The Yale expositor., 1914-01-01

| GOLDEN TEXT-"Gird yourselves with
humility. TO serve one another; for God
resisteth the proud. but gveth grace TO
the humble."-I Pet 55.
We now return to the New Tesla
ment, and during this year finish those
studies on the life OF Christ which
were followed during the year 1912.
Almost as though it were an answer
to the question, who are for him, and
who are against him?" that was asked
| in the last lesson for that year, we
have presented for our study today,
the relations of Jesus with children. In
his teachings about children, as about
so many other things, Jesus stands
unique among all religious teachers.
The events of this lesson occurred
| during the summer of A. ID. 90, dur
ing the time of his Perean ministry,
which extended from his final depart
ure from Galilee until his triumphal
entry into Jerusalem.
Lust for Power.
!. A Wayside Dispute, w. 3o-37.-As
though by way OF contrast, the lesson
committee has given us this side-light
as to the effect, up to this time, upon
the hearts OF the disciples of those
great truths Jesus had been teaching
them, about the method whereby he
was to establish his kingdom The
disciples lusted for power, wrangling
which had not yet ceased. Jesus wait
ed until they had arrived at Caper-
naum, and Their heat had cooled some
what before taking any notice of the
dispute. In response to his question
ing they held their peace, for, after
reflection. they were ashamed of what
had taken place, v. 81. Jesus then pre-
sented to them a concrete example of
what is to be required OF all of those
who shall seek to enter into this new
! kingdom. That was a more pertinent
! question than the one they had just
| been discussing. duke IS: 15-1O tells
us that these disciples desired to send
the children away, hence the words.
! Suffer them to come" Ever after,
when this mean, low, ambition to be
the greatest" came up, there must
have arisen before them, in memory
| this picture. His appeal to children
meets a we'll nigh universal response
! in the hearts of men. The fact that
! the child was so near at hand is sug-
! gestive of the attractiveness of Jesus.
! The disciples were seemingly afraid
of him ". 32), not so, however, the
! child. For us TO receive one who per-
fectly trusts him is to receive Jesus
| himself, and to receive Jesus is TO re-
|
representative of the Father, the full
revelation of God, Col 2:9. To en-
! ter the kingdomjs of course prelim-
mary to any question of precedence
in that kingdom. Jesus taught these
| disciples that as a little child is
teachable Matt. 1879, SO must all be
who are to follow him.
Thus Jesus contrasts the spirit OF
humility with that of pride which they
had just shown. The lower we put
ourselves the higher God will exalt us,
Phil. 2:6-11. Jesus rebuked his disci-
| Piles and taught them that rather than
seek the place of authority and leader
ship, they ought to take the place Of
a child, that they may be taught and
be ruled.
IL. Authority Denied, w. 394t. The
spirit manifested by these disciples
! ". 3S) is far from having been re-
moved from the earth after all of these
! years. The ability t. cast out devils
in the name of Jesus was evidence
enough in his mind that such persons
we're for, and not against, him, w. 80,
40. 1t is not, however, the ability to
cast out the devils, but rather the
fact that a service had been perform.
ed "in his name,' which bulked large
in his mind Such is the service that
has its reward, V. Al and Matt. 1890.
Set Good Example.
~. Angels in Disguise, 10:13-16.
This attitude of Jesus towards those
children about him 1880 led others
to bring their children TO him, and
among these were the babies, Luke
1915. Try and picture the scene as
Jesus extended his hands in blessed
benediction. What effect this blessing
may have had upon baby's heart we
are not told, but we can imagine
that sense of responsibility for Chris
tian nurture must have remained with
these parents, Eph ga. Those in
charge of these children have set us
a good example in bringing them thus
early to Jesus. To allow children to
reach the years of understanding" be-
fore teaching them the way Of life,
is as unreasonable as is neglect teach
ing children the habits of physical
cleanliness, until they are old enough
60 understand sanitation, hygiene, or
the laws of medical science
As we look back over these incl
dents we are impressed by the fact
that those who engage in such a silly,
nay, even wicked a discussion as 20
the matter of pre-eminence-whethe
1t be that they had spiritual or tenn
poral idea of that kingdom-stood
dumb before him when called upon to
justify themselves. Those who fain
would send the children away are re-
buked, and IL is revealed TO them that
these stoo nearer to the Christ than
did the disciples themselves. Even
~.