February 1928
114
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
Jesus could stand popularity and not be injured, but men, on account of their frail ties and weaknesses, are very frequently injured by popularity. Whenever one be comes obsessed with the idea of his im portance and pays attention to popularity, his days are numbered, spiritually speak ing. All praise and glory should be given to God and not to men. Notwithstanding the fact that the life of Jesus was above suspicion and the pur ity of his motives manifest on all oc casions, the leaders among the people mis understood Him, criticizing every move ment and saying o f His, and opposing Him most bitterly. To have one’s motives impugned and to be misunderstood by large majorities, is a heavy burden and cross to bear. It is doubtful whether anyone was. so very greatly misunderstood as was Jesus. The misunderstanding was due, not to His veiled sayings or suspi cious 'conduct, for the very reverse was; true. The trouble lay in the fact that the men o f His generation, whose spiritual life'consisted largely of outward observ ances, were unable to grasp high and holy truths and principles. At the first coming o f Christ the popu lar idea o f the kingdom of God was that the Messiah would come in earthly pomp and grandeur to set up thàs- throne of David and to rule from sea to s.ea. These ideas of the Messianic kingdom were based on the predictions which will be ful filled at the second advent o f the Messiah. Those Scriptures which dealt with the first coming of the Messiah in His humili ation were overlooked and neglected by the leaders o f the nation in their earnest desire to have glory and honor. It is a very important thing’ for Christians today to be careful that they do not become ob sessed with one line of thought and ig nore completely other doctrines, truths and principles which are just as important. Israel, being unprepared for the coming of the Messiah and the approach of His righteousness, ignorantly rejected the Prince of Life. Being rejected, accord ing to Psa. 110:1, and being invited by the. Father to ascend to His right hand and to remain there until the latter makes. His Messiah’s enemies His footstool, He is now at the right hand o f God awaiting the time to come back in glory and power to establish the kingdom of God upon earth. In the meantime the servants o f Christ ought to preach His Gospel and “enroll disciples in His school.” Among the credentials attesting the di vine power and mission of Jesus are His stilling the winds and waves, His restoring the daughter o f Jairus to life, and healing the woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. It Seems that these miracles were outstanding, p r o m i n e n t ones which attracted much popular attention.
ing forth fruit of repentance as evidence o f their sincerity. Among the masses there was a great spiritual revival which was a revolt against the dead orthodoxy o f the day. Just prior to the second coming of the Lord, according to the pre diction of Malachi, there will be another herald to announce the approach o f the King. This herald will be none other than Elijah the prophet who was trans lated as was Enoch. He will likewise bring about a revival in Israel to a certain extent in that "he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the chil dren to the fathers unless the Lord smite the earth with a curse." “ Each generation needs a revival.” - At the present time a great revival is needed even among those who hold to the sound doctrine and the fundamentals of the faith. In the second lesson the subject of the healing ministry of Jesus was discussed. The miracles- which Jesus performed served as His credentials to prove that He was the Messiah o f Old Testament prediction. Among the signs attesting His divine nature and commission, was that of the healing o f the sick. During His entire ministry never did He turn away one who in faith came to Him pleading for restoration to health. On many occasions He healed vast multitudes. The matter of dispensing material aid to the needy is a great problem, even today because many will follow the loaves and the fishes without ever accepting the Lord genuinely. Hence, it is imperative that a Christian, while assisting all in the Spirit o f the Master by “giving to him who asketli him,” should keep his eyes open so that he may not give to those who re fuse to work, for they who work not should not eat. Jésus not only ministered to the phy sical ailments and needs o f the people, but likewise He ministered to their spir itual needs, associating especially -with those who realized their lost condition. Jesus wisely avoided association with the strictly orthodox classes who were im pervious to truth and who under no con ditions would accept His teachings. Re peatedly Jesus declared that He came to save the lost and to call the sinners to repentance ; on many occasions, however, the self-righteous leaders condemned His ministry to the lost. Only those who realized their lost condition would listen to the Gospel call. Not many mighty or powerful or rich heed the call. Jesus had the highest respect for the law as it waS given by Moses, but He con stantly showed that the very law on which the Hebrew people depended, point ed very definitely to Him. Realizing the extremes to which men might go when they learn an important new truth, He, on one occasion, declared that He had not come to destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfil them, and charged His dis ciples to obey the law not simply in letter but in the spirit o f the same. The law could not make one alive spiritually ; it was simply a schoolmaster to bring the Jew to Christ. “ The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." The fame o f Jesus spread very rapidly, especially after He began His healing ministry;. This popularity rather hindered Him in His great work; hence, He fre quently insisted that the one who received the blessing should be very quiet and should not stir the community to fanatical zeal by reporting the blessing received.
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE Will "■Jesus Teaching, preaching, healing. ■ -M a t t . 9:15.
Miracles were only sign-boards pointing to Jesus, the divine Son of God, Who per formed them. His miracles were o f such a character that doubt to the contemporary was not possible. Jesus, knowing His plans and intentions, selected certain trustworthy men whom He gave special training in. order that they might carry on the work which He had begun. One of the Twelve whom He chose and gave the position o f an apostle Was not right at heart, namely Judas Iscariot. During the Saviour’s ministry he seems to have enj oyed the same privileges and advan tages that the others had, but being cor rupt at heart, he went down under great temptation as a tree that is decayed at the heart fallsj under the stress of a storm. Only the pure in heart and life will stand the storms o f temptation. Though the eleven forsook Jesus at the critical mo ment, their hearts were right toward Him and He regathered them after His Resur rection •and endued them with power. When Jesus retired from the land, be ing opposed by His bitter enemies, He went to an uninhabited place on the north eastern shore of the Sea o f Galilee where He fed the five thousand men and women. This great miracle o f healing symbolizes, in a way, Jesus’ feeding the multitudes upon the spiritual bread of life. The great masses o f people today are hungry for that which satisfies the yearning o f their •longing hearts, but unfortunately in many instances they are not given the true spir itual food. The man who poses as a min ister of the Gospel o f Christ shall render account to God for the way in which he has occupied his time and the messages which he gives to his people. May God grant that those who know Jesus Christ will give forth the message o f life and love in its purity and simplicity without addition or subtraction. Christianity is a life and not mere mechanical observance o f rites and cere monies, as was taught by the Saviour on various occasions. God seeks those to be His worshipers who worship in Spirit and in truth. Purposeless Lives The world is full o f purposeless lives —for the reason that they are pledged to nothing; they belong to the nobodies of history. They are o f these: There is a number o f us creep Into the world to eat and sleep, And know no reason why we’re born But only to consume the corn, Devour the cattle, flesh, and fish, And leave behind an empty dish. Such folks are in the church; in business, in the whole world. They are the para sites o f the common body of life.
PONDER THIS ONE! D o your Church or Sunday School Missionaries receive the K. B. ? Has anyone thought to provide it for them? Consider what such a monthly visitor means to them.
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