The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-01-24
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson 5.--First Quarter, Feb.
ruary 8, 1918.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of Lesson, Mark 2:23 to SIS
Memory Verses, Ex 29;e-ft-ooId.
en- Text, Mark 2:2e-commentary
Prepared by Rev. o. M. stearna

weeks lesson and this one, we note
Christ wns ever teaching the people
Tor he WINS truly the Great Teacher
and II Is written. "who teacheth like
himf And we may well pray, "That
which see not, teach thou me" (Job
"a :32, 30 :22). Before he went away
he said that he would send the Holy
Spirit, who would teach us all things
John IA :26). and he did, and we may
rely upon him as ever In us to guide
us into all truth.
When he called Levi, or Matthew. 10
follow him, he promptly did so. having
no doubt heard and received his teach
Ing. He then made Jesus a feast in
his home Uuke :29). and invited many
OF his publican friends and other sim
ners, MS well ms those who were al
ready disciples OF Jesus. This brought
snaers and scofiing from the self
righteous scribes and phnrisees, who
were above associatlng with such peo-
pie. and led Jesus 10 saysthat he came
not 10 cnll self-righteous people, but
sinners TO repentance. He does not
want worship or sacrifice from I'M
saved people. for they that are In the
flesh cannot please God. but he Is ready
have mercy upon all who come to
IN. Compare Matt. 9:13 and Hos
go. and see Rom. SO. We can only
say 20 people who are good enough In
thefr oUn oefi NATHAN that x.hlI. xx., m -,
sorry for them. we never heard OF
Saviour for them.
Then came up the question OF fast
Ing. on which these Pharlsees counted
80 much. which led the Lord Jesus TO
speak of himself as the bridegroom.
and his disciples rs the children Of the
bride-chnmber. saying that they would
have occasion TO fast In his absence.
hut not while he was with them. These
Phnrisees were patchwork people. try
Ing 20 put something new upon some
thing old. or something new into some
thing old. but such Is not the Lords
method. for our old sinful natures are
incorrigibly corrupt and can never be
improved or made any better. There
must be n new nature by n new birth
from abovc-Jcsus Christ received
Into our hearts and given full control.
while the old must be subdued, put of,
reckoncd dead. Not reformation but
regeneration. If any man be in Christ.
he Is n new creation. In no sense in
debted TO the flesh or having anything
20 do with II.
The Pharisees prided themselves
upon their doings, their fnsts and
feasts. and religious observances. their
holy days and Sabbath days, their long
prayers In public places. their COM
mendation from men. while In Gods
sight who reads the heart. they were
hypocrites. whlted sepulchres. gen.
Grafton OF vipers (intt. % :5-7. II. %.
%. %. 33). That which the Lord had
given for the benefit OF his people that
he might reveal himself unto them. the
sabbath day. the Passover and other
feasts. they had appropriated. pervert-
ed. and taken credit 20 themselves for
being so religious. We, as sinners,
cannot give God anything. or do any
thing 20 please him. until we have first
received from him the mercy and for
giveness he Is ready TO bestow, the
eternal redemption purchased and pro-
vided for us Mt such infinite cost. Sal
walton is only by grace and wholly I'M
merited on our part Iiom. 3 :2D. The |
Sabbath was made for man that the |
Lord OF the Sabbath might specially |
on that day. when man ceases from |
his own works. reveal himself. and |
bless us ca. 2S). II Is lawful TO do |
well on the Sabbath days (Afatt. II: /
t2). and all acts OF necessity and
mercy are surely In order. His disci-
pies were hungry and he justified their
pluckins corn by the story OF David
and his men when they were hungry.
Healing the mans withered hand was
nm act OF mercy ut any time. II you
Will notice the many times they found
fault with him for doing good on the
Sabbath dny you can readily see what
4 religious idol they had made II. and
forshiped II and not God. Again and
Agnin u 10 written that because Of his
disregard Of their idol they determined
10 kill him g :6). Doctor Weston has
Iaid that II Is often a surprise when
,ne's attention Is first called to the
'act. that the immediate occasion Of
he determination by the Jewish rulers
% put Christ TO death was his relation
% their Sabbath. The Sabbath might
10 called the Jewish national flag. and
n II they claimed a peculiar relation
o God a. their creator and redeemer.
nut In reality they knew him not. and
through deceit refused to to know him
Jer. $50. Concerning the keeping
4 the Sabbath. 1 know no more clear
nd simple instruction than lisa. IS rs,
Turn away thy foot from the Sab
ath. frem doing thy pleasure on any
Ioly day--enii the Sabbath a delight.
he holy Of the Lord and honorable;
nd honor him. not doing thine own
rays. nor finding thine own pleasure,
or speaking thine own words" As TO
he day Of the week. We keep the first
ny rather than the seventh. because
he Lord Jesus rose from the dead on
he first day and repeatedly appeared
D his disciples on that day, and be-