The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-12-04
INTERNATIONAL
NNDISQ1OOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
THE CHILD IN THE MIDST.
By z. o. SELLERS. Director OF Eve
ming Department The Moody Bible In
stitute of Chicago.)

TEAI- IN HEAVEN 'het @H
gels do always behold the face or my
Father which Is in heaven. -Aatthe"
1910 r. v.
Like two mighty mountain peaks
there stand before us H. this lesson
two tremendously vital lessons. Inc
first and the foremost is that of dis
cipleship as suggested by the ques-
ton in verse one, "Who is the great
est in the kingdom?" And the second
lesson is that of Christ's attitude to-
wards children. Jesus again reveals
himself as the worlds greatest teach
er. He teaches by example-settlng
a child before them, and by exhorta-
ton, Except ye become as Children
by contrast, etc. =.
The very form of tho disciples
question revealed their coarse amol-
ton for power and clearly indicated
that they were as yet far from COM
pretending the principles OF nls
kingdom. One Of the most lnsldlous
temptations that comes to the Chris
tan worker is the ambitious desire
for place and power. 1t ID hard 10
reconcile church politics with the
principles of the kingdom OF Cod
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 a 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. 81 say" again re-
veals his authority to answer. "Ex-
cept We 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 as
tenacious to retain those impressions
as granite. Pride, self-contidence,
disobedience, selfshness, impurity,
assumed p~erfectness, and an unW1ll'
ingness to learn will e~ffectually 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
7 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 q place in the kingdom.
Ever after this, when wrong ambi-
lions 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
tainIy 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 ENTER ". 81 the
kingdom (see John $3.50. Therefore,
the added significance OF verse six
The responsibility Of parents and
teachers to lead them into the king
dom ct this early age when their
t%rustfulress has not been destroyed.
Let us look at some Of the condi-
lions whereby we enter the kingdom.
John 1919, g" am the door, by me
shall We enter" John 3:3, Except
We be born again." Heb. 3:19, "They
could not enter because of unbelief."
Read also 2 Peter 1:5-11 and other
passages.
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 we're never afraid CT
him. It is true that he might have
meant here humble men who have
| childlike hearts, but we arc inclined
to feel that it was real children CT
which he is speaking. Our treatment
Of them is our treatment of him, for
he completely identifies himself with
| them. To cause such an n to stum-
BILE it were better for the offender to
have a milestone hanged about his
neck and he be drowned in the depth
of the sea.
How often as we look at a child do
we see Jesus? How often do we re-
member that as we receive such we
are receiving him? To despise one Of
them Is to despise him, for in
heaven their angels do always behold
the face Of my Father which is in
heaven" Notice. also, how he brings
into this connection the matter Of
shepherding. Men are lost. born So,