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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
July-August, 1934
up, called him by name and told him that He was going to abide at his house. What an honor! Then the greatest thing that can happen to any one happened to Zaccheus. Salvation came to him. He received Christ not only into his home, but into his .heart as well. W e see a transformed character; the grafter is changed into a giver; then he makes restitution, a positive proof o f true repentance. When Christ truly^comes into a heart, the life will give evidence of the fact. Hon esty will characterize all the actions, the words, and even the thoughts. Dishon esty in a Christian brings reproach upon the Lord and puts a stumblingblock in the paths o f unbelievers. Then, too, the Chris tian who has known the privilege o f fellow ship with his Lord is made sensitive to any sin which raises a barrier and cuts him off from “the joy o f the Lord.” Honesty is not only “the best policy,” but it is also the only policy a Christian will advocate. “ Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” Leader’s Helps 1. T he T est of a M a n - 1. In slave days, a boy was put up for sale. “Will you be honest if I buy you?” asked a slave owner. “I’ll be honest whether you buy me or not,” said the boy.—S elected . 2. The honest man, though e’er so poor, Is king o’ men for a’ that. —B urns . 3. An American vessel was boarded by a Malay merchant in the Indian seas. A l most the first question the Malay asked the captain was whether he had any tracts. “Why, what do you want with them? You cannot read them,” said the captain. “ True,” said the Malay, “but I have a use for them. If one o f your people or an Englishman comes to trade with me, I give him a tract and watch what he does with it. If he reads it soberly, and treats it with re spect, I take it he is honest, and will not cheat m e; but if he throws it down with an oath, I will have nothing to do with him, for he cannot be trusted.”— S elected . II. W hy R oosevelt D id N ot W ant H im In one o f his speeches, Theodore Roose velt told his little anecdote about the old days when he lived out West on a ranch in the cow country: “ There were no fences,” he said, “and-every calf was branded with the same brand that its mother had, so that the increase o f the calves could be totaled. There used to be a ranch law known as the Maverick law, according to which any calf overlooked in the branding would be branded with the brand of the ranch on which he was found. I was once riding across the country with one of my cow- punchers, when we found a stray calf on another man’s ranch. The cow-puncher wanted to brand it with the Roosevelt brand, but I told him I would not stand for it. The cow-puncher said: ‘Hold on, old man, I know my business. I always put on the boss’ brand.’ ‘All right,’ I said, ‘you go back to the camp and get your time.’ ‘What are you doing that for?’ he asked. ‘Well,’ I answered, ‘if you will steal for me, you will steal from me.’ ” —S unday S chool T imes . III. H onesty The following and other passages in the Word of God show the place o f honesty in the Christian life : Acts 6 :3 ; Romans 12: 17; Philippians 4 :8.
. SEPTEMBER 9, 1934 Basic Virtues-^Courage A cts 20:23 Suggestions for the Meeting Hymn— “ In the Service of the King.” Hymn—“Anywhere with Jesus.” Prayer. Scripture—Acts 20 :22-24. Duet—“ Ashamed o f Jésus.” Testimonies. Hymn—“ Stand Up for Jesus.” Discussion of the following questions : 1. What difference is there between phys ical and moral courage? Give examples. 2. What is the difference between cour age and foolhardiness, and what is the Christian’s responsibility in this respect? 3. How may we overcome lack of cour age to declare our stand for Christ (Rom. 1 :16 ; 9 :33 ; 10:11 ; 2 Tim. 1 :7, 8, 12) ? Hymn—-“Living for Jesus.” Quiet Hour. Benediction—Hebrews 13 :20, 21. Meditation on the Lesson Paul’s Christian life was bounded by tribulation. He was told in the beginning that it should be so, and as he went on in the gospel ministry, trials and persecutions o f many kinds came to him. Hear what was said concerning him in the Lord’s message to Ananias: “ For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Listen to Paul’s own account o f his sufferings: “ In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. O f the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; . . . In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:23-25, 27). Yet this great soul, filled with the Holy Spirit, with a tremendous courage that only God can give, spoke to the Ephesian, elders the triumphant words o f our lesson: “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:' Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” Paul knew that in going to Jerusalem he was walking into a veritable lion’s den, but he also knew that his trust was in the same God who had delivered Daniel. Paul’s journey to Jerusa lem required courage, for, humanly speak ing, it was characterized by great uncer tainty. Paul went “not knowing.” O f one thing he did feel certain—that he was in the path o f duty, in God’s will, and that whatever came would be God’s choice for him. It was this great fact which put Cour age into his heart. Leader’s Helps I. C ourage for W itnessing A missionary in Kallegal says: “ A Chris tian woman came in and spoke very bright ly. ‘I used to be. ashamed to lift the name o f Jesus,’ she said, ‘but now it is as when a pot is so full it has to rOn over; I can’t help speaking o f Him.’ ”—P ickering . II. T he C ourage of C onvictions 1. Constantius, the father o f Constantine, when he came to the throne, found a con siderable number of Christians in office and at court He issued an edict requiring them to renounce Christianity or give up their places. The greater number of them cheer fully gave up their employment in order to preserve a good conscience. A few cow-
ards renounced Christianity. When the em peror- had thus tested them, he turned out every one who had complied, and took ttie others in again, saying that those who would not be true to Christ would not be true to him.—P ickering . 2 . Gerard Swope, president of the General Electric Company, a s s e r t e d : “You wouldn’t need courage to tell me that two and two make four I In other words, if you are sure of your facts, it doesn’t take cour age to state them. And if you act on your knowledge of the facts, it isn’t because you have faith in yourself, but because you have faith in the facts! It is the man who is guessing at things that needs courage and self-confidence when he acts according to mere guesswork. “ People talk about having ‘the courage o f our convictions.’ But if our convictions are the result o f knowledge, I can’t see that it takes much courage to stand by them.” —A merican M agazine . SEPTEMBER 16, 1934 Basic Virtues— Courtesy L uke 7 :44-46 Suggestions for the Meeting Call to Worship—“ O, come, let us sing unto the Lord.” Hymn—“What a Friend.” Hymn—“ Somebody Needs Us.” Hymn—“ Let the Lower Lights Be Burn ing.” Prayer. Scripture—Luke 7 :44-46. Hymn— “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.” Leader’s Message. Quiet Hour. Testimonies. Hymn—“ Blest Be the Tie That Binds.” Benediction—Jude 24, 25. Meditation on the Lesson In order to have the full significance of this incident, it is necessary for us to vis ualize the Oriental setting. An entertain ment such as Simon was having was a public affair. The meal was probably served on a long low table on a wide veranda. On either side of the table were low couches on which the guests might recline. Every one, on coming in, would take off his sandals and leave them at the door. Servants would stand behind the couches, and after placing a wide shallow basin on the ground, would pour water over the feet o f the guests. This was a most welcome service. To fail to accord this courtesy would be to imply that the visitor was one of very inferior rank. Simon had omitted- this courtesy for Christ, and also had shown a marked sign o f contempt in neglecting to kiss His cheek. Simon had revealed his true state o f heart. He had invited Jesus to his house, not from a real regard for Him, but out of curiosity to hear; at his own leisure, some o f the wonderful wisdom for which the Lord was famed. In order that Jesus might be,made to feel the condescension, Simon omitted the or dinary courtesies which guests of his own standing received. Jesus, knowing all things, saw into the dark heart o f this man. In a marvelous way, the Lord exposed Si mon’s loveless heart and gave this exquisite picture o f the everlasting mercies of God. Into Simon’s home there came “a woman of the city, which was a sinner.” In breaking her alabaster box o f ointment, this woman, whom Simon knew and whom he thought the Lord did not understand, had poured out upon Christ the wealth of her love and gratitude—a gratitude which we know must have come from a broken .and con trite heart.
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