The Elbert County tribune., 1912-12-06
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDMSOlOOL
LESSON
py a o. SELLERS. Director of Eve
ming Department The Moody Bible In
stitute OF Chicago)
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
THE CHILD in THE MIDST.

1910 r. ".
Like two mighty mountain peaks
there stand before us in this lesson
two tremendously vital lessons. The
first and the foremost is that Of dis
cipleship as suggested by the ques-
tion in verse one, who Is the great
est in the Kingdom" And the second
lesson ia that OF Christs attitude to-
wards children. Jesus again reveals
himself as the worlds greatest teach
er. He teaches by example-setting
child before them, and by exhorta-
ton. Except ye become as children"
by contrast, etc.
The very form OF the disciples
question revealed their coarse ambI-
tion for power and clearly indicated
that they were as yet far from COM
pretending the principles of his
| kingdom. One of the most insidious
temptations that comes to the Chris
tian worker is the ambitious desire
for place and power. 1t is hard to
reconcile church politics with the
principles of the kingdom of God.
Jesus answers their question by
the use of objective teaching that
always has such an advantage over
the purely metaphysical method of an
swering such question. Placing a
child in their midst he answered in
the words found in verse two OF the
lesson.
What He Meant.
The word verify" is tremendous
with emphasis. Il say" again re-
veals his authority tc answer "Ex-
cept ye turn what does he mean?
To become childish? No. but to be-
come childlike; there is a vast deal
OF difference. There the child stands.
trustful, obedient. submissive. unself-
ish. pure. potential, imperfect, ready
to receive Impressions as wax and as
tenacious to retain those Impressions
as granite. Pride, self-confidence.
disobedience, selflshness. impurity.
assumed perfectness. and an unwill-
ingness to learn will effectually keep
us out of the kingdom of heaven.
What a rebuke his answer implied,
viz, not who is greatest but rather,
"are you sure you are really in the
kingdom" The true disciple who
really comprehends the essence OF
Christ's teaching is far less con-
cerned with his rank in the kingdom
than he is to know him" and thus
make sure of place in the kingdom
Ever after this. when wrong ambi-
tions arose. these disciples must have
recalled. that sweet child and Jesus
saying, "be like that"
Does this lesson then teach us that
all children are by nature children of
the kingdom? Hardly. though we GER
tainly do not believe that a child dy-
ing in infancy Is lost. Rather we In
cline to the belief that they have
that spirit Of teachableness and trust
that fits them to center" ". 81 the
kingdom (see John 1863. Therefore.
the added significance of verse six.
The responsibility of parents and
teachers to lead them into the king
dom at this early age when their
trustfulness has not been destroyed.
Let us look at some of the condi-
tions whereby we enter the kingdom.
John 1879. ~ am the door. by me
shall ye enter" John 1913, Except
ye be born again" Heb. 3:19, "They
could not enter because OF unbelief."
Read also Peter 1:5-11.
How to Become Great.
Having thus struck at the primary
question involved. Jesus then tells
them how, once being In the kingdom,
to become great. whose humbleth
himself, etc" To humble yourself Is
voluntarily to choose the humble, the
lowly, place for yourself; that place
removed from the admiration and the
adulation of men. Paul learned this
lesson and constantly refers to him
self as the bond slave" and wishes
that he might be accursed for the
sake of his brethren Israel. Moses
found this place when he pleaded with
God to blot him out of the book of
his remembrance but to save the chill
dren OF Israel. Jesus is himself the
greatest illustration of this principle.
(See Phil. 2:6-11.)
Jesus goes on to teach by con-
trast what is to be our attitude to-
ward those who are in the kingdom.
There is an incidental illumination
of the attitude of little children to
Jesus. They were never afraid OF
him. 1t is true that he might have
meant here humble men who have
childlike hearts, but we are inclined
to feel that 1t was real children of
which he is speaking. Our treatment
of them is our treatment Of him, for
he completely identifies himself with
them.
Jesus pictures for us the heavenly |
glory that rests upon children and yet |
we in our folly too often fail to re-
ceive them. neglect our God-given op-
portunity. or, worse still, cause them
to stumble. and bring upon ourselves,
upon our homes and our nation pen.
atty even worse than that of being
drowned in the midst OF the sea-