LESSON FOR PACIFIC COAST.—MAY, 21.
Fasting had become one of the prominent religious usages of our Saviour's day. Though only one fast had been appointed by Moses—that of the Day of Atonement—the Pharisees had added numerous others, especially on the two days of the week, Monday and Thursday, on which synagogue worship was held. When fasting, they strewed their heads with ashes, and neither washed nor anointed themselves nor trimmed their beards, but put on wretched clothing and showed themselves in the outward signs of mourning and sadness used for the dead. Insincerity made capital of feigned humiliation and contrition, till even the Roman theater noticed it. In one of the plays of the time, a camel, covered with a mourning cloth, was led on the stage. "Why is the camel in mourning?" asked one of the players. "Because the Jews are keeping the Sabbath year, and grow nothing, but are living on thistles. The camel is mourning because its food is thus taken from it." Rabbis were forbidden to anoint themselves before going out, and it was recorded of a specially famous doctor that his face was black with fasting. All pretense was abhorrent to the soul of Jesus, especially in religion. "When ye fast," said he, "be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily, I say unto you they have their reward. But do thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face; that thou mayest not appear unto men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who sees in secret, will reward thee." To seek effect, applause, credit, or gain, by a show of godliness, must be shunned by members of the New Kingdom. It would be better to let men think evil of them, than to be tempted to use religion for ulterior ends. True pain and true sorrow hide from the eye of strangers; they withdraw to the secrecy of the breast.—Geikie. "Openly." These words are omitted by nine MSS. in uncial letters; and by more than one hundred others, by most of the versions, and by several of the primitive fathers.—Clarke. "Treasures in Heaven." The only way to render perishing goods eternal, to secure stately furniture from moths, the richest metals from canker, and precious stones from thieves, is to transmit them to Heaven by acts of charity. This is a kind of bill of exchange which cannot fail of acceptance, but through our own fault.—Quesnel. "Judge not." Matt. 7: 1, 2. These verses do not forbid the magistrate to judge and pass sentence on criminals; or the rulers of the church to censure and exclude such members as disgrace their profession; or Christians to "withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly," for these are duties expressly enjoined in scripture. . . . But we ought not to be officious, rash, or severe, in forming our judgment; nor hasty in declaring it. We are not bound to believe an infidel or a profligate to be a true Christian: but we should judge as favorably as we can, where the fundamentals of Christianity are professed, and not disgraced by an inconsistent conduct.—Scott. "Into thy bosom." Almost all ancient nations wore long, wide, and loose garments; and when about to carry anything which their hands could not contain, they used a fold of their robe in nearly the same way as women here use their aprons. The phrase is continually occurring in the best and purest Greek writers.—Clarke. "The mote and beam." It is probable that our Lord alluded to some proverbial expressions familiar to his hearers, the knowledge of which would throw more light on the subject than any criticism on the original words can do. There was a proverbial speech among the Jews in and before Christ's time (set down afterward with some variation in the Talmud, thus) They which say to others, Take out the small piece of wood out of thy teeth, are answered, Take out the beam out of thine eyes: to check the importunity of those who are always censuring and condemning others for small matters when they themselves are guilty of those things which are much more to be reprehended.—Hammond. "Pearls before swine." Many truths, and many instances of the Lord's goodness to us, which are precious to the humble and teachable, are not proper to be communicated to scoffers, or those who pervert sacred things: they will only be emboldened or exasperated by them to greater ungodliness, and to shew more impious rage and contempt. They will trample under foot, with disdain, all that can be said of experimental religion or communion with God, as swine would tread pearls in the mire, regardless of their value; and they will be so enraged at holy warnings, reproofs, and counsels, that, like fierce dogs, they will be ready to turn again and tear their friendly reprover.—Scott.