THE KING’S BUSINESS
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kingdom ? The question is clearly answered in the context and other places in the Word of God. In verse 4 we are told that we must become like a child in humility; the normal child is willing to take a lowly place and not seek great things for itself. This was the immediate lesson that the disciples needed to learn for they had just asked, Who is the greatest. And if we would be members of God’s kingdom, whose law is love, we must take the lowly place and count others as “holding over,” or having superior rights to our own (cf. Phil. 2 :3. This is the force of the Greek word trans lated “better” in this verse). Furthermore, like children we must be teachable, empty ing ourselves utterly of our own wisdom and being ready to learn of God (Matt. 11:25). We must follow God as children follow a father (Eph. 5:1). We must be like children in freedom from malice, but not like children in mind (1 Cor. 14:20). We must be like children in obedience (1 Peter 1:14). And as “new born babes” in our hunger for “the milk of the Word” (1 Peter 2:2). And like children in freedom from anxiety and care, leaving to the Fa ther the providing of our needs (Matt. 6: 31, 32). But we should not be like children in being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). We are not to understand from our Lord’s wprd that children are by nature in the kingdom, but that they have the spirit of humility and teachableness that fits them to easily enter the kingdom (John 3 :6 ) . The only way the one who is old can become a child, and thus be fitted to enten the king dom of God, is by being born again (.John 3:3; 1 Peter 2:2). The conditions for abun dant entrance into the kingdom are stated in 2 Peter 1:5-ll.
Saturday, March 13. Matt. 18:1-10.
The disciples coming to Jesus with the question, “Who then is greatest in the king dom of heaven” (R. V.), revealed their own hearts. The question showed how self- seeking they were; and this is not the only occasion upon which they put this question or had strife over it (cf. ch. 20:20, 21; Luke 22:21-24). At first thought, it would hardly seem credible that such self-seek ing strife should arise among those who were so near the Lord and who had en joyed, not only so much teaching from Him, but such intimate acquaintance with Him. But when we bear in mind what occurs among believers today, how much of seek ing after position and renown there is in the Church, and how even evangelists sometimes are very sensitive in regard to statements as to who is “the greatest evan gelist of the day,” it becomes very easy to believe the story before us. The disciples at this time were simply very much like us. Our Lord’s answer to the question implied that instead of asking who would be the greatest in the kingdom they had better make sure that they were in the kingdom at all. It was just as if He had said, “Greatest in the kingdom? Why, you are not in the kingdom at all. There must be a complete turn in your whole attitude be fore you will even get into the kingdom. Except ye turn and become as little chil dren, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.” To emphasize His teaching and get it into their thearts through their eyes as well as their ears, “He called to Him a little child, and sat him in the midst of them” (v. 2 R. V.). It is sig nificant that there was a little child at hand to call. There always seemed to have been children at hand when our Lord Jesus was around, He was very attractive to children. The child whom He called was a “little” one, and it is like a “little” child that every grown person must become if he is to gain admission to the kingdom at all. That sug gests the question, In what respect must we become as little children to enter into the
Sunday, March 14. Matt. 18:11-20.
Every one of us should ponder deeply and follow exactly the instruction which our Lord here gives us as to how to deal with any brother who sins against us. We should never tell his fault to one single
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