THE - KING’S BUSINESS
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standpoint, hopeless. The vivid description of just how the evil spirit treated his son, is painful in the extreme and should be studied carefully. Jesus stops a moment to speak a word of gentle rebuke to: His faithless and powerless disciples who had given in before Satan’s power. Do not His searching words apply equally to us? Then Jesus- turns to the father, “Bring hither thy son.” Ah! that is what Jesus is saying to each of us who has, a child that is under Satan’s power, “bring hither thy son,” or, as Mark puts it, “bring him unto me” (Mark 9:19). The servants of Jesus may fail, but Jesus Himself will not. Let us get beyond the priest and the preacher to Jesus Himself. The Devil, as h e .so often does, makes a last stand; he dashes the boy down and tears him grievously. But only for a moment. Ouf Lord speaks a^word of strong rebuke, and the demon flees. Then Jesus heals the boy and gives him back to his father. A solemn' hush falls upon the watching crowd; “.they were all astonished at the majesty of God.” Friday, December 3. Luke 9 :43b-48. We left the whole company wondering at the majesty of God as revealed in the things that Jesus wrought. But our Lord here.turns them from marvelling at His power, to considering the shame and death that lay ahead of Him. He knew they needed to think more of His atoning death at that time than they did of His Divine power. But His plain words fell upon heedless ears, they did not understand what He said. They were too much taken up with thoughts of power and glory to un derstand things about shame and death. They ought to have asked Him to explain it, but they did not; “they were afraid to ask Him;” His words suggested things that ran too directly against their desires for them to wish to have them explained. They were afraid to know the truth, and so we often are, and thus we often miss it. They did not wish to think of His death, but about their‘own coming greatness, and eaeh was jealous of the other lest the other “should be greatest.” And now Jesus re
veals His Deity and omniscience, as before He has revealed His omnipotence. He reads the reasoning of their hearts. He answers every question in a way that would impress their imagination and so be long remembered, and when this same ambition should come up again tjiey-would recall that sweet, humble child standing in their midst and Jesus saying, “Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name, re ceived me.” . Then He went on to,say, He that is lesser (both Authorized and Revised Versions read “least” and thus miss our Lord’s point) among you all, the same is great.” Our Lord’s path to great- A ness is not by seeking the highest place, but the lesser place, the lower place. Saturday, December 4 . Luke 9:49, SO. The spirit manifested by the disciples 1 in verse 49 is very common today. It is not enough for many of us that one really casts out demons in Christ’s name, he must also belongs to our party or else we would forbid his beneficent activity. To a true disciple of Jesus it is enough that he cast out demons in His name. There ate al ways disciples who. desire to establish a monopoly on the Lord’s work, but the true disciple never cjoes, he is'always only ,too glad to see others magnify the name of Christ by doing wonders in His name. The line of demarcation between those who be long to Jesus and those who do not, is so clearly and closely drawn that if one is not for Christ, then he is against Him (Matt. 12:30), and vice versa, if he,is not against Him he must be for Him. Sunday, December S. Luke 9:51-56. o-x- ucLwcen me verses we studied yesterday and those we are studying today. Matthew 18:15-35 be longs in here, and also John 7:1-8:59 the time that Jesus “should be received’ up” into glory (Cf Ch. 24 :51; Mark 16:19; John 28 ; 17:11; Acts 1:2, 9 - f2p2 i ^ ; 4:8; 1l i 1 Tim- 3:16; Heb- 6 -2o- But ’thpP 3:22) Was fast drawins nigh. But the cross must come before the as cension into glory: I„ fui, knowIed f
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