The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-12-04
Sunday School Notes
Side Lights on Next Sundays Lesson
for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by Charles X. Meyers

December S-The Child in the Midst
Matthew IS, LA.
The lesson of this date is full of i'm
portant truths and of these We can
speak but briefly. The disciples Of
Jesus, although in close companion
ship with Him, did not understand
His plans for the future, and the
nature of the kingdom or authority
could not get out of mind the vision
of an earthly establishment in which
some would have special place of
honor and worship from their fellows.
The disciples began discussing among
themselves as to who should be
greatest" in the new kingdom. At last
they made so bold as to ask this ques-
ton of Jesus. His reply makes up
the opening verses of the lesson to
today.
TO one who said, 81 came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister and
give my life ransom" such discus.
sions as these in which the disciples
were indulging were most abhorent.
One who was ready to wash the feet
of His disciples, the duty of the most
humble servant, could not look with
favor on strife for place at the expense
of another. A reading of the verses
of this lesson and Mark 8, 1887, Luke
9, 46-4S and Luke %, 24-3O will show
that Jesus ever took pains to dis
courage strife for place, power, mon
ey, summing all up in the we'll remem-
bered words, "What shall it profit a
man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own SOUL" and adding the
statement that any who lost their
lives for His sake would find them
again and have rich reward.
This lesson can we'll be called dig
nifying of childhood, the children and
what they represent. TO make clear
the truth which He wished to teach,
Jesus called an innocent trusting child
to Him and then gloritied the qualities
of childhood. He declared that to en-
ter the kingdom of heaven one must
become as a little child. This means
to be humble, trusting, believing,
ready to learn, ready to help, un-
selfish as to it's position, expressive
of love, thinking no evil. Here indeed
are the qualities which we recognize
as making an ideal christian. The de-
mand is not that men and women de-
throne their requirements OF intellect,
knowledge, abilities to make progress
in the world. Come to think OF it, as
compared with the knowledge OF God,
what is that of the most brilliant In
tellect of man? Why should mortal
be proud in the presence OF the ruler
of the universe? 1t is no humiliation
to acknowledge His supremacy. 1t is
certainly seemly to be as a trusting
child, willing to obey, when the one
to whom trust is given is the Al
mighty God.
The great apostle Paul warns chris
tians that they should not put a
stumbling block in the path OF others
nv anything they may do in their
life work. Jesus in the verses OF to-
dav declares that "whoso shall offend
one of these little ones which believe
in me it were better for him that
mill stone were hanged about his neck
and that he were drowned in the
denths of the sea-" 1t has ever seemed
tn me that this statement OF Jesus
placed mighty responsibility on
crown up people in their treatment
of tho children. 1t makes great the
sacredness of parentage and holds to
strict accountability the example
nlaced before the young by every per
son who has grown to years OF ma
turity. TO place the feet of trusting
child in paths which will lead to deg
relation and spiritual death is a fear
ful thing to do, and Jesus, the Son OF
God who knows, says that any one
who does such cannot escape a 1uli
measure of condemnation.
We we'll remember OF hearing a
sermon recently which set forth that
tho chief end of mans or woman's
career of life was SO to conduct them
solves nv faith and work as to gain
immortal life, or in other words TO