GUEST OF A PHARISEE. ST. LUKE 1-14].

THE PHARISEES CONTINUED THEIR METHOD OF ATTEMPTING TO PROVOKE JESUS TO SOME RASH UTTERANCE , AND AFTER JESUS LEFT THE GATHERING, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES BEGAN TO MANIFEST FIERCE HOSTILITY TO HIM AND MAKE HIM SPEAK ON A MULTITUDE OF QUESTIONS, SETTING TRAPS TO CATCH HIM IN HIS SPEECH. IT WAS THE REASON JESUS WAS INVITED BY ONE OF THEIR NUMBER , AS ONCE BEFORE. HIS HOST WAS ONE OF THE CHIEF, OR FIRST AMONG THEIR NUMBER, AS ONCE BEFORE. HE WAS STARTING TO GAIN IN POPULARITY, CUTTING INTO THEIR REVENUE. THIS PHARISEE MAY HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN, THE HIGHEST COUNCIL OF THE JEWISH CHURCH. AND HAD BEEN KNOWN FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF HIS LEARNING. IN THE HOUSE OF THIS MAN JESUS WAS A GUEST.: FOR FEASTING ON THE SABBATH WAS COMMON WITH THE JEWS, BUT THEY WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO EAT COLD DISHES. THE PHARISEES HAD A PURPOSE FOR INVITING OUR LORD, FOR THEY WERE OBSERVING HIM VERY CLOSELY AND SUSPICIOUSLY.  THEY HAD A TRAP SET FOR HIM. FOR WHEN JESUS CAME INTO THE HOUSE, THERE WAS, AS THOUGH BY CHANCE, AND YET BY THE MOST CUNNING PLANNING A DROPSY MAN. THE OMNISCIENT CHRIST KNEW THEIR THOUGHTS AND THE GAME THEY WANTED TO PLAY, ANSWERING THEM AS THOUGH THEY HAD SPOKEN ALOUD. HE ADDRESSED HIMSELF TO ALL THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES PRESENT FOR THEY WERE ALL EQUALITY GUILTY. HIS QUESTION WAS THE SAME AS HE HAD ASKED ON OTHER OCCASIONS, WHETHER IT WAS RIGHT, THE PROPER, OR THE OBLIGATORY THING TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH DAY OR NOT. HIS QUESTION IMPLIED AN ASSERTION IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND THEY FOUND THEY COULD NOT CONTRADICT HIM. WORKS OF LOVE WERE INDEED PERMITTED ON THE SABBATH DAY, EVEN ACCORDING TO THE STRICTEST MOSAIC LAW. AND SO JESUS FULFILLED
 THE GREATEST LAW OF ALL, PUTTING HIS HAND UPON A SICK MAN, HE HEALED HIM AND SENT. THEN THE LORD TURNED ONCE MORE TO THE PHARISEES AND ANSWERED THEIR UNSPOKEN THOUGHTS, WHICH CONDEMNED THEIR JESUS HEALING ON THE SABBATH. HE ASKED THE WHETHER IT WOULD NOT BE SELF-EVIDENT FOR THEM, IN CASE OF ONE OF THEIR DOMESTIC ANIMALS, A MERE BEAST OF BURDEN SHOULD FALL INTO A PIT, AN EMPTY CISTERN, TO DRAW THE POOR VICTIM OF THE ACCIDENT UP AT ONCE, WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST HESITATION, WITHOUT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT IT MIGHT BE ON THE SABBATH.
ONCE MORE THEY WERE SILENCE, NOT BEING ABLE TO TO CONTRADICT THE STATEMENT OF THE LORD, SINCE I WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING BUT ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH OF HIS ARGUMENT.  NOTE THIS: THE PHARISEE, IN INVITING JESUS, PROFESSED FRIENDSHIP, AFFECTION, AND RESPECT FOR HIM, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HE WAS PREPARING SNARES TO CATCH HIM. THUS MANY CHILDREN CHILDREN OF THE WORLD WILL SIMULATE INTEREST AND REGARD FOR THE GOSPEL AND ITS MINISTRY, WHILE IN REALITY THEY ARE TRYING TO DRAW OUT THE CHRISTIANS. " REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY BY KEEPING IT HOLY.  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  WE SHOULD FEAR AND LOVE GOD SO THAT WE DO NOT DESPISE PREACHING AND HIS WORD., BUT HOLD IT SACRED AND GLADLY HEAR AND LEARN
 IT. ( THIS DAY IS GOOD FRIDAY)GET TO CHURCH!