Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Jan. 9th. Luke IS.
BY DR.. MARION MICH. HULL

course, during all those years the
| Sabbath had been observed, but
there had been no law about it be-
| fore The law was given to express
Gods will about the matter and TO
let the people know where they
were doing Gods will and where they
were not. During the generations
that followed, the Jews had piled on
top OF pile a great mass of tradi-
tiOn-cOmmentaries on the law, oral
and otherwise. saying what should
be done and what not, until they
had made the Sabbath burden in
stead of a blessing. Instead of it's
being a means to an end, they had
made it the end itself. They had
made it an institution before which
everything else had to bend. 1t had
been instituted for the benefit OF
. man, they were making man yield
everything to it IS an institution. If
a choice had to be made between
! man and the Sabbath, man had to
| suffer, the Sabbath never
New it was this attitude that Jesus
/ attacked. He ran amucl5. not of the
| Sabbath, but OF their views of the
! Sabbath, and on several occasions
and in every part of. the country
where he ministered, He claimed to
, be Lord of the Sabbath and showed
! that the Sabbath was made for mans
| benefit rather than man made tor
the Sabbath s benefit. See John b:
! 1-1G: 91-14 in Judea; Luke 4:31 -33;
! G:G-11 in G2lliIie, and Luke 13H0-1T
and 14:1-6 in Peria. It was this at
titude Of Jesus on this question,
more than on any other, which
aroused the antagOnism of the re-
/ l.gious leaders against Him.
How to Keep the Sabbath
Let us not think for a moment,
however, that Jesus was Sabbath
I breaker; He only broke it as the
Jewish leaders thought it should be
| kept. He did not give any license
| for the sO-called continental Sab
! bath which many would like to see
effective in America. and which is
| becoming more and more in effect
IN reality if not outwardly, in At
; lanta. This is none other than an
! entire disregard OF any day as pc
culiarly set aside Cor religious pur-
poses and for rest.
This brings I'D two very interest
! ing and important questions: One is
! the Christian Sabbath; and the 9TH
! or is the relation of the Christian to
the law. a part of which the law of
! the Sabbath is.
The Christian Sabbath and the
Jewish Sabbath are two entirely diff
! ferent institutions. The Jewish Sab
/ bath, hereafter referred to as the
Sabbath, was Il sign between God
and His chosen people, and was -
! be kept as such. 1t was a day of
complete rest-cessation from work;
and was not primarily a day \0f wor-
! snip. In fact. it was only used as
! n day Of worship in connection with
! the great foasts. 1t was the seventh
! daE Of the week, and came from the
/ fact that God rested from His Gre
atiVe activity on that dav.
On the other hand, the Christian
, sabbath is the first day Of the
week, a day Of Worship and of re-
ilgiOus activity. a day of rest from
/ the ordinary occupations in order
That more time may he given for
the development of the spiritual life.
ana it is primarily TO celebrate the
resurrection Of our Lord from the
i dead to 4 lie of ceascless activity
IN LII ISlI~'l' lNGIGIOfe. should
emulate the example of Jesus. ONLY
/ ore way there is of keeping the sab
path properly, and that is to keen
the other six days holy. We must
let Him live His life in Us ever,
; cay. if the one day pocul;rIv sci
ASIDE for religious Worship is TO
mean anTlning to us or to the world
| mat knows Him not.
The Law
/ This brings up the second ouas.
i uon. the relation of the Christian
| TO the law. the law of the Sabl}arh
and the other parts of the law Of
God. Wen. at the outset Ter rs
! make it very plain that the law
mas nothing whatever to do with
the Christian. We are not under
the law at all Christ has SET MS
Tree from the curse of the law. and
also from the dominion of the law
Don't misunderstood me, however.
this does not mean w ehave license
but liberty. The question is not
escaping the will of God, but doing
that holy will.
j. There are two views Of the law of