April-May, 1933
M3
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
umor KING’S BUSINESS . . . By M artha S. H ooker
THE MISSIONARY LILIES
3. Then add the chapter in John’s Gospel in which this story occurs. 4. Multiply by the number of angels seen by Mary in the sepulchre. 5. Divide by the number of men who were on the way to Emmaus after the resur rection. 6. Add the chapter in Mark in which the resurrection story occurs. 7. Subtract the number of the chapter in Matthew’s Gospel where the resurrec tion story is found. 8. Subtract the number of disciples to whom the women carried the good news of the resurrection. The answer will be the number of a verse in a certain chapter in John, in which the Lord Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” What is the chapter and verse? A c r o s t i c Finish the following acrostic by giving the reference for the Scripture used*: C hrist died for our sins according to the Scriptures. H e is not here, but is risen. R ose again the third day according to the Scriptures. I am the resurrection and the life. S aying, the Son of man must be delivered ---- and be crucified, and the third day rise again. T he Lord is risen indeed. I , know that my Redeemer liveth. S ir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him. R oiled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. I f a man die, shall he live again ? S o they both ran together . . . to the sepulchre. E arly in the morning . . . they came to the sepulchre. N ow when Jesus was risen . . . He appear ed first to Mary Magdalene. Birds Springtime brings back the birds from their winter homes, and it suggests the following game. Did you know that there were many birds mentioned in the Bible? Give the names of these birds, and one reference where their names are mentioned: 1. The bird Noah put forth from the ark, which returned bearing an olive twig. 2. The bird Noah put forth from the ark, which “went forth to and fro until the waters were dried up from off the earth.” 3. The bird of which the Lord Jesus said that two were sold for a far thing. 4. The birds which the Lord God gave the children of Israel to eat when they murmured against the manna. 5. The great bird who builds her nest on high cliffs, and in order to teach her young to fly must “stir up the nest.”
'TB~7fT rs . G regg lived at || the far end of the V street in a large o.ld-fashioned h o u s e , set somewhat back from the roadway. Folk would love to have visited on the spa cious old veranda or lin gered under the shady trees, but it was all so ' cheerless. The doors were always closed and the shades drawn, t h o u g h every one knew that Mrs. Gregg was at home. Vis itors were just not welcome. Mrs. Gregg herself didn’t scatter much cheer. She always wore a black dr.ess ' in keeping with her sad face, and was seldom seen
whom the Lord Jesus died. Every day there was something new to discover about the . little brown bulbs— first a tiny green shoot, then the tall, beau tiful blades, until the brown ugly .bulbs were quite forgotten. So Mary Louise and her mother prayed and watched and tended, and the lily plants grew and grew. The days quickly passed, and Easter was near. Would there be blos soms? Mary Louise never doubted, for were not her bulbs to be missionary lilies ? And her faith was rewarded for, during the week before Easter, she found the first tiny bud. This discovery caused a real time of rejoicing in the Brown household. “I knew my missionary plant would bloom,” Mary Louise said over and over. Soon other buds appeared and Mary Louise’s heart fairly sang for joy. Of course, the buds quickly opened—the ugly brown bulbs had been changed into the most beautiful lilies, shedding their frag rance throughout the whole house. “Now they are ready, Mother, ready to go on their missionary journey,” said Mary Louise, and Mrs. Brown knew that the little girl was right. The daintiest, prettiest card was chosen, and Mary Louise wrote in her very best writing: “For Mrs. Gregg, with love from Mary Louise Brown.” Then, at Mrs. Brown’s suggestion, she copied the lovely verse: “I am the resurrec tion, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” After special prayer for the missionary journey, the beautiful lilies were soon1car ried oyer to Mrs. Gregg’s porch, right near the milk bottles, which stood not far from the large door. How long the lilies stayed there no one knew, but the next morning they were gone. Mary Louise knew, for she walked just far enough down the street to see. All that took place in the big house the morning the lilies were discovered, no one ever knew—but the lilies knew—and I think they might have heard Mrs. Gregg speaking right out loud between sobs of joy, “Though—he were dead—yet—shall—he live-—and I shall see them again—my own dear John and Baby Marie—changed into His likeness, more beautiful than the fair est lily.” As for Mary Louise and her mother, they knew that the Lord would speak through His Word and the missionary lilies. And this was how it came about that Mrs. Gregg was in church on Easter Sun day,sitting close to Mrs. Brown and Mary Louise. The shades in the old home were up that day, and the door ajar, folk said, but best of all, the door of Mrs. Gregg’s heart had been opened wide, and resurrec tion hope through faith in her Saviour’s promise had come in to stay. The mission ary lilies had accomplished their mission. E aster A rithm etic 1. In how many books of the Bible does the resurrection story occur? 2. Add to this the chapter in Luke in which the story is found.
by her neighbors. _Mary Louise Brown and her mother lived on the same street and often walked past where Mrs. Gregg lived. These two were great chums, although Mary Louise was only seven. “Mother, I wonder why Mrs. Gregg never even comes to church?” Mary Louise asked her mother one day as they walked by the big house and tried to look beyond the closed windows for a glimpse of the sad lady. “I do wish she would come, dear. We will have to ask our Heavenly Father to find a way." That night as Mrs. Brown and Mary Louise had their prayer time, a special re quest was made for Mrs. Gregg. “Please, dear Heavenly Father, make Mrs. Gregg want to go to your house,” Mary Louise prayed. A few days later, Mrs. Brown and her little girl were busy planting lily bulbs. “We must have lilies for Easter,” Mrs. Brown said. In the midst of the planting of the brown ugly bulbs, Mary Louise’s face suddenly shone with joy as she came to her mother with a plan: “Mother, may I plant some bulbs ‘special’ for Mrs. Gregg?” “Why, indeed you may! I believe our Heavenly Father Himself gave you this lovely idea.” So the prettiest bowl was chosen, and five brown bulbs were placed carefully and prayerfully within. “You are to be missionary lilies, little brown bulbs,” said Mary Louise as she ' put them away in a dark closet to sleep awhile. “Grow tall and beautiful and blossom for sad Mrs. Gregg.” Never were brown lily bulbs tended more carefully, nor watched with more love and interest. All the while, too, as they slept in the dark closet, and even after they were brought out to the light, Mrs. Brown told Mary Louise the loveliest sto ries of God’s plan in changing ugly brown bulbs into the most beautiful of flowers. Never had Mary Louise so understood the meaning of the resurrection. Surely He who could bring about such a beauti ful transformation would do more for those who were His own children, for
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