T H E K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
December ,1924
791
and visiting with them. Whenever we meet our friends, we should always he ready to help them ELEMENTARY in any way we can, and if they do not Mabel L. Merrill know Jesus, we can tell them of Him. Let us bow our heads and thank the Lord for the good friends' He has given us here on earth. Lesson Story.— Last week we had a story about some friends of Jesus, and a great sorrow came into their home while Jesus was away. Jack, will you tell us about it, and how Jesus turned the sorrow to great joy. (Review last lesson, emphasizing the awfulness of death, and then show ing the wonderful provision the Lord Jesus has made to save all from eternal death.) Today we are to hear about a visit Jesus made, and how He went home to dinner with a man. Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho. He had just healed a blind man, and the crowd were watching to see what would hap pen next. In this place was a, man named Zaccheus, who was a collector of taxes. (He was the head of the Roman revenue office.) Most of these tax collectors were not hon est. They made the people pay more taxes than was right, and kept the extra money. When Zaccheus heard Jesus was coming he wanted to see Him, but could not for the crowd, because he was a little man. Boys and girls, you know how he felt, for you too have a hard time seeing over the heads of the big folks who get in front of you sometimes when a parade is going by. Zaccheus climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him. This tree was really the “ fig-mulberry” , or “ Egyptian fig” , a tree with low, spreading branches, and easy to climb— a very different tree from our sycamore, and differently spelled by one letter. Zaccheus was just as eager as any school boy in Jericho to see Jesus, who He was, and, like any school boy, he ran on ahead and climbed into a tree so he could see. Boys, did you ever do the same thing? When Jesus got to the place He looked up, called Zaccheus by name, and told him to hurry and come down out of the tree, because He (Jesus) was going to go to his home. This is the only time, so far as we know, that Jesus invited Himself to be a guest. He is ever ready to abide with those whose hearts are open to receive Him. Zaccheus made haste and came down, and received Jesus joyfully. Let us.stop a moment and see if we receive Jesus joyfully, when we can not have our own way? Perhaps we are called from an interesting book or game to care for baby brother or sister. Are we always sweet about it? When the people saw Jesus going to the home of Zaccheus, they all murmured. They did not think Jesus ought to go with a wicked tax collector, but Jesus is just the one who loves sinners and wants to help them. What a wonderful time they had at the home of this poor sinner, for Zaccheus let Jesus come into his heart, and then — something happened. Now Zaccheus was a rich man, and this is what he said: “ Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.” Who had touched his hard heart? Jesus. He also told Jesus that if he had taken more money from peo ple than was right, he would return them four times as much as he took. You see when Jesus comes into a heart, all wrong things will be made right. And Jesus said unto him: “ This day is salvation come to this house.” When Zaccheus, who was a wicked man, saw Jesus, he opened his heart and let Jesus come to live there. Can you be like the tree: help some one to see Jesus? Our memory verse tells us that is why Jesus came to earth: “ The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Prayer. (The Christmas lesson may be taught if preferred, but the above lends itself to the Christmas theme.)
DECEMBER 28, 1924 CENTRAL PERIOD OF CHRIST’S MINISTRY Review Golden Text: “ He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” John 14:9. Lesson Text: Mark 6:7-16. Devotional Reading: Matthew 25:31-36.
H e v e a l i n g H a t h e r l V E D E E M I N G 1 / A L L E N “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.”
The sending forth of the Twelve takes us back to Ch. 3:14 where they were chosen. “He ordained twelve that they should be with Him and that He might send them forth to preach.” The first object in calling the Twelve LESSON was that they might be with Him. This EXPOSITION was their preparation and apprenticeship. P. W. Earr They must go to school and learn the les sons He would teach them. The great privilege was theirs of living in close and constant intimacy and friendship with Himself. They were to witness His mighty miracles, to listen to His wonderful teaching, to behold His glory, and to learn from Him how to live and work and preach and pray. They were to enjoy these exalted privileges, not for their own sakes alone. Discipleship is a means to an end. That end is apostleship. Christ saw the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd, and when He called the Twelve to be with Him, He had these wandering, stricken and helpless people in mind. First, they must learn; then they would teach. First, they would receive; then they would impart. The period of preparation has passed. The time for their ministry has arrived: “ He called unto Him the Twelve and began to send them forth by two and two.” They went forth to tell what they had heard; to teach what they had learned; to testify what they had seen. Christ followed the so-called “ laboratory method” of instruction. He sent His disciples forth to practice the theories they had learned. This illustrates the progressive experience through which all believers pass. First .learn, then teach. “ Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” He would have us be with Him that He might reveal His mind and will to us; that we might become acquainted with His purposes and imbibe His Spirit. We can not teach what we do not know. The longer we have been at school the more competent we are to teach. John 10:9: “ I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” This door swings two ways, and every one who goes in should also go out. We go in for salvation, we go out for service. We go in for worship, we go out for work. We go in for discipleship, we go out for apostleship. Our privileges are all given for service. Our personal blessings are in tended for the common good. “ O, teach me, Lord, that I may teach The precious things Thou dost impart.” Let us examine ourselves to see if we have reached this second stage. Heb. 5:12: “ For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” Here may be found one reason at least why many make such slow progress in the Christian life. They have been
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