603
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
December 1929
was asked which of the things mentioned there she would like to have. She said: “A pure heart.” When asked why she preferred that, she said: “If my heart were pure I believe I would have all the other virtues mentioned in this chapter.” And she was right.— From Doran’s “Min isters’ Manual.” How Jesus Teaches Us to Live Matt. 5:1, 2, 43-48. Memory Verse: “Teach me thy way, O Jehovah.”—Psa. 27:11. Approach. —Did any of you, boys and girls, spend your summer vacation in the mountains? Yes, I am sure some of you did, and if so, you will remember how ■ quiet and restful it « /•« )
V. 43. Ye have heard. The first part, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour,” is Scrip tural ; the second part of the statement, “hate thine enemy," is an addition to, and perversion of, the Scripture. V. 44. But I say. Jesus interprets the law and raises it to a new spiritual level. Kindness to enemies is not absent from the Old Testament. The difference in the New Testament is one of degree rather than of kind. V. 45. Children of your father. The Chil dren of the Fa,ther will have a Godlike disposition toward the evil as well as to ward the good. V. 46. I f ye love them which love you. Even the publicans had selfish love. If our love is like theirs we rise no higher than to the level of these despised sin ners. V. 47. I f ye salute. A repetition in an other form of the lesson of the preceding sentence. V. 48. Ye shall be perfect. Or, Be ye perfect. Taken in the light of the con text, the clause seems to mean, “Let your love be made perfect as your Father’s love is perfect.” —o— L esson Q uestions V. 3. What does “poor in spirit" mean? What blessedness is promised to such? Why is this beatitude put first? V. 4. What kind of “mourners” are blessed ? Who makes the “mourner” happy (2 Cor. 1:3, 4) ? Will sorrow ever be fully removed from us (Rom. 8:23)? V. 5. What is meekness? What is the opposite of meekness? What reward is promised the meek? When is the re ward given ? «. V. 6 . What is meant by “hunger and thirst"? What kind of righteousness is to be sought for, personal or imputed? Why do so few seem to be “filled" with righteousness ? V. 7. If one is “filled with righteous ness,” will he be merciful? What reward is given the merciful? V. 8 . Who are the “pure in heart”? When shall they “see God"? V. 9. Is Jesus a peacemaker (Eph. 2 : 14-17; John 14:27)? Why is God called “the God of Peace" (Heb. 13:20; Phil. 4 :9) ? How may we become peacemakers (Eph. 6:15)? V. 17. How did the Lord Jesus ful fill the law? Did He ever contradict or abrogate the law and the prophets? V. 18. How much of the Old Testa ment did Jesus endorse? Will God’s Word ever fail or prove false? V. 19. Are some commands less bind ing than others? How may one become great in the kingdom? V. 20. Who were the scribes and Phari sees ? Why was their “righteousness” not acceptable to Jesus? Vs. 43-46. What truth and what error is here expressed? Does God ever permit one to hate his enemies? How may one show love to enemies ? How does God show love to His enemies (cf. Rom. 5 : 6-8)? —o— Golden Text: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt, 5:8). G olden T ext I llustration Heart Purity: A girl in Sunday school had read the beatitudes in Matthew and
In Much Demand “But whatever you do, don’t let me miss T h e K ing ’ s B u si ness , not even one month. I can not get the last number I re ceived, for it is out on loan; in fact they are all out at present." —A New Zealand Subscriber.
dren, you can never do this by yourselves. You must have Jesus to help you. If yOU will accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, He will help you to do always the things that are well pleasing to Him. (Tell how to accept Him as Saviour.) Prayer. Commentaries on Matthew Many helpful Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew are available to stu dents. The following list of books is given, with the explanation that the au thors may differ widely in details of exegesis and interpretation, but that all give much valuable and useful material. They may be ordered through the Biola Book Room. An American Commentary on New Testament—Matthew—Broadus, $2.50. Spiritual Studies- in Matthew—Miller, $1.75. . ' Christ in the Bible—Simpson, $1.25. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels— Ryle, $1.25. The G o s p e l of Matthew—Erdman, $1.00. The Gospel of Matthew—Gaebelein, $3.00. The Gospel of St. Matthew—Morgan, $1.75. Matthew—Century Bible, $1.25. Matthew—Carr, $1.50. Simple Studies in Matthew—Pettingill, $1.00. Expositor’s Bible-—Matthew, $1.25. Cambridge Bible for Schools and Col leges—'Matthew, $2.00. The Rejected King in St. Matthew’s Gospel—Baxter, $1.00. —o— How to be Unhappy ( F or T hose W ho A re H appy O nly W h en T hey A re U n ha ppy ) D E suspicious; look for slights; feel " keenly any seeming thrusts. Be sensitive; take best care of “number one” ; be sure to protect yourself; “be good to yourself” ; safeguard your rights. Be revengeful; give tit for tat; let them have just as good as they send. Be sure to return evil for evil; take care to get down with a “dog” on his own level. Be slow to forgive; the other fellow deserves it; he will only gloat over an easy deal; he is incapable of appreciating courteous treatment; he has not asked to be forgiven; just let him severely alone. Be still slower to forget; it’s enough to forgive—if you do; it’s quite too much to add forgetfulness to the injury done; life might be too prosy without periodically prying up these old bones. —The Truth Tester.
was there far away from t h e crowds of people and the noise of the city. God seemed so near there, too, and you just wanted to talk w i t h Him ; didn’t you? Lesson Story .— Jesus also loved to be alone. A f t e r t e a c h i n g t h e
crowds of p e o p l e a l l d a y a n d healing their sick, He went one evening to the quiet of the mountain where He spent the night in prayer to His Fa ther in heaven. But the people would not let Him be alone very long. They wanted to be near Him. He had healed their sick and His words had brought joy and com fort to their hearts. They followed Him because they wanted to hear more. When morning came a great multitude was there on the mountain-side awaiting Him. This was the morning that Jesus called the twelve disciples unto Him, apart from all the others. Soon the crowds were seated on the grassy hillside, eager to hear every word that Jesus spoke. Just imagine you see them seated there in the early morn ing. Then Jesus gave a sermon to the twelve disciples, but the crowds of people heard also. This was called the “Sermon on the Mount” and you can find it in your Bibles in Matthew, chapters 5, 6 and 7. The very first word in the sermon was “Blessed." Then follow o t h e r “Blesseds,” and these blessings are called the Beatitudes. I hope you will learn these, boys and girls, so that you can say them from memory. Perhaps some of you can say them already. Now the word “blessed” means “happy,” so these Beati tudes tell us what Jesus says about be ing happy. (Read each beatitude and ex plain.) Jesus would have us know that blessing, or happiness, does not come to us ,because we are rich and have many possessions or because we hold positions of high rank, but He has a blessing for the “meek," the “poor in spirit," the “sor rowing," etc. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also compares the Ten Commandments with the commandments that He is giv ing. (Review Ten Commandments.) He would have us know that we must please God in our hearts and thoughts as well as by our actions. Now, I am sure that you, boys and girls, want to please the Lord Jesus in every way, don’t you? But, dear chil
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