The Red Cloud chief., 1912-01-25

| This lesson concerns the matter OF
| the presentation of the Christ child in
! the temple forty days aftcr his birth.
Ever since the redemption Of the first
bern OF Israel on that daTk night in
Egypt, when the destroying angel pass.
first.born of the Egyptians, tho first.
born son of every Hebrew family be-
longed unto the service of God. AS Il
| substitute for all the first-born. the
tribe OF Levi was chosen 10 act as
| priests. BY this. however, the Hebrew
| parents were not exempt from the pre-.
eentation Of their nrat.born to God
BY reason Of the choosing Of the Lee.
vies, the first.born son of the family
was released frcm pries,ly service on
the payment of a certain amount of
redemption morcy.
Joseph and Mary being righteous
parents obeyed this law and presented
the Christ child in the temple. In thus
presenting tho child, these parents
realized the great truth. which all par.
erts should realize, that our children
belong to God, and are but loaned to
US. Christian parents should initiate
the example of Joseph and Mary.
Mary also made a personal Offering
as a token of her appreciation of the
goodness of God. 1t was a small gift,
it is true, but 1t was the best that she
in her humble circumstances life could
give. and, therefore, was as accept.
able to God as any offering of much
higher value would have been. Would
1t not be a good thirg to celebrate the
birth of your child by making a spe.
cial Offering. or gilt to the cause of
God some needy work?
We have wonderful description of
The work Of Christ in this lesson. He
is the light Of the world Not one, but
every nation is TO feel the effect of his
coming. On one occasion, when a
Japanese convert to Christianity was
summoned before the magistrates and
called upon to give n reason why he
had forsaken his national religion. he
was told that Japan had religion
enough and did not want any more;
that Confucianism was good enough
for scholars, and buddhism for the
masses. The Japanese convert replied,
IF Confucianism is an all.suiiicient re.
ligion. why Is 1t. since the founder liv.
ed thousands Of years before Christ
and taught during n long life, that It
has not spread beyond China and ia.
pan? And II Buddhism is an all.suffi.
cient religion, how Is 1t, started by
BuCda thousands of years before
Christ. and taught by him through a
long life. that it has not spread be.
yond India, China, and Japan? II
Christianity is bad religion, how is it,
since is founder taught three years
and was put to death when he was
thirty-three years old, that it has
spread over all the world?"
Jesus is the desire of all the nations
There is no satisfaction to be found in
any religion outside of him. Even
Simeon, representing the O!d Testa.
ment. did not find full satisfaction un.
til he had seen the Christ child.
The salvation of the world centers
in Christ. He is the only Saviour.
Christ Is the only person who can save
the world from its sin. The world
Lad had reformers, scholars. philoso.
piers. philanthropists before Christ,
but 1t never had Saviour. Jesus
Christ is the only person born into
the world with reference to the sins
Of men.
We may learn lesson of what It
means to have faith in Christ from the
words Of Simeon. He had seen no
mighty works wrought by Christ; no
miracles had been performed in his
eight; he had heard no words of king.
ly dignity from the lips OF Jesus;
Christ had pressed upon this good
mans heart no claims to Mcssahship
and yet with the eye of faith he saw
all these things in the infant Jesus.
Centuries have rolled by since Simeon
lived and died, and Jesus Christ has
been proven beyond all reasonable
doubt to be all these things--to be,
and 10 do all that Simeon in prophecy
claimed for him, and yet we may ask,
DO We believe in Christ, the Christ
CT the past as he believed in the Christ
Of the future?"
Christ Is revealer of mems hearts.
A mans character is judged by his at.
titudo toward Christ. We see in the
character Of Christ absolute goodness,
owe. truth, honor. purity. Therefore
10 see Christ, to see truth, love, good
ness. purity, and not to love and
choose him is to reveal state of heart
which, like that of Gallo. cares for
/ ncne OF these things"
Simeon was satisfied when he had
seen the Christ. To see him is the
grandcst sight in all the world. We
are often asked. "Have you seen the
sights in Rome. in Greece, in Italy?"
And II we reply In the negative, It Is
h.nted that we have missed great
part of life. But there Is a light more
important to see than any material
vision, and that Is, the glory of God