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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
II. What Constitutes Greatness in God’s Sight, vv. 33-37. What occupied the disciple’s minds is in sad contrast to what was in our Lord’s mind, and strikingly illustrates Isaiah SS : 8 , 9. Does it not explain, also, their failure to grasp His teaching? He was teaching self-sacrifice; they were filled, engrossed with self-seeking. See John 5:44. Europe today is the bloody illustration of how far away the world is yet from reckoning greatness, as God reckons it. Not to be served but to serve is His standard. Is it yours ? And then He put the child in the proper place. It was a- startling thing to do. The world has not yet learned that lesson either. Thank God that His church has' seen the truth and is trying to put it into practice. Not to human philosophies, nor heathen religions, does childhood owe its present important place, but to the teaching o f the Son o f God, who for our redemption was born o f a virgin, and grew in wisdom and stature as other children do. Are you giving the child the place Jesus specifies? III. Religious Toleration, vv. 38-42. Strange that the matter was raised by John, the apostle o f love. John’s standard was different from that o f Jesus. Accord ing to John, joining the company that he belonged to was necessary. According to Jesus it was being joined to the Name. If the Lord honors His own name when used by others, and- through others works His works o f mercy, it would be wiser for us to recognize them as brethren than to
stand apart and criticize. Let us concede to every other man the same liberty to serve our Lord that we claim for-ourselves. “To his own master he standeth or f&lleth,” Rom. 14:4. The spokes, o f the wheel are nearest to each other at the hub. Too many Christians live at the rim. Some o f us are readier with a wet blanket than a' cup o f cold water, and: our Lord is keeping a record of both. IV. Future Punishment, vv. 43-50. Again we have our Lord emphasizing what is nowadays denied and scoffed at by many in the Church who call themselves by His name, but think themselves more wise and loving than He. If He taught religious toleration, He just as surely taught that there is a hell to be shunned, a hell o f unending misery and anguish. The writer believes that our Lord knew what He meant to say and said what He meant. If, however, His language is not to be taken literally, but figuratively, what must the reality be when the figure is so awful. No word picture, or photograph, o f the terrible disaster at Halifax was as terrible as the disaster itself. As our Lord described hell, was it any wonder that He said that any other loss was trifling compared with being lost there for all eternity. Through His death and resurrection He has made a way o f -escape. How foolish the man Who persists in going to hell over the bleed ing form o f the Son o f God who loved Him and gave Himself for his salvation. Have you accepted Him?
HEART OF THE LESSON
By T. C. Horton.
o f the hearts o f men was only evil con tinually. These disciples were honored with the privilege o f walking, talking and living with the Master; they were familiar with His life o f self-abnegation; His daily self-sac rifice; His unselfish service for all people; but this environment did not change their
TDEFORE we can teach this lesson to others, we must learn it ourselves. W e were all born with selfisb natures, and this is manifest in every life and in every walk in life. The Lord Jesus read the hearts o f men. He knew what was in men (John 2:25). God saw in Noah’s day that every imagination o f the thoughts
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