The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-11-11
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
IESus THE GREAT TEACHER
Luke 6:I.Ia


III tile Corn FicIu.--No nave @Geh
Jesus in the city. in the wilderness and
on the sea shore, in the manger and
palace, and we begin sundays lesson
with Him in the corn field. The uisci-
plies were hungry and II was no breach
Of the sabbath to thus pluck the corn
and eat for such an act could not be
called daily labor. Yet according to
Jewish tradition this would be con-
sidered as work. Now Jesus begins to
teach. He ignores their definition and
treats it as If 1t did not exist. He
broke away from the tradition and
made His appeal to the inner intent
and meaning of the Sabbath law. The
Sabbath is made for man. Thus teach
| ing was the business of our Lord just
as fishing was that of Peter, and tax
gathering that of Mathew. 1t is sig
| nificant that the other teachers of
Christ's day did not challenge His
right to take His place among them
in their profession, even though His
method was additionally different
The difference between His system of
| teaching and theirs is seen in their
differing upon any one point such as
the observance CT the Sabbath day.
The Withered Right Hand.--Similar-
ly in the incident of the man with the
withered right hand, Jesus gave
fresh and startling teaching concern
ing the purpose of the Sabbath. The
need of rest one day in seven is neces-
sary in order to maintain vitality. To
give vigor to q man whose life had
been diminished by the whitening OF
his hand was not violation but full
fillment of the Sabbath law.
Poor. Hungry, Prosecuted, and De-
spised Called blessed" The SER
mon on the plain is the same as that
recorded by Mathew as the sermon on
the mount Jesus puts forth some
| thoughts which must have startled
some by their unusual import, as for
example when he called the poor. the
blessed, the persscuted and the de-
spised blessed; or when He exhort-
ed His disciples TO love their enemies.
do good to them that hated them, to
bless them who cursed them, to give
freely to lend freely. and to be merci-
full. The teachings were opposed TO
theirs.
God So Loved Us.-"Like father. like
son." is a pertinent saying, and Jesus
reminds these Israelites who are so
proud of being children of the true
God, that relationship must be proven
by resemblance. You love your enc
mics and do good to them that hate
you, etc. Prove your sonship. There
is not a corner of the earth so remote
that the rays of the sun may not pene-
trat it; none are so evil but that God
still lets His sun shine upon them
What would become OF US If God re-
served the pure air and water for the
just alone?
Not a Dream-Doubtless the disci-
pies and hearers thought the words a
beautiful rhapsody. A remarkable
dream is what the world called the
Sermon OF the Mount for more than
eighteen centuries. But Jesus pre-
cepts were soon to be proven by His
example. The day vas not far distant
when some of His hearers should hear
Him pray from His Roman execution
ers, Father, forgive them; they know
not what they do" They may even see
Him restore the ear which Peters
sword-thrust had severed from one of
the soldiers; and Peter, who is be-
side Him, eagerly listening to His
words, is to experience the tenderness
of His forgiveness after the denial.
The Comparison - The questioning
of Jesus was like a great search-light,
laying bare every sophistry and re-
vealing the mind and soul. He turns
to the anxious throng, many of whom
are saying within themselves, He
1 ASKS 100 inuCu. IS II hui SuOuSu w
love ones neighbour" Slowly the
words fall, IF you love them which
love you, what reward have your"
Why. even the despised publicans do
the same. And if you salute you breth-
rem only. what do ye more than
others? Thus Jesus makes 1t plain
that He holds His followers to high
er code than that OF the world. 1t is
not enough to be as good as someone
else. the Christian must be Christ like.
Human nature alone cannot love as
God thus demands. Only he who has
had his sins pardoned and his heart
made white and clean is capable of
such love as this. This teaching is
made vital by the irresistible convic.
ton it aroused that teacher was not
imparting something outside Of him
self but that 1t represented His own
personality as a while.
Jesus Teaching Aim-An unmistak-
able trait OF Christ's teaching was that
He had a definite goal In mind.