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a certain day in the place o f that day’s spiritual character. In the case of David, under ordinary cir cumstances, it would be sin for him to do what he d id ; but under the extraordinary Conditions by which he was surrounded, it would be sin for him to refrain from doing what he did. The Pharisees, together with all legalists, should learn that the shew- bread, as well as all the religious ceremonies and rites given by God to man, was made for man’s good. They must learn that man was not made for the ceremonies and regu lations which made up religious perform ances. What David did was a work of mercy for man, just as it was a work o f mercy to deliver a sheep from danger on the Sabbath, as our Lord shows in another instance. The disciples of our Lord, therefore, while seeming to dishonor the Sabbath by plucking the ears o f corn, were actually honoring the day, because they were using it according to God’s purpose.-The Phari sees, while seeming to honor it, were actu ally dishonoring it, because they were using it against God’s purpose, that is, the good o f man. It should be remembered that the law regulating the Sabbath was of a different nature than some others; it would never be right to break the laws regulating purity, love, etc. III. T he E xplanation of the S abbath ' (2:27, 28). In the beginning, man was intended to be preeminent in all creation. All was made for man, and all was placed under man (Psa. 8). This dominion included the Sabbath, as well as all other works of God’s hands. Hence the Sabbath was un der, not over, man. Man was more im portant than anything else that God had made. Jesus, being the Son o f Man, the Man in whom the lost dominion was re stored, was the Lord even o f the Sabbath. In the light of the opinion held by the Pharisees, this was a tremendous assertion, but being who and what He was, our Lord could make no other. Unconsciously, the legalist today, like the Pharisee o f old, de nies the Lordship o f Jesus Christ. IV. T he E xercise of M ercy (3:1-6). This incident reveals the use the Sab bath has in supplying any need. Jesus found a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. The Phari sees, with no sympathy for the man’s plight, watched to see what Jesus would do in the circumstances. They were not at all interested in the distress o f the man, but merely in having something by which they might accuse Jesus of breaking the law. His question, “ Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” was met with silence; “they held their peace.” T o refuse to help means to harm, and to refuse to rescue is to murder. I f a man has the opportunity and ability to help and does not, he actu ally works harm ; and if he can rescue another and does not, he commits murder. No wonder the Lord looked upon these Pharisees with anger because o f their sin, but with pity because o f their unbelief and hardness o f heart! The Lord straightway restored the withered hand, but He did it in such a manner as to confound the Pharisees. To stretch forth his hand, on the Sabbath day, surely could not be regarded as working, and as they denied the claims o f Jesus, they
BLACKBOARD LESSON
Approach: As Jesus went about through the country, He made many friends, but He made some enemies, too. His enemies were the Pharisees* the rulers in the church, who were afraid of Jesus. They didn’t believe that He was the Son of God,
and they were afraid o f His power. They tried to make trouble for Him. L e s s o n S t o r y : The Pharisees were very angry with Jesus and His disciples one Sabbath as they walk ed through the wheat fields, The disciples were hungry, so they pulled some heads of
could not say that He had worked, because to do so would force them to admit that God was present in the person of this One whom they desired to accuse and condemn. But the result was the same as that which follows every exhibition o f grace for the legalist: enmity against the Lord, ripening into settled hatred o f Him, and leading at last to the murder o f the Son o f God upon the cross. Lesson Questions 2:23-28. Was the plucking o f the ears o f corn unlawful (Deut. 23:25)? What Old Testament illustration did Jesus give in answer to the Pharisees’ objection? What fundamental lesson did Jesus teach concerning the Sabbath? 3 :l-6. What incident and miracle fol lowed Jesus’ teaching concerning the Sab bath? Why do you think the objectors “held their peace” ? How is Jesus’ attitude toward them described ? What did the Phar isees do when they saw the afflicted man had been healed ? Had they wholly missed the point o f Jesus’ teaching? Golden Text Illustration In one of Dr. Miller’s helpful anecdotes, we are told of a Christian woman, a busy editorial writer, whose eyes began to trou ble her until she was obliged to go to an oculist to see what was the matter with them. She told him she thought she needed a new pair of glasses. The oculist told her what she needed was not new glasses, but rest for the eyes. That, she told him, was impossible. Her work compelled her to sit all day bending over a desk, reading and writing. The wise oculist asked her where she lived, and found that it was in full sight o f the -Blue Ridge Mountains and tbe Alleghenies. “ Go home,” he said, “and do your work as usual, but every hour or so leave your desk, stand on your porch, and look at the mountains. The far-away look will rest your eyes after the long strain o f reading manuscripts and proof-sheets.” That is what Sabbaths are for—the far away looks. W e all need them, an hour or two on Sunday, if no more. Then—and here is the lesson for many a busy house mother who must prepare meals even on Sunday for her hungry children, who must often nurse the sick ones or stay at home with the little ones—if anything calls one away from the rest o f soul and body, re member the words o f the Lord Jesus, how He said that God wants mercy (kindness, goodness, helpfulness) even more than sac rifice.—T he E pworth H erald . Jesus Keeping God’s Day M ark 2:23-28 Memory Verse: “ This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa. 118:24).
wheat and cubbed out a few o f the grains and ate them. This seemed a very simple thing to do, but the Pharisees pretended that it was a great sin. Many years before, God had given some laws to the people. In the Ten Command ments, He said, “ Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; but the sev enth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy G od : in it thou shalt not do any work.” So the Pharisees called what the disciples had done “work” and said that they were breaking the Sabbath. Jesus had to: show them that taking rest and refreshment was part o f God’s plan for the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples went to church on the Sabbath. Jesus preached to the people. I f there were sick people there who needed His help, He cured them. He didn’t let them wait be cause it was the Sabbath. I f His disciples were hungry, He wanted them to find food and eat. Jesus tried to explain to the Phar isees that God had made the seventh day for rest for man. It was not to be filled with rules for him to follow, but rather it was to be used as a day in which to rest the body and to worship God. Your Memory and theWord of God “Where is that passage located?” How many times have you asked that question? How many times have you wished that you could recall the exact wording o f a certain passage that you wanted to use on a mo ment’s notice? In an effort to meet the need of the many Christians who face this difficulty, the Moody Bible Institute o f Chicago has pre pared a course of study called “ Scripture Memorizing for Personal Work.” The course, consisting of ten lessons, covers not only the memorizing of Scripture, but also its _ application to personal evangelism, which will be o f practical help to people of all ages. One student reports having mem orized more than 1,600 passages, with loca tions, before completing the sixth lesson in the study. The course will be a boon to those who have never been able to retain in the memory the passages from the Bible that they would like to have for instant use. Full information will be given upon application to the Moody Bible Institute, 153 Institute Place, Chicago, Illinois. The Lord’s Prayer Engraved The dignity o f a steel engraving is in stantly apparent. Who would not like to own such a copy of the Lord’s Prayer? For lovers o f the artistic and the appropriate, such an engraving is available in rich col ors. See page 529.
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