THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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a pauper arid the only way to have a bank account in heaven is to give here. Observe Christ’s attitude. “Jesus—loved him.” See Him tenderly pleading with him to put good things second in his life, the best first. Christ saw the power he might be among his friends, the good he might do with talent and money consecrated to God; the joy and happiness which might be in his life and on into the unending ages to come. In the other balance, he put money. Money can only buy what we eat and wear. It cannot buy health or hap piness. Some morning the paper ■would read: “ Died—The Rich Young Judge. Left Fortune.” Foolish boy. Sadly he turned his back upon Christ and rejected the greatest opportunity extended any young man or woman—to accept Christ and thus become a child of God. For so far as we know he never came to Christ again. Perhaps he never cared to. “Almost—but lost.” , has guessed his name, it was Jesus. Now let us be very quiet and bow our heads, and thank God for sending Jesus down here to live in this world, and who said, “ Suffer little children to Come unto Me, and forbid them not.” Lesson Story .—In our story today Jesus was near the river Jordan, and some o f the big folks were talking to him and asking him questions, and after a while Jesus went into ,a house where he talked to his special friends, his disciples. Carol you may tell me how many disciples Jesus had. Twelve, that is right. (You can often put a question to an inattentive child in this way, and secure their interest, without class or child realizing your purpose.) Some of the parents who were there and had seen Jesus and heard him talk, thought o f their little boys and girls at home. That is just like
“ do’s” in v. 19?) How did he show that he was proud o f himself? (v. 20). But he was leaving Christ out o f his life. We may be most sweet tempered, patient, unsel fish, thoughtful and loving, yet Christ says that unless we “come” to Him and “ fol low” Him "one thing” is lacking (v. 21). The pity is that in these days many are telling our soldier boys, “Because you are championing the cause o f right and sacri ficing your life to save others, your soul will be saved.” But Christ says in addi tion to all these noble deeds, “One thing thou lackest.” “ Come and follow me.” Christ’s rightful place in every life, is first. What was the young man putting first?1 Christ did not condemn him because he was rich, but because he ,was trusting in riches. Christ did not ask him to part with his money because Christ wanted to impose hardships upon him, or because Christ wanted it or the poor had need o f it, but because it was his god. He did not know that heaping upon himself made him M EMORY VERSE : “ Suffer little children to come unto Me, and for bid them not.” Approach—How many of you like to go visiting? Yes, I think we all like it, and there are some people we just love so much we are always glad when mother takes us with her. Who are some o f the people you like to visit? Yes, grand-mother seems to be a great favorite, and o f course she loves you so much she is always doing so many nice things to make your visits pleasant. You have told us this morning that you like to visit those who love you. Today we are going to hear about some lit tle boys and girls who lived a long time ago, and one day their fathers and mothers took them to see some one who loved little children very much, and I wonder if any o f you can guess who it was? Yes, Mary
BEGINNERS AND PRIMARY
By Mabel L. Merrill. (Jesus and the Children .)
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