Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-17
Sunday School Lesson

ahead with their plan that they had
formulated to destroy Him. His charge
of covetousness, that they allowed bust
ness to interfere with their attitude to-
ward Him, went home. for the priests
reaped q large profit from their stock
farms that furnished sacrifices to the
worshipers. They united their forces
and planned to entrap the Lord in His
utterances. They decided to ask Him q
question concerning the payment OF
taxes. They thought it would cut both
ways. AN Endorsement OF trtbute-giv-
ing would ALLEVIATE the tax-burdened
Jews. The protest against 1t would
bring upon Jesus the strong arm OF the
Roman government.
They approached the Master and
they tried to conceal their real purpose
by praising the Lords sincerity and
truthfulness before asking the question,
which they believed that, no matter as
to how He should reply, He could not
possibly avoid being enSnared, when
they asked Him. "Is it lawful to give
tribute to Caesar. or not?" If He said
yes, the Jews would question His patrio-
tism. If he said no, the Masters
enemies would at once report Him as a
disloyalist to the Roman government.
Christ condemned them for their
hypocritical attitude, asked for coin,
and, when it was handed to Him, de-
manded whose mintage it was. They
replied, Caesars" Jesus answered,
Render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars and unto God the things
that are Gods" This answer surprised
them. They were defeated by Christ's
reply that Won Ranke has said was
"tle Masters most revolutionary utter
ance." 1t is the basis for making this
L. Irrkx
to obey, not only the laws of the States
and Nation, but those of God. The
doctrine of the separation Of church
and state Is based upon these far
reaching words of the Lord Jesus.
Two Other Problems.
The Sadducees, who thought that the
idea of q resurrection was ridiculous
came and asked Jesus a question that
they thought would completely puzzle
Him. I'm the resurrection whose
wife shall she be of the seven, for they
all had her?" Jesus met the issue by
pointing out that they were ignorant
of the teachings of the Scriptures. He
told them that there would be no mar
riages in Heaven. They had been think
ing of the earthly life, but in the spir-
itual there would be a difference. He
did not mean to teach us that love,
which Is immortal, would not continue
to exist in the future life. It lasts and
will help make the future life joyous
and happy The eternity of loving
Father implies the Immortality of His
loving children.
When these folks retired in defeat,
the Pharisees put forth a lawyer who
tried to entrap Jesus with a question,
Which is the greatest commandment
in the law?" The question of the law
yer was one that was frequently asked
In His reply Jesus gave the usual reply
of the rabbis, which condensed into q
few words the essentials of human duty.
1t was a quotation from Deuteronomy
and Leviticus. Jesus added that in such
''love" is summed up all the law and
the prophets. n study of the Masters
teachings will show that He made love
the test of Christian life. Paul showed
in his poem on love how essential 1t was
to Christianity. Jesus recognized the
honesty of the scribe who had tried to
ensnare Him when the lawyer replied
to the Masters questions. The attempts
of the enemies of the Lord to ensnare
Him had all failed, for mo man after
that burst ask Him any questions" II
we fulfill the laws requirements to
love, we will not fail in our duty as citi-
zens. The Masters great sorrow over
Jerusalem, because of its citizens In
difference to Him, Is repeated today
when the continuous Indifference of men
to His claims is seen in their putting
other things before those Of Christ and
His church.