241
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
April 1928
low them to renounce their allegiance to their rulers. Some would say that this puts the children o f God at the mercy of the unscrupulous, but the truth is that against those who are loyal to Christ, no craft can avail in the end. If they suf fer for Christ’s sake, the cause is fur thered and the sufferer enters into an abundant reward. The Pharisees and Herodians having failed, along came a group of Sadducees. “W e’ll get Him now !” they thought. We may imagine them chuckling over the cleverness o f "the question they had de- yised. Suppose a woman with seven hus bands in the resurrection. All seven put in a claim for her. Imagine a scene in heaven, with seven men contending over one .woman. That would surely puncture this Christian doctrine o f the resurrec tion (vs. 18-23). _ „ These Sadducees, like some in the pres ent day, claimed to have great regard for the Scriptures, while rejecting some of their foundation doctrines. Jesus only needed to remind them of a famous pass age in which they professed to believe. “ Ye err because you do not know your own Scripture nor the power o f God,” He declared, and He proceeded to give them an example. In the resurrection, “ they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels” (v. 25). It never had occurred to them that God could grant life in an other world and make it different from life in this world. Here, marriage is_ to preserve the race. There, all will be im mortal. There is no marriage among angels. This does not necessarily mean that there will be no love founded upon the memories o f the past. If old rela tions exist, they will exist under new conditions. The joys of that state will be spiritual, not carnal. “Have ye not read in the book o f M o ses how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I AM the God o f Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?”, (v. 26). When these words were spoken, all three of these men were dead, yet God says “I AM their God.” Here is an argument built upon one word. (Does Scripture inspiration extend to the words?) Is God the God o f lifeless clay and moldering carcasses ? W h a t did these Sadducees,. understand by these words they professed to believe? If Ab raham, Isaac and Jacob no longer existed and there was no resurrection, why should God even refer to them by name, much less say that He was still their God? If they would not yield to the fact that these men must still be in existence, they might as well yield that resurrection was possible. The doctrine of resurrection, therefore, raised no new difficulty. Jesus had gone to the bottom o f their objection, and they could not reply. “ God is not the God of the dead, but the God o f the liv ing” (v. 27). How much more there is in some Scripture passages than appears at first sight! The Sadducees had never seen this in Exo. 3 : 6 . God cannot speak without meaning many things at once. His every word is full o f instruction. Now comes another scribe, but one who seems to be an exception, for he wins from Jesus a commendation. He brings a question frequently discussed in the schools o f the rabbis, "Which is the first commandment of all?” (v. 28). Many held that the Sabbath commandment was the most important. Others maintained that ceremonial purification was more important.
III. A Question concerning the com mandments. Vs. 28-34. 1. Query concerning the greatest com mandments put by a certain Scribe. V. 28. 2. The answer given which sums up all o f the commands in two. Vs. 29-31. 3. Assent of the Scribe to Christ’s an swer. Vs. 32-33. 4. Estimation o f this Scribe by Jesus. V. 34. IV. A Question concerning the Messiah. Vs. 35-37. 1. A query by Jesus concerning the Messiah. V. 35. 2. A quotation from Psalm 110. V. 37. 3. The interest manifested by common people. V. 38. V. A Warning against Hypocrisy. Vs. 38-40. ' 1. Hypocrisy •o f Scribes exposed. Vs. 38-40a. 2. Outward religious observances used as a cloak to cover hypocrisy. V. 40b. VI. The Matter o f Giving to the Lord. Vs. 41:44 (cf. Lk. 16:1-13). 1. The giving by the multitudes. V. 41a. 2. The giving by the rich. V. 41b. 3. The giving by the poor widow. V. 42. 4. The commendation o f the giving by the widow. Vs. 43, 44. —o— TT must have taken many a midnight conclave to hatch plots against Jesus. Men are still plotting against Him and hoping to stamp put Christianity. Is it not strange that they do not learn from f i n e combination—religious hypocrisy and political craft. Ordinarily they could scarcely tolerate each other. Have you ever noticed the kind o f people who can pull together when it comes • to opposing Christianity ? “Master," they said, “ is it lawful to give tribute** to Caesar, or not?” This was a trick question. It was a galling thing to the Jews to have ,to pay tribute. They considered it almost treason to Je hovah. I f they could get Jesus to rule against the Jew, He would place Himself against a universal feeling and would be branded as unpatriotic. That would be fatal to His influence. If He pronounced against the Roman government, they could hand Him over for sedition. They thought they had Him in a corner. “He, knowing their hypocrisy, said, . . . bring me a penny" (v. 15). They brought it. “ Whose is this image?” He asked, and they said, “ Caesar’s." “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God thé things that are God’s." How could they lay hold o f that? Both God and Caesar have their rights. Note the clever wording o f the ques tion: “ Is it lawful to GIVE tribute?” Jesus changes the word. “RENDER to .Caesar.” In other words, it is not a ques tion o f giving, but o f paying what is law fully claimed. Caesar gave them the bene fits of stable government. Why should not all citizens help pay for it? Jesus was never a radical. He would not allow His disciples to deny Him before kings and governments, neither would He al past h i s t o r y that “ every knock is a boost” ? In today’s lesson, it is the Pharisees and Herodians who come to Jesus, hoping . “ to catch Him in His words." Here is a
Land, to the very place, where our story happened. (Make this lesson very real as you tell it, and give them a little descrip tion of the land, its climate, fruits, etc.) W e must always remember that while Jesus lived here on earth He was poor, and had no home o f His ow n ; He had to walk as He went about over the coun try. There was the home o f Mary, Mar tha and Lazarus in Bethany where Jesus was always welcome. In our story He is leaving this home and starting for Jerusalem; when He came to the Mount o f Olives, He sent two o f His disciples over to a village near by, and told them to untie a colt or young burro and bring it to Him. If any man asks, “Why do you this ?” you shall say, “ Because the Lord has need o f him.” So the two disciples went and found the colt, as Jesus had said. The owners saw the disciples untying the colt and asked them why, and when they told them the Lord needed the colt, the owners let them have it. The disciples brought the colt to Jesus, placed their garments on its back, and put Jesus on him. As He rode toward Jerusalem a great multitude took olf their outer garments and spread them in the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them in the way, that He might ride over them. They did this to honor Him, for so people used to do when a king rode through their streets. The crowd that went before and followed after Jesus, cried with a loud voice, praising Him and saying* “ H o sanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name o f the Lord.” Yet Jesus knew that although they now praised Him, they did not love Him in their hearts, and that in a few days they would be crying out to crucify Him. When Jesus came near to the great city o f Jerusalem, He looked upon it and wept, for He knew the suffering that was coming upon His people the Jews. Even though He had come from heaven to save them,, they would not believe on Him. When Jesus came into Jerusalem, He went into the temple, and the blind and the lame were brought unto Him, and He healed them. When ,the chief priests and the Scribes saw the miracles that He did, and heard the children in the temple praising Him and crying out, “Hosanna,” they were much displeased. I think this one of the sweetest stories in the Bible, where the boys and girls were in God’s house praising the Lord Jesus. Many in the world today are finding fault with the Lord Jesus and His Word. He needs the children’s praises. Are you praising Him? H 9 ■ Ss> M ay 20, 1928 Teaching In the Temple T ext: Mark 12:13-34 — o — L esson in O utline Mark 12:13-44 I. A Question o f Tribute , Vs. 13-17. 1. A subtle attack by Pharisees and Herodians. Vs. 13-lSa. 2. The attack completely met. Vs. 15b- 17. tl. A Question o f Future Life. Vs. 18-27. 1. Query concerning the resurrection put to Jesus by materialistic Sad ducees. Vs. 18-23. 2. A complete refutation of materialism, and affirmation of future blessed condition o f the saved. Vs. 25-27.
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