The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-03-15
Lesson for March Is
JESUS TEACHES SINCERITY

LESSON TEXT-Mark 7:1-23.
! GOLDEN TEXT-Keep thy heart
with all diligence. for out of it are the
issues of life.
PRIMARY ToPIC-obeying God and
Our Parents.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Honoring God and
Our Parents.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Sincerity in Religion.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-Jesus Denounces Journalism.
I. The Emptiness Of Formal Wor-
ship wv. I'D.
The tendency of the human heart Is
to depart from the life and to choose
the mere form which is calculated to
express the life. The traditions and
customs adopted by nell for the tenn
porary help of the spiritual life fire.
quently are crystallzed into laws and
| made to supersede the laws and insti-
tutions of God.
1. The charge against Christ ". p.
This was that Christ's disciples ate
bread with unwashed hands. The
charge was not on the basis of physi-
cal uncleanness, but their disregard of
custom which was to engage In the
thorough washing of the hands before
eating, as we'll as washing the pots
and vessels.
2. Examples of empty forms wv.
24).
az Washing of the hands before
eating ". 81. They not only washed
their hands often but diligently and
intensely.
(2) Washing of cups, tables, pots
and brazen vessels. The ceremonial
washing applied to the vessels as well
as the hands.
8. Explanation demanded by the
Pharisees ". 81. They asked Christ
to explain why His disciples ignored
the tradition of the elders with ref
erence to ceremonial cleansing.
4. Christ's answer wv. 6, y. He
declared that worship which centered
in forms was as empty and meaning
less as was lip service where the
heart was away from God. This He
calls hypocrisy, even such as foretold
by Isaiah, the prophet. Men of his.
day made much of external observ-
ance and of religious rites, while their
hearts remained unchanged.
II. Making the Word of God OF
None Effect wv. 9-13).
l. How it may be done ". 81. 1t was
done by punctiliously observing the
precepts of man, such as washing of
the hands, pots, etc., while ignoring
the commandments of God. This Is
being done by those who make much
of the externalities Of religion but at
the same time are Indifferent to the
moral requirements.
2. An instance cited wv. 9-13).
The law of God as given by Moses
said, "Honor thy father and thy moth
er, and whose curseth father or moth
err, let him die the death: but We say,
If man shall say to his father or
mother, 1t is Corban, that is to say,
gift, by whatsoever thou highest be
profited by me, he shall be free, and
We suffer him no more to do ought for
his father or his mother" The law of
God demands of children that they
care and provide for parents In their
need. According to an accepted tradi-
ton among the Jews, If man should
consecrate his goods or possessions to
the Lords service by pronouncing over
them the word "Corban," which means
"the gift" his goods would be thus
dedicated to God, and would not be
available for help to his parents. 1t
was possible, therefore, for man to
be enjoying wealth while his parents
were In restitution.
III. The Real Source Of Defiement
and impurity wv. 1929.
1. Sin is moral and spiritual. Un-
cleanness before God Is not Of the
body save as the body is directed by
the soul. A man is not defiled by that
which enters his mouth but by that
which springs out Of his soul.
2. That which springs out Of the
heart-the deliberate choice of the
willis the source Of defilement woo.
8. A list of evils springing out of
the heart wv. q, 22). The awful list
Is as follows:
Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornica-
tons, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
which all come from within. This
catalogue includes every possible form
of evil. Every one Of them originate
in the heart and when they become
acts Of the will and life they defile the
man. 1t is only when temptations and
solicitations lead to indulgence by the
deliberate act of the will that they
corrupt man.