180
March 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
grow and bloom? The sun. Did you ever see the sun go to bed in the evening
A pril 22, 1928 Jesus and the Home T ext: Mark 10:1-16 w E are still reading thé story o f how Jesus “zvent. about doing good ” Once in all human history, we meet a man who did nothing but good, and who never
into a form o f selfish, sensual gratifica tion or legalized lust, were the teachings o f the Gospel heeded. History should have taught men that national greatness depends absolutely upon the stability of the home. Break that down—and the na tion crumbles.' Verses T3-16 record the Saviour’s blessing o f little children. The little folks were pressing about Him, brought by pa rents who perhaps were ■eager to secure His benediction upon their little ones. “ His disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when H e saw it He was much dis pleased.” How careful we should be not to call forth His displeasure by keeping children from Him ! “ Suffer the little children to come unto me,” said Jesus. “ Forbid them not. O f such is the kingdom o f God” (v. 14). The connection here is remarkable. Not only should they be brought to Him, but adults, in order to enter His kingdom, and come to Him,: must become like them. It is interesting to notice that the word here rendered “ suffer” is the very word translated “ compel" in Lk. 14:23 where wé arè bidden to go into the highways and byways and compel sinners to come in. Not only should we get out o f the chil dren’s way", but we should take them by the hand and lead them to Jesus. “ O f such is the kingdom.” If children under age were made heirs to the promises back in Joshua's - time (Deut. 1:39), surely they are counted heirs under the Gospel and Will. go into that better land if they pass away before reaching the age o f accountability. Jesus ' “took them in His arms” : (v. 16). fie did more for them than those who brought them asked, and He always does. As Dr. Langç says: “We have no definite account o f any ordination of the' apostles by the laying on of Christ’s hands; but we do read of a laying o f His hands upon little children, and consequently of their ordina tion to the kingdom o f heaven.” If this be true, ' how greatly will the number o f the redeemed in heaven be swelled ! Considering the millions of children in every land and age that have passed away before reaching the point of making choice or rejection o f Him, will it: nqt mean that a vast majority of the' race will, after all, reach heaven? ,An innumerable company have never been the willing victims of sin here. They are in nocent, yet not without need o f salvation, but has not the Saviour’s redeeming love provided for them? The whole nature o f the Gospel is pro claimed in the 15th verse. Whoever enters His kingdom must receive it as a little child. It was no earthly kingdom that He was offering, but an invisible, spiritual one. To enter it, à certain disposition of mind and heart is essential. A certain brilliant novelist recently referred to “Fundamentalism” as “ Infantileistn.” Un consciously he has paid them a high trib ute. Those who are willing to acknowl edge the limit of their own wisdom, listen to the Teacher of teachers and become as receptive as infants, are the only onés who may enter His kingdom. What did the Master mean to teach? That grown-up people must be childlike in their acceptance of Him? Yes—but more! The whole incident was an answer to those who tried to withhold little children from Him. The church is not fo r adults only. The children are to participate. Get out o f their way.
and watch the beau tiful coloring of the sky on the clouds, or see it rise in the morning ? S o m e times we hear peo ple exclaim, “ Oh, isn’t it a glorious sunset!” Could any person make such a
lost an opportunity. In today’s lesson we see him again in the midst of vexations. "The Pharisees came to Him . , . tempting Him” (v. 2). Some how the Master’s pa- tience never forsook
' beautiful p i c t u r e with its colors so prettily blended? No, only God can do it. In our story, today we are to hear about a greater glory than that of the sun, even though it is so beau tiful. Lesson Story. —Last week we •heard about some plant bulbs; that looked to be dry and dead, but when placed in the soft ground, and the warm sun shone on them they became beautiful flowers. ■Then we heard the most blessed and precious truth in the Bible, that the Lord Jesus came back to life again after He had been cruci fied and buried in .the tomb. .Because Jesus lives again, it means that all who belong to the Lord Jesus will live again forever with Him in heaven. Now in our: story today Jesus took three o f'th e disciples, Peter, James and John, with Him up into a mountain to pray. (Matthew makes idle statement he went apart to. pray.) While he prayed His face was changed, so that it shone bright like the sun, and His clothes glis tened, and were white as snow. And sud denly two men were with Him,'These two men were Moses and Elijah, who had gone to heaven a long, long time ago, who had come back to earth to talk to Jesus about being crucified at Jerusalem. Even though the disciples had not.known Moses and Elijah on earth (for they lived a long time before the disciples), they knew them now. They wanted to stay there on the mountain with them. Peter said: “Master, it is good for us to. be here:; if thou art, willing, let us make three tents, one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was speaking there came a bright cloud and covered them, and God’s voice spoke out o f that cloud. Now, boys and girls, what do you think the voice said, for it was God’s voice that spoke out of the cloud. They were such wonderful words. “ This is my beloved Son: hear Him.” Jesus is God’s Son, and God wants us to hear all He says to us in his Word. (Hold up Bible before children, and im press upon them its precious value.) These three disciples saw the glory as it shone round about Jesus on the mountain, and all we who belong to Him will see His glory when we meet Him in heaven. Our memory verse is this: “W e beheld His glory.” Even though we can not see His glory now with these eyes, when we read His word, it helps us to see His glory with the eyes of our soul. When we hear about heaven and the beautiful place Jesus is getting ready for all that love and obey Him, we can just imagine what a glorious place it will be, and best of all Jesus will be there. What a glad day it will be when we all. meet Jesus in heaven! Would you be ready to meet Him if He came today? (Prayer.) -
TT.
Him. His enemies, had previously, tried to Ci?rll^r .Him °h tax question ; now they bring forth another question o f dif ficulty and danger. ^ "Is it lawful fo r a man to put away , his w ife?" Remember that they were under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, who had imprisoned John the Baptist for declaring it'Was not law- fu l.fo r him to put away his wife and marry another. Jesus was wise, far above earth’s great est sages. Over against their clever ques tion, He puts another— "What did Moses command you?” ( v, 3). They replied that Moses permitted ,divorce. Jesus pointed out that it had been necessary for Moses to make the concession on account o f the rude conditions of men in that time. Chris tianity, however, from its very nature can make no such condescensions. From the beginning o f the creation," said the Master, "God. made them male and female ' and declared the oneness of man and wife so complete that “ they are no more twain, but one flesh” (vs. 6-8). God decreed that marriage should be the closest, most indissoluble o f all relation ships. Jesus v?as ever seeking to lead back all human relationships to their original intention. The idea' o f marriage presented in the Pentateuch was still to be realized under Grace. , J 'or this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife” Observe that the leaving was on the.part,of the man. Women were not called upon to give up their homes and friends tp journey to strange surround ings, perhaps only to discover that they had been deceived. A solemn betrothal took place; the marriage cerémony, a year or more later, ratified it. In the meantime the bridegroom had to prove himself. Had this order of things been observed, women never would have become the mere chat tels o f men. What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (v. 9). That is a say ing which sweeps away completely the •conception o f woman as the toy of man. It bases the relation of the sexes upon the eternal foundation o f truth. In the house His disciples asked Him again o f the same matter” (v. 10). The answer as w e have it in Mark's Gospel, is ironclad. “ Whosoever puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery." The same rule is applied to the ■wife. Matthew’s account (S :32) records one exception Which Jesus made. Not only the religious, but social and national well-being demands the perma nency o f the marriage vow. Companionate marriage,' easy divorce, and remarriage find no quarter in the teachings o f Jesus Christ. Marriage could never degenerate
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