The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-01-03

SCHOOL
LESSON
Tracing Character TO It's
source. Matthew BILL, 1870
BY RALPH ROGERS

IIlcuL W Tic NOlSblLubAOn VI bhS
United States is evidence that you
can't legalize morality. Men must
be good at heart to do right. The
laws of the land protect society
from pirates who live on the booty
and pelf taken from the weak and
innocent. The law of God operat-
| ing in the heart of man develops
character which promotes the
safety and well-being of all man
kind. It is the law of love. In
the lesson today Jesus bases his
statement on the wisdom of Pro-
verbs (4:23) when he says, "Out
of the heart come forth evil
thoughts murders, adulteries, for
nications,' thefts, false witness.
ratings" (Mat. 1919
Not so long ago the Senate Crime
Investigating Committee held seS-
sion in our large cities across the
land. What this committee saw
and heard not only astonished them
but stirred the wrath of good peo-
pie as they read of the proceedings
and saw it on television. For
months we saw across the first
page and on the screen parade
of criminals, sheriffs taking brides,
gangsters controlling mayors, MUIR
derers with more influence than
state governors, law enforcement
officers meeting in secret with
racketeers.
Senator Charles W. Tobey came
up with this solution: John Green
leaf Whittier was a great man, a
Quaker, and he wrote some won
derful things in poetry. In one
poem called Problems" he COM
mented on the ills of the nation,
and he closed with this couplet:
But solution there is none, save
in the rule of Christ alone This
is the answer. When the hearts of
men and women take their ms
spiration from the Master of men,
then we viii have q righteous and
new America, a nation in which
'dwelleth righteousness and, be-
fore God, it is high time"
The opportunity to drive home
q most important lesson arose
when the Pharisees asked, why
do fhY disciples transsress the
tradition Of fhe sIdors7" (1S:2l
This gave Jesus On opportunity
10 explain fila difference between
tradition and the law. This group
had become 50 encountered with
religious ceremony that they
lost sighs Of fhe Fundamental
law Of God. They were serUpv-
IoUs iraditionalisss trying hard TO
| fellow ell the rules Of the book
regardless Of how ridiculous they
might be.
As an example they were sup
pose to wash their hands before 9
meal, which is sanitary, but with
them il was religious ritual
They had to use a specified amount
of water and have il poured twice
over their hands up to a certain
point on their wrists. If the water
went above that point 1t was sir
cince the water would flow bacl
over their hands and defile then
again. Apparently Jesus did no
think this ceremony was so i'm
portant and his disciples were dis
regarding it. The PhariseeS ther
Registered their complaint because
the finer points of the claw o.
man" was being neglected or vic
lated. Jesus then emphasized tina
character, Gods law in the heart
is far more important than th'
ideals and traditions of men,
Jesus not only discounted thu
cherished traditions of the Phari
sees, but he went further and ask
ed them why they transgressed th'
law OF God. Moses had laid dowl
the commandments which all gooC
IIsraelites endeavored to obey. On
of them emphasizes that one shoulC
/ honor his father and mother. While
Matthew does not use the worr
Corban, Mark does t7:lD and i
refers to a gift or is frequentl!
used as a formula for a vow o.
oath. This VOW is thought to b
one given TO God and to Him tn
property needed for support of hi
father or mother, or he may mere
ly have sworn not TO support them
Some tranSgreSsiou Of Gods Law
prompted Jesus TO accuse them o
! making weld the word of God
/ Jesus was more interested il
what might cause inner defilemen
than danger from neglect Of tn
trappingS of traditionaliStS. Jesu
oheyed the law aud we recall tina
he wore = fringe on his robe. Will,
he did comply With what be fel
was Gods law he pat righteous
ness above ritual II is so cas-,
to Succumb 20 externaliSm in re
ligion and perhaps there is ever
more danger in this 10th century
The law Of the heart should pre-
vail and Ne readily admit tina
wrong thoughts and savings ar
more defiling than forbidden food
Jesus doefrlne thar ''nethlns
from without Q man. can de-
file him." MIGHT Be CUES
TloNEp. Can AnH GSurrileus