T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S (8) W hat note of praise can all saints sing concerning God’s gift of His glorious Son? (Psa. 72:17-19.) Christ m ight have descended from heaven as a m ighty arch-angel clothed w ith th e glory of th e celestial sphere. He m ight have come into the world as a full-grown ’man like DEVOTIONAL Adam. He came in- COMMENT stead as a helpless habe F . W. F a r r and th u s His incarna tion takes on a signifi cance th a t could come in no o th er way. God m ight have given such a revelation of His majesty and power th a t it would have struck the world dumb w ith aston ishment. Instead of th a t, He started w ith a bahy in a stable: " He could h ardly have made a smaller or a hum bler beginning. This is not only th e beginning of the King, it is the begin ning of each of His subjects. “Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” .Citizenship in the heavenly kingdom comes not by cul tu re, w ealth or pedigree, b u t by th e new b irth w ith its essential elements of childhood. If God allowed His Son to be born in a stable, no h ea rt can be so impure bu t th a t Christ will come in to dwell in it and cleanse it. Here is hope for the lowest and the vilest. The Christ of glory cradled in a manger is God’s object lesson to the sinner th a t Christ will en ter any h eart th a t makes room for Him. Luke is the Gospel w riter th a t gives th e fullest de tails of th e V irgin birth. The sweet tone of noble reticence th a t m arks his narrativ e w arran ts the conjecture th a t th e beloved physician obtained his in form ation’ from the lips of Mary h er self. Mothers have been called the n atu ra l historians of child life. An ou t sider, giving th e reins to his im agina tion, would have magnified and multi-
1289 plied th e m inutest incidents. To the consciousness of Mary all else was swallowed up in th e overwhelming wonder of the Divine revelation. “She kept all these things and pondered them in her h e a rt.” No higher honor could be given to woman th an to be the me dium of th e advent of the Son of God. By woman came sin and by woman came Christ. Mary was a chosen vessel among th e thousands of Israel. She lived a life of toil and poverty and was schooled in th e ways of adversity. H er piety is seen in her humble acquiescence to th e angelic announcement. Lu. 1:38. It brought her suspicion and contempt. The most trying experience of all was to be suspected by th e one she loved. Even Joseph doubted her and was pre paring to pu t her away. If the one who loved h er had his doubts, w hat must have been th e feelings of the cold, sneering world? A stigma rested on her name and doubtless followed h er and Jesus, for th e world n eith er forgets nor forgives. It was a grievous burden, bu t she 'joyfully accepted it and meekly car ried it. It was the first shadow of the cross. NOTE— F o r those who follow th e les son of Luke 13 instead of th e Christmas lesson, th e following is prepared: v. 16. Spake a parable unto them . I believe th ere are more parables in t e New Testament against tak ing no though t about heavenly things and ta k ing t o o m u c h COMMENTS FROM thought a b o u t MANY SOURCES earth ly t h i n g s K eith L. Brooks than against any other fau lt what- soever.T—Hare. Ground brought forth. Man’s life is of God, not of his goods, however abundant they may be. This is th e lesson conveyed by the following parable and lying at the foundation of the still higher lesson conveyed in its application in verse 21. Life here includes tim e and eternity.— Alford. v. 17. Thought w ithin himself. The God of heaven observes and knows w hatever we th ink w ithin ourselves,
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