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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1934
Jesus Blesses the Children M atthew 19:13-15
But these truths, like their Giver, are in finite, and only the simple acceptance of them in childlike dependence upon their Author, leads to their understanding. Our Lord has forever dignified the help lessness o f the child by taking little ones into His arms; and He has forever exalted the child by giving it the highest place in the kingdom. By His example, as well as by His word, He would turn us from the proud heights o f intellectualism _to the humble and dependent level o f childhood. He tells us that except we “be converted, and become as little children,” we shall find no entrance into His kingdom, and ex cept we become humble, as a “little child,” we shall find no greatness in that kingdom. Points and Problems Since this lesson contains a reference to what we call conversion (Matt. 18:3), it will be profitable to outline briefly the New Testament teaching on this important subject. 1. Two Greek words are used: epistre- pho, which means “to turn back” (Acts 3:19), and apostrepho, meaning “to turn away from” (Acts 3:26). The words are translated by the English words “turn” and “convert.” The American Revised Version uses “turn” almost always. 2. Conversion is a turning which has two distinct aspects—first, a turning away from, sin (Acts 3:26), and second, a turn ing toward God (Acts 9:35). Both aspects are clearly taught in Acts 14:15 where men were commanded to “turn from these van ities unto the living God.” Compare also 1 Thessalonians 1:9: “Ye turned to God from idols,” and Acts 26:18, where men are turned “ from darkness to light” and “ from the power of Satan unto God.” The presupposition o f the Christian doctrine of conversion is that man by nature and prac tice is going in the wrong direction, and must be turned around. This leads to the next important idea. 3. Conversion appears in the Bible both as man’s act and the work o f God. In Ezekiel 33:11, man is commanded to turn, while in Acts 3:26, it is God who turns men. The latter idea is especially strong in Jeremiah 31:18, where Ephraim prays: “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.” There is truth in the viewpoint of the old colored man who, when asked to explain his conversion, said it was due to God and himself: “ I fought against God with all my might, and He did the rest!” 4. The term “conversion” is used in the Bible to describe two types o f Christian ex perience. First, it describes the initial ex perience o f the sinner in turning away from sin to Christ for salvation (Acts 3: 19; 11:21). But second, it describes the experience of the wandering child who turns back from his wandering to his Fa ther (Lk. 22:31, 32). The first experience is never repeated. The second experience may be repeated many times. The sinner is converted once for all. The Christian may be converted many times; in fact, he must turn back every time he falls into sin, just as Peter, a saved man, had to be converted when he denied his Lord. Golden .Text Illustration A Christian worker, visiting the police cells one Sunday morning, found six men locked up, charged with being “drunk and disorderly.” After listening to the visitor’s words on the evils o f drink and the need of salvation, the oldest o f the imprisoned men turned to -the speaker and said, “ I say, guv’nor, do you think it any good o f talking to us old fogies? W e have gone too far! You want to go and talk to the children." —S elected .
Memory Verse: “ Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto m e; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). Approach: When Jesus was on earth, He loved all people, men and women, rich and poor, sick and well, everybody— especially little chil dren. L e s s o n S t o r y :
Object Lesson Y outh and the C reator
Many o f the mothers brought their little children to Jesus for Him to hold and to bless. Sometimes w h e n there were m a n y people who desired to see Jesus and to hear Him talk, the
. Objects: A heart made of molding clay; a plaster of paris heart, with a sufficient amount of lampblack in it to make it black; a white handkerchief, and some sharp tool. Lesson: In our Sunday-school lesson this morning, we have been studying about Christ and His small friends. Much is said in the Bible about boys and girls. A wise man of the Bible, who lived long before Christ, said: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” “ Remembering God” does not mean that we are to think of Him only occasionally. It means that we are to accept His plan of salvation and serve Him every day. These two hearts are like two kinds of people. This clay heart represents boys and girls in the early years o f life, when the heart can be molded. As I take this sharp tool, I can write on this heart: “Jesus saves” ; “God is love” ; “Love, joy, peace.” As I turn to the other heart, I find it is impossible to write on it; it is too hard. There was a time when it was as soft as clay. But now it has become hard. It is this way in the lives of people. When they are young, they receive Christ and His Word more readily than in later life. If they do not “remember” Him in the days o f their youth, most people put it off and never serve Him. There is another thing to observe about this hard heart. When it touches a clean white handkerchief, it blackens it. People who refuse to accept Christ grow up to have hearts, that are hard and lives that blacken others. our view the evil deeds or the injustices that we do to others. It would have been more to the point if Peter had asked, “ How oft may I sin against my brother, and he forgive me?” In the second place, Peter’s question re veals a spirit of legalism. There is an inti mation that he would remember past o f fenses, he would keep on file a record of past faults that may have been forgiven, and he would keep books in which to enter the number of times his forgiveness had been granted. Yet he desired to know how many times he would be expected to for give another! His inquiry shows that he BLACKBOARD LESSON
disciples tried to push the mothers and their children away and to say to them, “ Don’t bother Jesus. He is busy.” But Jesus was never too busy to see the mothers and to take thair children in His arms. He turned to the disciples and said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t you know that the kingdom of heaven is made up of people who are just like little children ?” The disciples had not thought o f this be fore, but after Jesus had said this, they' could see that they were just like children, with God as their Father and Jesus Christ as their older Brother. They were to trust God and Jesus Christ just afc a child trusts his parents. They did not try to push the children away after they understood this truth. They knew that children are just as precious as grown-up people. They knew that they must learn to be humble and not to think of themselves as being very im portant. Children today can remember what Jesus said. If they are to be a part o f the king dom o f heaven, they must be good and sweet and gentle and loving, as Jesus ex pects them to be. Lesson T ext: Matt. 18:21-35. Golden T ext: “ Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). Outline and Exposition I. T he I nstruction (21, 22). T he occasion which gave rise to Peter’s question is not told, but the instruc tion which Peter received is instruc tion that is needed at all times. In the light o f present-day conditions, this lesson is most timely. In our study, we. should re member that all the parables of the king dom of heaven reveal the true qualifica tions and privileges, as well as the respon sibilities, o f those who are heirs of the kingdom. Forgiveness in this lesson is con ditional, befitting the character of the Gos pel o f Matthew, which deals with the King and the kingdom. In the Gospel of John, forgiveness is unconditional. Peter’s question (v. 21) reveals a blind ness to his own need o f forgiveness. “ How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” Evidently, Peter was not concerned about his own forgiveness by the brother. W e must be careful that the evil deeds o f another, or the injuries caused us by another, do not hide from
APR IL 15,1934 JESUS TEACHES FORGIVENESS M atthew 18:15-35
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