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tertained Him at a feast. The Pharisees became offended because of His asso ciating with publicans and sinners. At this time the disciples of the Pharisees and of John were fasting. They came to Him and asked why it was that they fasted often but His disciples did not. He an swered their query by giving the parable of the sons of the bridechamber and of their feasting while the bridegroom was present, but of their fasting after his de parture. He reiterated His lesson, ad vancing in the thought, however, by the parable of sewing a new piece of cloth upon an old garment and putting new wine into old wine skins. In the first of these three parables Jesus was the bride groom and the apostles were the sons of the bridechamber. During His presence they were to enjoy themselves, for the time would come, after His departure, when they would need to fast and pray. The second and third parables teach the lesson that the religion of Christ is some thing entirely new and cannot be put into the old wine skins of the ritualism of the old covenant. The spirit of Christianity is that of freedom from bondage to cus tom and legalism. The incident recorded in the following paragraph (Mk. 2:23-27) illustrates the same principle of freedom and liberty of the children of God. The event is the fol lowing: On a Sabbath Jesus was passing through the cornfields, and His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate the kernels. Immediately the Pharisees took offense and in a criticizing manner called His attention to their conduct. Jesus im mediately replied to their censure by call ing attention to the fact that David ate the shewbread when he was hungry, and was held guiltless. The shewbread was for the priests only; therefore David had no right to it legally; but the emergency arose and God preferred mercy rather than sacrifice—relieving suffering to the strict observance' of legalistic ritualism. Jesus immediately corrected their idea concerning the Sabbath by stating that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. His second reason justifying His statement was that He, the Christ, was Lord of the Sabbath; there fore He had a right to permit His dis ciples to relieve their hunger on that day even though it was in violation of the tradition of the elders. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." IV. Taking a Vacation. Mk. 6 :30-32. Tired and weary from the strenuous la bors of three journeys over Galilee, the disciples were invited by the Lord to re sort to a desert place apart'in order that they might rest and recuperate. Thus they went to the hill country east of the Sea of Galilee; but Jesus, having won the hearts of the people, was unable to get away from them. Soon great multitudes were gathered to Him, which sight moved His heart to compassion because they were as sheep without a shepherd. It be comes necessary, after months of stren uous, hard, constant toil for one to get away from his usual surroundings where he can forget the duties of life and can breathe the fresh air of leisure, rest, meditation, and communion with God, in order that he may return to his work with a new enthusiasm and zeal. V. Christ Attending a Marriage Feast. Jno. 2:1-11. Having selected four or five of His early disciples, Jesus left the region
“We are not here to play, to dream, to d rift; We have hard work to do, and loads to lift: . Shun not the struggle; face it; ’tis God’s gift.” —Maltbie D. Babcock. —o— October 27, 1929 The Christian View of Recreation Scripture References: Jer. 31:12, 13; Zech. 8:5; Matt. 11:16-19; Mk. 2:18-28; 6:30-32; Jno. 2:1-11. Golden Text: "The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and de stroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (Jno. 10: 10 ) . Devotional Reading : Phil. 4:4-9. L e s s o n i n O u t l in e Introduction: Historical Setting. Beginning the Lesson. I. Israel’s Recreation during the Mil lennium. Jer. 31:12, 13; Zech. 8:5. II. A Play Parable. Matt. 11:16-19. III. A Christian’s Liberty. Mk. 2:18-28. IV, Taking a Vacation. Mk. 6 :30-32. V. Christ Attending a Marriage Feast. Jno. 2:1-11. Introduction: Historical Setting. 'T'O the tired, weary, scattered nation of Israel, God,, through the prophet Jere miah, at the time of the Babylonian cap tivity, promised that Israel shall be re told that during the millennial age chil dren will play in the streets of Jerusalem. Matt. 11:16-19 was spoken by the Sav iour during the latter part of the great Galilean ministry, about a year prior to the Crucifixion. The quotation taken from the second chapter of Mark, was spoken a little less than two years before the Crucifixion, by the Saviour, after His first tour of Galilee when He returned to Capernaum, His headquarters. The vaca tion which Jesus and the apostles intended to take (Mk. 6 :30-32) came at the con clusion of the great Galilean ministry, about six months prior to the Crucifixion. The last passage in today’s lesson is based upon the account of the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee which was attended by the Saviour just prior to His going to Jerusalem at the first Passover of His personal ministry—three years prior to the Crucifixion. Beginning the Lesson: In order to get started in the investiga tion of Chrisian recreation, it is well, es pecially in the young people’s classes, to discuss in a general way the different ways of spending one’s vacation. It is an excellent idea to have different ones tell of the way they spent their vacation dur ing the summer and how their next vaca- gathered to her own land in the future and shall enjoy a real vacation—ces sation f r o m a l l trouble, sorrow, and worry. Zechariah, who lived in post- exilic times, fore
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE
EST AND ECUPERATION
-Q ECREATION
JLVEINVIGORATION Come ye apart and rest awhile. —Mark 6:31.
tion can be improved. The discussion of such topics as “The Purpose of a Vaca tion” ; “Should. the Worship of God be Neglected on the Lord’s Day During Va cation?” ; “Bible Reading and Devotional Hour During Vacation Time” ; “How Can I Make Others Enjoy their Vaca tion?” etc., will prove profitable. I. Israel’s -Recreation.during the Mil lennium. Jer. 31:12, 13; Zech. 8:5. According to the warnings which God gave Israel through Moses (Lev. 26; Deut. 28:30), she would be driven out of her land and scattered among the nations if she failed to obey Him and went off into sin. Especially in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy is the national history of Israel in outline given—the two great crises of intense sieges and sufferings are there depicted, the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and the exile, and the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, and their world-wide dispersion. Moses, to gether with all .of the prophets, however, looked forward to the time when Israel shall be brought back into fellowship and favor with God, being restored to her own land. In Jeremiah’s glorious predic tion of the wonderful future lying out be fore Israel (Jer, 31), appears a very striking passage which tells of the joy ful, delightful time when Israel shall have a vacation from her age-long suffering and sorrow. ■ Zechariah, who lived after Jeremiah> looked forward to the future and saw Jerusalem enlarged and glorified; old men leaning upon their staves for very age, and young children playing in the streets of Jerusalem, all enjoying God’s great vacation for Israel. II. A Play Parable. Matt.. 11:16-19. The reports concerning the wonderful works which the apostles performed wlien Jesus sent them out “only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and the mighty works which Jesus Himself did, came to the ears of John the Baptist who was imprisoned by Herod at Machaerus in the laqd of Moab. The Lord eulogized John because of the greatness of his char acter. In this, connection, however, He was led to compare His generation ta a group of sullen, peevish children play ing in the market places, who would not join in with the singing nor with the mourning. Having used this parable of playing, He made His application by say ing that because John came neither eating nor drinking, the people said that he had a demon; and that because Christ ate and drank with sinners, He was a glutton and a winebibber. When one’s heart is not right and he does not desire truth before everything else, no amount of evidence nor persuasion can lead him to accept the right and do the proper thing. III. A Christian’s Liberty. Mk. 2:18-28. When Jesus called Matthew the pub lican to become a disciple, the latter en
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