THE KING’S BUSINESS
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may be professors in the theological semi naries even, but none the less Jesus says to them, “Woe unto you.” What our Lord said greatly angered the Scribes and Pharisees. They tried “to provoke Him to speak of many things, laying wait for Him, to catch something out of His mouth.” How many there are today who would, do anything if they could only trap our Lord in His Word; the world has been trying to do it now for more than eighteen cen turies. His words have been examined by generations of scholars with the micro scope, but no one has ever been able to Our Lord at this time was immensely popular with the people. They came in such crowds to- hear Him that they actu ally “trode one upon another.” But His head was not in the least turned by popu larity ; indeed, He Was not in the least de ceived by it. He knew how little real de votion there was to Himself. He warned these great crowds especially against play ing a part, pretending to be what they were not at heart. Nothing is more foolish than pretense and unreality. We cannot deceive God, it will do us no good to deceive our fellow-men, and it is consummate folly to try to deceive one's self. What each one of us really is, and exactly what we do, will be known some day. We_ cannot cover anything up permanently. A man may succeed for a short time in covering up his evil doings and make people think he is all right, when in reality he is all wrong, but the time is coming when everything will be uficovered and whatever is now hidden shall be known by all. Some im agine that what they speak in darkness, no one will ever know except the one to whom they have spoken it, but whatsoever is spoken in darkness shall some day be heard in the light, and that which we have whispered secretly in the closet shall be proclaimed upon the housetop. Many are driven to do evil for fear of what man will do, but it is folly to-be afraid of men, even if they have, power to kill the body, for catch Him to this day. Thursday, December 23. Luke 12:1-7.
acter or teaching, but it does prove that the one who criticises is wrong. The Pharisee cleansed the outside, but left the inside unclean. They were careful about the minute, but neglectful of the momen tous. They were careful to pay their tenth on every leaf they picked in their garden, but were utterly careless about judgment and the love of God. It was right for them to be careful about their tithes; this they ought to do, but they ought not to have Teft undone the weightier matters. They have many followers today. People who are very scrupulous about insignifi cant things are often utterly careless about the stupendous thing, the love of God; yes, and about the love of man too. But this was not the only trouble with the Phar isees ; they loved the place of pre-eminence, the prominent seats in the synagogue, and salutations in the market places. Their tribe is .not dead. How many there are today who want the prominent place on the platform, and the title of Doctor of Divin ity when they are greeted. How hurt they are if people do not give them the honor to which they are entitled. ¿i Wednesday, December 22. Luke 11:45-54. The interpreters of the laws among the Jews, upon whom our Lord pronounced woe, have many counterparts in our churches today. They delight in piling burdens of duty, burdens “grievous to be borne,” upon others, while they themselves will not touch the burdens with one of their fingers. To all such our Lord says, “Woe unto you.” There are many, too, who today give much money to honor the prophets of the past, but who are ready to blacken- the reputation of the one who Lord says to them, “Woe unto you.” Many there are today also, occupying a high place in the church, who “take away the key of knowledge.” They try to obscure the Scriptures so the simple-minded man loses the way if he listens to them. They do not enter the kingdom themselves,, and they hinder those who are entering. They may occupy a high position, as high a posi tion as the lawyers in our Lord’s day. They
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