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HE KING'S BUSINESS
and again, and after a time they learn– ed to walk. We can learn a wonderful lesson that will help us all our lives from the baby learning to walk. King Alfred had a hard time keeping the enemy back from his people, and he became discouraged. One day he watched a little ant trying to carry something. The ant tried over and over and finally succeeded, and this en– couraged the king to try again, and he too succeeded. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. Let us bow our heads and ask the Lord to help us to remember we need Jesus to help us in all we do, and if we belong to Him, we will not give up when things seem hard. Lesson Story.-Who can tell us the wonderful story about Paul? Earl, that is fine, and I wonder how many of you ever go home and tell the story to fa– ther and mother, or to brother or sis– ter? In our story today Paul was starting on his first missionary journey with Barnabas. Part of the journey was on sea and part on land, through woods and mountains and among some rough· people, and it would be ~ long journey. So Paul and Barnabas asked John Mark to go with them, and he said he would. Paul and Barnabas with Mark, their helper, went about from place to place explaining the gos– pel of the Lord Jesus to the people. While they were in the city of Perga Mark left them and went back to ,Jeru– salem to his home. Perhaps he was home-sick, and got tired, for he would not go any further with them. Now do you think Paul and Barnabas too would enjoy being at home instead of travell– ing about all the time, and sometimes the people did not want to hear about Jesus, and would treat the missionaries very badly? Paul and Barnabas went on without their helper, and even went back to some of the people who were unkind to them. He told the people there who did believe in Jesus to be brave and true, telling them they would
them led to the rupture between Paul and Barnabas and to the mission of Barnabas and Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:39). He is here called Mark, and In that quiet way Luke may indicate bis own conviction that Mark's mind bad changed on the great question, as Indeed his willingness to accompany Paul might suggest. He had learned from the discussions in the council at Jerusalem and from subsequent events at Antioch. About eleven years elapse before we bear of him again (Col. 4: 10 f; Phile. 24). He is at Rome with Paul. The breach is healed. He is now one of the faithful few among Jewish Christians who stand by Paul. He is Paul's hon– ored "fellow-worker" and a great "com– fort" to him. The Colossian passage may imply a contemplated visit by Mark to Asia Minor. It may be that it was carried out, that he met Peter and went with him to Babylon. In 1 Pet. 5: 13 the apostle sends Mark's greeting along with that of the church in Babylon. Thence Mark returns to Asia Minor, and in 2 Tim. 4: 11 Paul asks Timothy, who is at Ephesus, to come to him, pick up Mark by the way, and bring him along. In that connection Paul pays Mark his final tribute; he is "useful for ministering,'' so useful that his ministry is a joy to the veteran's heart. ~ John Mark, One of Paul's Helpers. Acts 13: 4, 5; Col. 4: 10; 2 Tim. 4: 11. Memory Verse.-"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Eccl. 9:10. Approach.-How many of you boys and girls have watched little baby brother or sister when they were just learning to walk? Did they ever fall down? Sure they did. After falling down, did they give up and not try any more? No, indeed! They got up every time and tried again BEGINNERS AND PRIMARY kabel L. Merrill
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