JR. KING'S BUSINESS (cont'd) kling, you will see something very wonderful. Along the road from Jerusalem toward Bethlehem, past the well and through the gate, there are coming a tired little donkey and a kind-faced man leading him very carefully so he won’t stumble, for on his back is a sweet, tired little lady. The man’s name is Joseph. If your home is near enough, you can see the innkeeper when Joseph speaks to him. After Joseph talks with him a moment, the innkeeper shakes his head and says, “We have no more room.” Then I think he may say something like this, “ But there’s the stable. It’s clean and warm, and there’s sweet-smelling hay in the manger.” Of course, we know that the lady on the donkey is Mary. And I can imagine the look of relief on her face, can’t you? I think she says, “ I could rest there, for I’m very tired.” She and Joseph had traveled all the way from Nazareth, a distance of more than eighty miles. And perhaps we can see Joseph lead the donkey across the open space, and on into the stable. This is the night when God gave to the world His unspeakable Gift. Those shepherds that we saw on the hills earlier in the day have gotten together for the night. A ll the differ ent flocks have become just one great flock of sheep now. And the shepherds are talking together. Suddenly a bright light is shining round about them, and the angel of the Lord is standing by them. The Bible says that they were afraid, but the angel said something like this to them, “ Don’t be afraid, for I bring good news that is for everybody in the world. For unto you is bom today in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. This is the way you’ll know Him. He will be a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a man ger.” And suddenly there are with that angel a great many others prais ing God and saying, “ Glory to God mi the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” And when the angels have gone away, the shepherds say to each other, “ Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing . . . which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Then they leave their sheep, wrap their coats about themselves, and hurry down the hill, and along the road right into Bethlehem. Perhaps they are looking this way and that way for a light and finally they see one at the inn. They go through the great gate with its swing ing lantern, then they cross the open space to the light. They pause a mo
ACROSS THE YEARS Let us return across the span of years And visit Bethlehem. The Inn is full (Symbolic of the world’s indifference), The manger rough and crude — and cold, perhaps — But giving shelter of the best it has. We stand in silence by the manger bed And see a tiny Babe in swaddling clothes, The Infinite in human form, the SON, God’s priceless Gift to man in manger load For other place of welcome there was none. Let us return across the span of years At Christmastime, and learn to make Him room. And let us wait in reverence while anon The shepherds from the fields in silence come And bow in adoration to the Babe, The promised One, the Child of prophecy. These rugged men of honest toil whose eyes Behold what others could not comprehend, These simple, humble ones whose hearts believed Were first to hear announcement of His birth. And this may teach through all the years to come That wealth and power are not prerequi site To seeing Him. Let us return again Across the years and learn simplicity. But let us not go yet. The Wise Men come Across the weary miles from eastern land Their guide the star of His nativity. They bring Him gifts of rich intrinsic worth But, more than that, their faith in Him whose star With supernatural light has led them on. Aye, wealth is theirs, and rank, and wis dom great But here they kneel before the holy Child And worship Him, rejoicing in His birth, The Prince of Peace I— nay, more, the King of Kings, Let us return across the span of years To Bethlehem, and learn to worship Him. —Bertha Pentney
ment at the door of the stable. Then they enter slowly and reverently. They see the high, dark, shadowy ceil ing, the piles of sweet-smelling hay, and the little donkey back in the shadows. They see kind-faced Joseph, and the little mother. But lying in the manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, they see the little baby — so little that nobody knows, but just the angels and the shepherds and Mary and Joseph, that this baby is the Saviour of the world. We don’t know what they are saying, but we want to look down into the manger and say from our hearts as we behold the Baby Jesus who came to be our Sav iour, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” ' END. CHRISTMAS QUIZ o r all Junior K.B. readers, this “ quizzer” should furnish a time ly test in the holiday season. The ob ject is to prove how well you remem ber the story of Christmas in the Scriptures. As'a “ word to the wise,” it should be explained that the answers to all ten questions will be found some where in the first two chapters of either Matthew or Luke. Perhaps you’ll profit by taking time out to read over those four chapters as care fully as you know how. Then close your Bible and go to it! Your final score will definitely prove your rating as a Biblical “ ex pert.” Allowing 10 for each correct answer, 70 would set you as Mr. Average Student, 80 as a Promising Scholar and 90 as a real Scriptural Brain. The answers will be found on the adjoining page. 1. In what city did Joseph and Mary make their home? 2. What was the name of the angel that a p p e a r e d to Mary before Jesus’ birth? 3. Whom did Herod consult when he wanted to find out where Jesus would be bom? 4. Was Jesus related to John the Bap tist? 5. Was Jesus’ name chosen before His birth or afterward? 6. How many W ise Men came to wor ship the infant Saviour? 7. Did the shepherds tell others of Jesus’ birth or did they keep it a secret because of fear of Herod? 8. What guide did the W ise Men have from Herod’s palace to the manger at Bethlehem? 9. From what great Hebrew king was Jesus descended by a total of twenty-eight generations? 10. Who was the Roman emperor who issued a tax decree about the time that Jesus was born?
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