Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-01-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson 5.-First Quarter, Feb
ruary 8, 1913
The INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text Of Lesson, Mark 2:25 20 S;5-
I Memory Verses, Es. 2e:s-fi--eold-
en- Text, Mark 2:2s-ccmHnentsry
Prepared by Rev D. NJ. stearns.

Taking up the verses between last
weeks lesson and this one, we note
Christ was ever teaching the people,
for he was truly the Great Teacher,
and IT is written, Who teacheth like
him? And we may web pray, THAT
which / see not, teach thou me" Cob
"a 81. SO 10y. Before he went away
he said that be would send the Holy
Spirit, who would teach us all things
John IA :26l. and he did, and we may
rely upon him as ever in as to guide
Us into all truth.
When he called Levi. or Matthew, TO
follow him, ne promptly did so, having
ing. he then made Jesus a feast in
his home (Luke :29), and invited many
iof his publican friends and other sin
Iners, as well as those who were al
ready disciples of Jesus. This brought
'sneers and scofing from the self
righteous scribes and pharisees, who
were above associating with such peo-
pie, and led Jesus 10 saysthat he came
mot to call 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
Ito have mercy upon all who come TO
him. Compare Matt. e:13 and Hos.
Is %. and see Rom. IS. We can only
say TO people who are good enough in
their own estimation that while we are
sorry for them. we never heard of
Saviour for them.
Then came up the question of fast
ing, on which these Pharisees counted
$50 much, which led the Lord Jesus TO
speak of himself as the Bridegroom,
and his disciples as the children OF the
bride-chamber, saying that they would
have occasion to fast in his absence,
but not while he was with them. These
Pharisees were patchwork people. try
ing TO 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
sncorrigibly corrupt and can never be
improved or made any better. There
must be new nature by new birth
from above-Jesus Christ received
into our hearts and given full control
while the old must be subdued, put of
reckoned dead. Not reformation but
regeneration. If any man be In Christ.
he is new creation, in no sense In
debted to the flesh or having anything
10 do with 1t.
The Phsrisees prided themselves
upon their doings, their fasts and
teasts, 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. whited sepulchres, a gen
Grafton of vipers Matt. q ST. IA. 25,
n. 2S. 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 to themselves for
being so religious. We, as sinners,
cannot give God anything, or do any
thing to please him. until we have first
received from him the mercy and for
giyeness be Is ready to bestow, the
eternal redemption purchased apd pro
ssded for us at ssch infinite cost. Sal
walton is only by grace and wholly IN
merlted on our part (Rom, 3 80. 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 CT, 2sl. 1t is lawful TO do
web on the Sabbath days (Matt. 10
12). and all acts OF necessity and
mercy are surely in order. His disci.
pies were hungry and he justified their
plucking corn by the story Of David
and his men when they were hungry.
Healing the mans withered hand was
an act of mercy at any time. If you
will notice the many times they found
fault with him for doing good on the
Sabbath day you can readily see what
q religious idol they had made it. and
worshiped 1t and not God Again and
again 1t is written that because Of his
disregard Of their idol they determined
to kin him $3.50. Doctor Weston has
said that 1t is often a surprise when
ones attention is first called to the
fact, that the immediate occasion of
the determination by the Jewish rulers
to put Christ TO death was his relation
TO their Sabbath. The Sabbath might
be called the Jewish national flag. and
ia 1t they claimed q peculiar relation
to God as their creator and redeemeY.
but ia reality they knew him not. and
deceit refused to to know him
der. $3.50. Concerning the keeping
Of the Sabbath. know no more clear
and simple instruction than lisa. SO 13,
Turn away thy foot from the Sab
bath, from doing thy pleasure ON eny
holy day-cali the Sabbath delight,
the holy of the Lord and honorable;
and honor him. not doing thine own
ways. nor finding thine own pleasure.
u