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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
February, 1933
lasting snows. Between us and Hermon, very few villages can be seen, for most of the Galilean towns were built in the val leys. Yet there is one city which stands out clearly upon the very crest of a hill. It is the Arab village of Safed. , How appro priately might Jesus have pointed to it as He said, “ A city that is set on an hill, cannot be hid.” Review Lesson 1—the proper preparation for service. John the Baptist here presents Jesus as the One prophesied to come, and announces Him as the One who, though very man, is also very God of very God. John declares that Jesus was before him in existence, after him in time, and preferred before him in honor. But Jesus is here shown as man and hence, as man, He must be em powered for the service for which He came to earth. The power is in the Holy Spirit; who came upon Him at His baptism. This was the first time since the fall of man that God could look down with compla cency upon any man on earth. Until this Man appeared, there had never been one in whom sin did not appear. But this Man was the sinless One, well fitted to be the Servant o f Jéhovah. In this lesson, He surrenders Himself to be that Servant and to enter that service. Lesson 2—the proper beginning of ser vice. This beginning is seen, first, in the recog nition of the enemy. There was no denial of the enemy’s existence, no underestimat ing of the enemy’s ability, and no misun derstanding of the enemy’s designs:, Sec ond, there was the personal facing o f the enemy on the enemy’s ground and with the enemy having all the advantage. Unlike the first man in the Garden, who met the enemy while surrounded by all that was calculated to assist in winning the battle, the Second Man faces Satan with the lat ter having the full advantage. There never can be any question raised as to the com plete victory our Lord won here in the wilderness. Third, there was the recogni tion of the character of service to be ren dered. This was the proclamation of the gospel of God. It was that gospel which has its rise in the love and mercy o f God ; its object the person and work of Christ; its power and application by the Holy Spirit; and its purpose the salvation of men. Lesson 3—Jesus at work. Jesus is seen teaching in the synagogue, casting out the unclean spirit, and healing divers diseases. Thus He reveals the au thority in His teaching, the power of His word, and the sympathy o f His heart. He is a true example for all teachers, all workers, and all servants. The closing verse of this lesson should be considered. It gives the secret of sustained power and acceptable service. After a laborious day, Jesus rose “ a great while before day . . . departed into a desert place, and there prayed.” The servant who neglects such prayer will find his work producing only wood, hay, and stubble, instead o f gold, silver, and precious stones. Lesson 4—the method o f securing sal vation. This is simply to bring lost souls to Jesus. Whatever the obstacles may be, the servant must get the needy one to Jesus who alone can speak that Word, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” The decorum o f a religious service is not to be considered when the forgiveness of a sinner is at stake. The church at large today would do well to, take a leaf from the methods of rescue missions in this respect.
appears to spread out its. branches and become a great tree, we are not to think that it is thus progressing. The birds of the air, those agents of Satan, will come to its branches, not to receive benefit, but merely to soil and befoul the tree, taking what they can of its shelter, but never be ing changed by it. We are here instructed that the growth of the kingdom will tend more and more to greatness in this world, receiving its sustenance from the world, and forgetting that its true sustenance can come only from above. Lesson 9—the power of the Son of Man. This power was that of the Holy Spirit operating through a Man. As Jesus was fully surrendered as the Servant, the Spir it’s power fully flowed.through Him. He had power over the forces of nature, the strength of demons, and the afflictiofis'of those who were sick. Jesus was doing what man, as such, should do and what he was made to do. Man was to have domin ion over the works of God’s hands, and only man’s sin stole away that dominion. Not only is man’s sinfulness transformed into impeccability and his standing trans formed into righteousness, but his doifiin- ion is restored in Christ. It was not t-he inherent power o f Deity, that w;as‘ mani fested, but the power of Deity flowing through this surrendered man. The secret of spiritual power for any Christian is: simply . being surrendered to the Holy Spirit o f God. Lesson 10—The power of the Son o f Man. This lesson reveals practically the same truth as the previous lesson, with the dif ference that here our Lord’s power' over disease o f every kind is emphasized as be ing as great as His power over nature and demons. Lesson 11—The manifested power’ o f Jesus following the willing presentation of one’s all. We are to yield what we have to Him, and then He will pass -it back to us with His blessing upon it, and we will find it sufficient to meet all need, of whatever kind. Lesson 12—-World’s Temperance Lesson. The evil effects of intemperance in 'all its forms are emphasized. In this lesson, we are reminded that there is intemperarice along lines wholly removed from the sphere o f strong drink, and one form is as bad as another. Golden Text Illustration A Chinese girl often watched a mission ary as he went about the village visiting the sick and cheering the sad. He always had a kind word for her. One day at a neighboring village, she heard a lady mis sionary tell o f a Man who was always kind, who went about continually “doing good” (Acts 10:38). Asked if she knew who He was, she replied, “Yes, he’s the missionary at our village.” The description o f Jesus seemed just to fit him. What-a splendid tribute to one who was “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29) ! Review Exercise An interesting way to review the lessons of the quarter is' provided in the use of a relief map. The pupils will enjoy making the map themselves and locating on it the places mentioned in the lessons' of the quarter. The Sunday Sichool Worker o f fers the following suggestions for map making : “ Salt mixture. Two cups of salt, one [Continued on page 80]
BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson 5—the proper use of the Sabbath. God had given the people the Sabbath as a day upon which He Himself would be specially remembered. Certain prohibi tions which He laid down protected that ' day from misuse, but these prohibitions had been laid hold of by the Pharisees and scribes and covered with innfimerable pro hibitions of man’s invention. The day had degenerated until it was no longer what God intended it to be, a benefit for man, but had actually been used for man’s dis tress. We should be careful, in teaching this lesson, that we do not leave the im pression in the minds o f the scholars that the Sabbath is the Lord’s Day. These two days are separate and distinct and have only this in common, that they each have been set apart to and for the Lord. Lesson 6 —the method by whipli Jesus secures and maintains His own servants. He calls them, ordains them, instructs them, and brings them into fellowship with Himself. :The Christian is a “called”, person—called to be with the Lord, to have fellowship with Him, to know Him, and to understand Him. But this is not for the -sake of the Christian only, but for the sake of those to whom the Christian is sent. Fellowship points to instruction, and instruction to service. The Christian who refuses to have constant .fellowship with Christ is the one who never comes to any understanding o f Christ and His pur poses, and hence is never in a place where the Lord may use him in service. F el lowship, instruction, service—this is the natural and true order, which cannot be reversed. Lessons 7 and 8—The character and growth of the kingdom while the King is absent. In these less'ons concerning the parables; we are told of the present course and char acter of the kingdom as it is seen on earth. Lesson 7 teaches us not' to be over much discouraged at the lack o f visible success in our service, and Lesson 8 tells us not to be overmuch elated by anything which may seem like success in our service. The seed, the Word of God, is to be plentifully and promiscuously sown with out .consideration of the ground or its character. Our business (gf to cover this earth with the Word o f God, sowing it far and near, and to keep on sowing it, no matter what may be the reception it receives. We are to remember that only a portion'of it will bring forth fruit. Some of it will be snatched away by Satan’s agents ; some of it will be smothered by the hot blasts of persecution arising be cause o f it; and some o f it will be choked by the cares, pleasures, and riches ’ of this world. But some of it will spring'up and bear fruit for the Lord’s own purposes. At thé same time, we are to be assured that all of it will finally accomplish that for which the Lord sends it forth. On the other hand, we are to be on guard lest we become enthused by the seeming rapid and widespread growth of what looks like the kingdom. Because it
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