Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-04-05
LESSON FCR APRIL 7.
JESUS SETS MEN FREE.

LESSON TExT-Mark 7l.s.
GOLDEN TExT-If the son therefore
shall make you free. ye shall DO free In.
deed.-John $685.
DEVOTIONAL READING Psa. 72a-ir.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACIERS-Ma iNi-3i, II Cor. 3:l7, Is;
Gal. 5.i-@.
PRIMARY AND JUNIOR ToPIc-Js-
sus and the deaf man.
MEMORY vERSE--He hath done all
things well, he maketh even the deaf to
hear and the dumb 10 speak. Mark 1851
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-Chris-
tian liberty
This lesson deals with the last OF
those four events which mark the
crisis In the life Of our Lord mt Cnper-
naum. 1t occurred just before the third
period Of his Gallelcan ministry and
the time Of his final departure for Jeru.
SALEM We have seen what the attl-
tude Of Jesus was toward the law Of
his nation. In this lesson We see his
attitude toward the rabblnical tradi-
lions Of the people which were the
opinions of men and not the law OF
God. Just so many today look upon
the forms and ceremonies OF the
church MS being verify the law Of God.
Moreover. these traditions were made
Il pretext whereby men evaded the
law. So today we find men very rellg.
ious and punctilious In their churchly
duties, who fail mlserably In their np-
plcation of the moral code to conduct.
The analysis falls into four general
divisions: One. the accusation, wv.
Is. two, the answer. wv. 6.l3 three,
the application, wv. 1929, and four,
the illustration, wv. 2i.3O.
I. The Accusation. wv. 1-5). The
growing hatred of the Pharisees, led
them to make long Journeys from Jeru-
salem that they might spy on Jesus
and find pretext for accusation.
While they were studying him, they re-
vealcd their ideas Of the kingdom OF
God. They took special notice that
the disciples Of Jesus ate without
washing their hands. We must not un.
derstand this to mean so much the re-
movnl of defllement, rs the neglect Of
a ceremonial observance over which
the Phallsees were punctilious. wv. 3.
~. Verses three and four illuminate
certain traditions to which the Jews
tenaclously. Thus exempli.
fed we can see that their Ideas OF
mans relation to God were largely
matter Of external ceremony. Purity
10 them was nm outward matter largely
governed by the traditions OF men, ".
~.
u. The Answer ". 8-13). The an
swer of Jesus reveals the very oppo-
site ideal He begins by calling the
Pharisees hypocrites. A hypocrlte Is a
play actor--one who hides behind a
mask. Applying the prophecy OF
Isaiah. Jesus plainly tells the Pharisees
that they are hiding their true charac.
ter behind the mask of ceremonial
cleansing Such play acting Is but
poor imitation Of the real heart con-
dIton demanded of God. (Psa. 81 :l0).
Their hearts were far from God, even
though with their lips they professed
to serve him. The love we express to
God consists not In ritualIstIc worship,
hut In doing his Will from the heart.
~. The Application, ". 1929.
Jesus takes advantage of this discus.
sion, and, turning to the multitude, up
on whom the Pharisees would bind
grievous burden of ceremonlallsm and
Matt. 23:4), warns them
that II Is not so much that which en-
ters into man that deflcs him, as
that which issues from him ". l5). II
seems quite natural that In their per-
plexlty the disciples should ask Jesus
what he meant by that. In his reply
wv. 1929. Jesus shows very clearly
that "the Issues OF life' prov. 4:23),
reveal the corruption which Is within.
(See Matt. II :34. 35; Gen. 8 IS; James
3 :10-12). II the heart be not cleansed,
what will II avail II we wash the
hands? What then is the application
for this present dayi Clearly we are
taught the danger OF lip service with
out a change Of heart. Substituting
good for the best is sin. Forms and
ceremonies are good and have their
place they are significant for they are
important teaching factors; but they
must not be substituted for pure
heart. We must beware lest we hide
behind such q mask.
There is here also plain teaching as
to Jesus estimate Of the Pentateuch
and inferentlally Of the prophecy Of
Isaiah. He specifically calls II "the
Word Of Cod Surely we can accept
his estimate as contrasted with the
tradition of the elders or the ICON.
sensus of modern thought"
Less talk and more walk
I.ess wishing and more doing,
Less preaching and more practicing,
Less organization and more Of the spirit.
Finally, we have two illustrations
rs to how Jesus sets men free. (a)
Jesus silence appears to deepen faith
in the pleading Syrophenlclan woman
". 24-30).
(b) We have the cure Of the deaf
and the dumb man. wv. 3l-3O; In
healing, showing divine
power.
Jesus was setting his people free
from their bodily infirmitles and at
the same time delivering them from
their sins and imperfections and bring.
Ing them into his spiritual Kingdom.
This he Is still doing.
-
Fullness of Life.
Christ came into the world that we
might have life and have II more alum
,tantly Tho crampad etarvad half.da-