The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-03-22
Critics Crushed
Lesson for March "a, 1868


You can always tell how a
mans mind works by getting
him into some kind Of corner.
II may be a physical corner,
such as being caught in a burn
ing building: or it may be a
mental corner, as when some
public and controversial per-
sonage is being grilled by a
Meet the Press" panel. So it
is not only interesting but ex-
citing to study the short story
Of the clash Jesus had with his
tirelesS critics during His last
earthly hours.
His critics, as is well known,
We're smart men. They belong
ed to the intellectual classes,
they had what we would call a
h i G h education, some were
trained in the art of debate. For
reasons which may be mention
ed later, they were determined
to crush Jesus, and they would
stop at nothing. But while they
had a sort Of plan in reserve
by which to get Jesus legally
murdered. they did not try that
at first. What they wanted was
to show him up before til e
crowds, as an ignorant, confus-
ed, Wrong-headed man. T h e y
hoped to get him laughed at,
and that would finish him.
Three Questions
Three questions in a row
were thrown at Jesus. in tn e
hope of smoking him out. y
First question: Is it right to pay
taxes to the Roman govern
nent Caesar? This was hot
question. If He said Yes, all the
100 per cent patriots would be
after him at once. For Judea
was an occupied country. Jews
loved the government by Rome
no better than Hungarians love
Russians troopers. But if Jesus
said No, then the Romans
would have him in jail before
dark.
Second question: IF a woman
has had seven husbands, in the
next world which of the seven
is going to be her husband ?
The object of that question was
not for information The object
was to show how ridiculous the
whole idea of future life is.
From their point of view. t h c
SadduceeS who asked this ques-
ton thought they had a sure
fire way to hold both Jesus and
the Pharisees (thelr enemiesl
up TO rldicule.
Third Question. Which is
the greatest commandment?
Meaning W h c h of the Ten
Commandments, no doub to-
Whatever Jesus said about this.
He would run into people who
had other ideas, and have end
less arguments on His hands.
How the Master Answered
The reader is referred to his
Bible Mark u. the Bible Ma
terlall to see exactly what Je-
SuS said to each of these QueS-
tons. We here observe the how
OF His answers. The first ques-
ton He answered by calling
attention. dramatically too. to
something they hadn't thought
of: these professional patriots
owed something TO Caesar. The
government they hated h a d
made business possible by coin
ing money. had made life safe
by their military police. b d
made travel possible by build,
ing roads. And then Jesus calls
their attention TO something
else they hadn't thought Of
What about their debt to God?
The second question He showed
was meaningless: no one would
| ask it who knew as much about
heaven as Jesus knew. T h c
question assumed that the next
life would be Just like this one
with wives and perhaps gro
ceres, medicine and gossip!
Jesus never tried fully to de.
scribe the next life: He made
1t clear that it could not be de-
Scribed. AS for the last cues
ton. He answered it in such a
way as to attract a thoughtful
serious man. and do him good
Why the Critics:
So Jesus crushed His critics
III different ways. But why did
He have critics at all? For the
same reasons that He is resist
ed today. Some men are too
proud to bow to the Carpenter
of Galilee. Some men do moi
want to believe what they cam
not first understand. Some per.
hapS in their hearts would like
TO believe and follow Him. but
they are afraid ri what might
be said about them # they turn
ed Christians. What did the
Sanhedrln think of The one or
two men who stood up for Je-
SuS?l Some hang back because
they know. as the Sadducees
| did that If tho,y talo - ~; /,