The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-12-06
What He Meant.

What He Meant.
The word verify" is tremendous
with emphasis. 81 say again re-
veals his authority to answer. Ex-
cent We turn" what does he mean?
To become childish No. but to be-
come childlike; there is vast deal
of difference. There the child stands.
trustful, obedent. submissive. unself.
ish. pure, potential imperfect, ready
to receive impressions as wax and as
tenacious to retain those impressions
as granite Pride, self-conffdenee,
disobedience, selfishness, impurity,
assumed perfectness, and an unwiit
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
Christs teaching is far less con
cerned with his rank in the kingdom
than he is to know him" and thus
make sure of a 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 b. nature children OF
the kingdom hardly, though we Ger
! tainly do not believe that 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 10 "enter" " 81 the
kingdom (see John $50. Therefore
| the added significance of verse six
| The responsibility of parents ant
teachers to lead them into the king
! dom at this eatly age when theil
| trustfulness has not been destroyed.
! Let us look at some of the condi
! tions whereby We enter the kingdom
| John 1919. Il am the door. by M
shall ye enter" John 3: 3. "Excep
ye be born again" Heb. 3:19, The,
| could not enter because of unbelief
Read also Peter 1:5-11.
How to Become Great.
Having thus struck at the primar
question involved. Jesus then tell
them how. once being in the kingdom
to become great, whose humbletl
himself. etc" To humble yourself i
voluntarily to choose the humble, th'
! lowly. place for yourself; that place
removed from the admiration and th'
adulation of men. Paul learned thii
lesson and constantly refers to him
self as the bond slave" and wishe,
that he might be accursed for tho
sake of his brethren Israel Nose.
found this place when he pleaded witt
God to blot him out of the book o
his remembrance but TO save the chill
dren of Israel. Jesus is himself tn,
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 Il
Jesus. They were never afraid o
him. 1t is true that he might have
meant here humble men who hav,
childlike hearts, but we are inclined
to feel that it was real children o
which he is speaking Our treatmen
OF them is our treatment OF him, 70
he completely Identifies himself Will
them.
Jesus pictures for US the heayenl,
glory that rests upon children and ye
we in our folly too often fail to re
ceiye them, neglect our God-given OF
portunity. or, worse still, cause then
! 70 stumble. and bring nnon nnrselyes