Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/523

 sees of  all  time. God made  the  Sabbath  for  man  and not man  for  the  Sabbath,  and  it  is  a  wicked  perversion of  truth  which  will  make  the  observance  of  the Lord's day  conflict  with  one's  urgent  duty  to  God, his neighbor,  or  himself. Even the  fanatical  Pharisees yielded  when  it  was  a  question  of  self-interest, for they  had  decreed  that,  should  a  valuable  animal have fallen  into  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath,  he  might  without breach  of  the  law  be  extricated. And ought  not this child  of  God,  this  palsied  one,  be  healed  of  his disease on  the  Sabbath  day? Christ, therefore, healed him,  and  with  infinite  delicacy  bade  him  go  in peace,  lest  the  cavilings  of  the  Pharisees  should  mar his joy  in  his  newly  found  health. Then turning  to the  others,  He  proceeded  to  expose  their  selfish pride and  vanity,  and  their  hypocritical  pretensions to sanctity. The social  standing  of  the  dropsical man was  doubtless  vastly  inferior  to  that  of  the others, nor  would  he  have  been  there  at  all  had  not his condition  served  their  purpose. Christ, too, though invited,  was  despised  by  them  and  hated. It is probable,  therefore,  that  the  Saviour  and  the  sick man were  assigned  positions  face  to  face  at  the  very foot of  the  table,  while  the  others  with  mock  humility or shameless  effrontery  maneuvered  for  the  first places. And when  the  host  proceeded  to  rearrange his guests, and  those  highest  up  were  forced  to  give place, blushing  and  confused,  to  others  more  honorable than  they,  what  myriads  of  human  lives,  religious histories, divine  judgments,  the  scene  must  have brought to  the  Saviour's  mind! What millions  of