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THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
April, 1934
so Some One had to die in the place of people whose lives are not clean. God’s Word says: “A ll have sinned and come short of the glory o f God.” And this “all” includes boys and girls. Can you see now how boys and girls are like this donkey? Every boy and every girl needs Christ, the Lamb o f God, who died for us. We see that in another way the donkey was like boys and girls, for he was tied where two roads met. The devil seeks to tie boys and girls at the crossroads, where the broad way leads to destruction, and the narrow way leads to life. The donkey was loosed by the servants o f God and the words o f Christ. This is the way boys and girls are loosed from habits and sins which hold them. The pastor and teachers are presenting God’s Word, trying to loose the cords that bind. Then, too, the donkey was used by Christ. He carried the Saviour into the city. And Jesus can use boys and girls, too, when they have been freed from bad habits. Although
USED IN OVER ONE MILLION CHRISTIAN HOMES H urlbut ’ s S tory of the B ible By JESSE LYMAN HURLBUT, D.D. Recommended by all denomlnatlonsforltsfreshness and accuracy, forItssimplicity of language, for its freedom from doctrinal discussion. THE BEST GIFT FOR YOUNG AND OLD FOR TEACHERS—STUDENTS—FOR THE HOME AND SCHOOL One hundred and sixty-eightstories, each complete initself, yet form ing a continuous narrative of the Biblefrom Genesis to Revelation. Each ofthe world-old^stories is told by the noted author in a manner thatis vitally interesting andinstructive to young and old alike. Biggest and Best Illustrated Book Ever Sold for the Price Beautifully illustrated with 281 pictures in colors and in black and white; over 100 famous Leinweber paintings. 759 pages. Price. .$2.00 A t a ll bookstores or from th e publishers ■THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO., Winston Bldg., Philadelphia
went their way” into deepening darkness and growing hatred until at last they cruci fied Him. , j C orrecting the S cribe (34-40). When the Pharisees and the Herodians left Jesus, the Sadducees tried to trap Him, but He silenced them as He had the others. When the Pharisees heard how He had silenced the Sadducees, they again at tempted to ensnare Him. One of their number, a lawyer, tried to accomplish what the others had previously failed to do (vs. 34, 35). The lawyer’s question is the primary question for every man to ask: “Which is the great commandment in the law?” (v. 36). That is, What is o f first importance in man’s relation to God? What does God require o f man? What is the first duty of man ? What is my duty ? All these queries were embraced in the lawyer’s question. There could be no nobler question asked, because it brought God into the scene; and there could be no higher question asked, because it brought man before God. The Lord’s answer is noteworthy—it is the final answer to every man o f every age and in every condition (vs. 37-40). The answer revealed that God’s first require ment is that man shall love the Lord with all the heart, all the soul, and all the mind. God is to be first in the purposes, the motives, the desires, and the thoughts. The Lord Jesus was not stating a law arbitra rily made and imposed, but He was pointing to a natural law, underlying all human life. Itrrests upon the very fact of man’s creation by God. When a man is right with God, he necessarily loves God, not because he must as a duty, but because o f the nature within him. A man does not love God in order to be saved; but being saved, he loves God in accordance with a new nature within. Such love is without effort o f any kind. It is natural for the saved man—the born again one—to love, just as it is natural for the fish to swim and the bird to fly. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God” was the first, the very first, commandment of the law, and it thus revealed to the people their own lost and undone condition, and their need of another nature. In talking with Nicodemus, our Lord voiced this truth when He said: “ Ye must be born again” (John 3 :7 ). Men must secure a new nature before they can ever hope to fulfill the first and great requirement of the law. There is no hope o f any one’s being able to meet this first commandment until he is born again—born “ from above,” with God’s own nature. Having that nature, a man will love God with the whole being. The second commandment is, like the first, concerned with love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Obedience to the first command would lead to the
the donkey had never been ridden, he did not try to throw Christ off. He was obedi ent to Christ. I will place this red cross on the donkey’s back and let it represent Christ. (A paper pocket on the opposite side o f the donkey will hold the cross in a vertical position.) The donkey could not talk, but it could lift Christ so others could see Him. I f I take the cross down, it can be hidden be hind the donkey, where no one can see it. Often people hide Christ instead of lifting Him so others can see Him. God wants us to imitate this little donkey who helped to make Christ known as He entered the city of Jerusalem. that is, they knew He would not compro mise with truth; second, they bore testi mony to His honor when they said: “ Thou teachest the way o f God in truth” ; and, third, they bore witness to His impartiality when they said: “Thou regardest not the person o f men.” They declared they knew these things, and in this declaration they condemned themselves by rejecting what Christ taught Their question was: “ Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” “ Caesar” was the term used for the office, as we speak of “the President.” By “tribute,” the questioners referred to taxes. In His answer, our Lord taught submission to an office ordained by God, not to a man who happened to occupy that office. It was a clever trap that the Lord’s enemies set, but when it was sprung, they themselves were caught and their intended victim was the One who ensnared them. The Lord perceived their wickedness, or hypocrisy, and He asked them for a penny. When it was handed to Him, He asked, “Whose is this image and superscription?” They said, “ Caesar’s.” Then He gave the memorable reply: “Bender therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (vs. 18-21). The state had a claim upon men because they were citizens; God had a claim upon them because they were human beings. The image and superscription o f Caesar was upon the coin, but the image of God was upon the men. The inquirers marvelled at the Lord’s answer (v. 22). It revealed their hypoc risy and exposed their sinfulness. The Lord’s knowledge convicted them, His patience with their wickedness should have softened them, and His grace would have saved them, had they permitted Him to have H is' way. But “they left him, and
MAY 13, 1934 CHR ISTIAN ITY AN D PATRIOTISM (Temperance Lesson) M atthew 22:1 to 23:39
Lesson T ext: Matt. 22:15-22, 34-40. Golden T ext: “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Outline and Exposition I. C orrecting the P harisees and H erodians (15-22). I n this portion o f the lesson, Jesus teaches the principle o f submission to government. In Romans 13 :l-7, the precept o f this submission is revealed. And in 1 Peter 2:13-16, the practice is given. The intent of the question put to Jesus was to ensnare Him in His speech (v. 15). The Pharisees represented the ecclesiastical party, and the Herodians the political party, o f their nation. Their question was cal culated to place our Lord on the horns o f a dilemma (vs. 16, 17). Had He an swered in the affirmative, He would have been taking sides against the Jews; and had He answered in the negative, He could have been reported to the Romans as a rebel. But though they framed their question with great subtlety, the Pharisees and Herodians went too far with their flat tery and thus exposed themselves. They professed to believe that Jesus Christ was a true teacher sent from God. Then why did they not believe Him and accept His teaching? If He was from God, as they said, then why attempt to entangle Him in His speech? The reason was that they themselves were teachers of error, controlled by Satan, and wholly wrapped up in their own selfishness. But they bore testimony, first, to Christ’s worth when they said: “We know that thou art true” ;
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