do any more
The practical lessons to us from
this account are nearly limitless. Space
will not allow but brief notice of a
few. There is a gneuine pleasure to
the christian in seeing Jesus assume
His rightful place as king. commander,
director. Fighter of wrongs. eNercls-
ing authority over men and things.
1t gives omen of the time when His
kingdom shall reign from cline TO
cline and he undisputed the world
around. The Transformation Of the
humble non-resisting Jesus to the
powerful Fighter of wrongs bidding de-
fiance to enemies incites admiration
and gives communication of religion
which will fight and stand for right
principles.
Jesus had been in the temple many
times before. as child of twelve and
a man. Abuses were then gong on,
but the right time had not come for
public rebuke Then here comes the
thought of the choosing the proper
time and place for assaults on evil
and that the right conditions must pre-
vail and be judged, in determining ac-
ton. There will come up In discussion
of this lesson the question or the
proper use of churches for the adj
vancement of Christ's kingdom on the
earth. Some will hold with firmness
to the sacredness of the building dedi-
Gated to religious uses; others will in
sist that any uses which are helpful
to right living and making the religion
of Jesus more attractive and to enter
into the everyday life of the people
are right and advisable. In view OF
the return of the soldier boys in due
time. the manner in which the church
shall be presented to them becomes
a great problem. In the Y NJ. G. A.
buildings which are doing so much
good. there is little of the strictly re-
ligious Many would be shocked at
the things done and approved by the
christian worker in charge. The
boys will come home ready for new
era of things along religious lines, and
there is much concern among the
home leaders of the churches as to
how to hold and direct the activities
of the young men. In the army there
is not much said about religious things
as such in public among the men them
selves, but each in his heart has at
times deep consideration of duty to
God, and bordering of personal rela-
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