LESSON V.—SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1894
International S. S. Lessons. LESSON V.—SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1894
JESUS LORD OF THE SABBATH.
[NOTE.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson: it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.] 23. And it came to pass, that He was going on the Sabbath day through the corn fields; and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24. And the Pharisees said unto Him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25. And He said unto them, Did ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him? 26. How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him? 27. And He said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28. So that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 1. And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had his hand withered. 2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. 3. And he saith unto the man that had his hand withered, Stand forth. 4. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? 5. But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand, and he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored. Golden Text: "The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark 2: 28. NOTE.—This lesson comes somewhere within the second year of Christ's ministry, when opposition to him was beginning to develop. Of course a work of reform always develops opposition, and a part of the work of reform which our Lord effected was that concerning the Sabbath. During the latter years of the Jewish dispensation the Sabbath law had been covered up by meaningless burdens and superstitions. It had been construed and interpreted until it meant everything but what God designed it to mean. The law said that no work should be done on the Sabbath. On this the Pharisees placed thirty-nine principal prohibitions, with a multitude of decisions as to the particular things these prohibitions permitted or forbade. For instance, they forbade reaping and threshing on the Sabbath day; but rubbing off the husks in the hands was a kind of threshing, and therefore that was forbidden. Plucking grain with the hand, no matter if it was no more than one spear, was a sort of reaping, and therefore that was forbidden as a transgression of the law. "Grass was not to be trodden, as that was a kind of harvest work. Shoes with nails were not to be worn, as the nails would be a burden, and a burden must not be carried. A tailor must not have his needle by him toward sunset on a Friday, for fear the Sabbath should begin while he was yet carrying it."—Eugene Stock. Says Geikie: "To break the Sabbath rather than suffer hunger for a few years was guilt worthy of stoning. Was it not their boast that the Jews were known over the world by their readiness to die rather than break their holy day?" It has been remarked that the devotion of the Jews was right, but their method of applying it was false in the extreme. Our Saviour lifted off the oppressing burdens, and placed the Sabbath law just where God placed it in the beginning at Sinai. - Through what did our Saviour pass on the Sabbath day? Verse 23.
- What did the disciples do as they were passing through the corn fields?
- What did the Pharisees say to this?
- How did Jesus reply to their question? Verses 25, 26. Note 1.
- For what did Jesus say that the Sabbath was made? Note 2.
- What did he say of his relation to the Sabbath? Verse 28. Note 3.
- What did our Lord do after this on the Sabbath? Chap. 3: 1.
- Whom did he find in the synagogue?
- For what did the Jews watch him? Verse 2. 10. What did he say to the man with the withered hand? Verse 3.
- What question did he ask them? Verse 4.
- How did they reply?
- How did their silence affect him? Verse 5.
- What did he then say?
- What was the effect of his words? Note 4.
1. By the charge which the Pharisees brought, that the disciples did that which was not lawful, they, of course, meant that it was contrary to their tradition or interpretation of God's law. Jesus shows them that there was an excuse for that very thing by referring them to what David, a man after God's own heart, did, and for which the Lord did not rebuke him. The question shows that necessity is stronger than law, and that God does not design that any of his laws shall be for men's destruction. David needed food. There was food in the sanctuary, and that food was lawful only for the priests to eat; but the need of David and his men was a higher law than the mere ceremonial precept regarding the food; and so the need of the disciples in passing through the corn field was more than any of the traditions which the Jews had thrown around the Sabbath of the Lord. God "will have mercy and not sacrifice." 2. The Sabbath was made for man.—That is, for man's best and highest good. If man had been made for the Sabbath, the Sabbath would have been first, and everything that was of man or about man would have been bound to the Sabbath law; but man was made first, and the Sabbath was made to be a blessing to him, not to destroy life, but to preserve it, not to make man a slave, but to give him freedom. 3. The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.—This carries us back to the time when the Sabbath was made. God made the Sabbath through Christ. It was the Father who said to the Son, "Let us make man in our image." All that was created, and all that exists, came through Christ, the Creator under God. See Micah 5: 2; Col. 1: 16; John 1: 1-3. He therefore was Lord of the Sabbath. He only of all men could interpret the Sabbath law as to just what it meant. 4. Jesus asked the Pharisees, "Is it lawful [that is, according to the Sabbath law] to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?" It would seem that any honest person would have answered that question without any delay whatever; but the very question condemned them. They saw that if they should say that it was lawful to save life (and they knew that that was what God gave all of his laws for), it would condemn their own traditions, and, therefore, they held their peace. Jesus then showed just what was the true intent of the Sabbath law by healing the withered hand. They charged him and his disciples with Sabbath breaking, but he did just what he tells us in Matt. 12: 12 is "lawful." He, therefore, did just what was according to the Sabbath law of the fourth commandment. There are many at the present time who have, instead of lading the true day with burdens, substituted another day, which God never gave. The same Sabbath law which the Lord designed should be a blessing to man, which said, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," said also, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." The Jews were transgressors of that law, because they followed their own traditions and interpretations instead of the law. Those who observe another day than that given in the law, are just as truly transgressors of the law as were the Jews of old. They are placing their own traditions in the place of the word of God. Jesus observed the seventh day, and he observed it in just the way that God commanded. That is the only true Sabbath, and the only true way to observe the Sabbath. It would be well if all would profit by his example; but as in those days it is even so now. As he preached to them, and tried to show them how unscriptural were their traditions, they were aroused, and sought to persecute him. The record tells us that they straightway took counsel against him how they might destroy him; and now, when those who are trampling the Sabbath of the Lord underfoot, that they may keep the traditional Sunday, are shown their error from God's word, they take counsel together how they may suppress, and if necessary destroy, those who are preaching God's word. Really, is it not the only safe way to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ?