The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-01-01
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDGYSC[IOOL
LESSON
LESSON FOR JANUARY 4
JESUS AND THE CHILDREN.
tBy Il. o SELLERS, Director of Evening
department, The Moody Bible Institute,
Chicago)

JESUS AND THE CHILDREN.
LESSON TEXT--Mark 1904: 1o:1s-1s
GOLDEN TEXT--"Gird yourselves with
humility. to serve one another; for God
reslsteth the proud, but giveth grace to
the humble."-I Pet. SIS.
we now return to the New Testa-
ment, and during this year finish those
studies on the life of Christ which
we're 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. d. 20 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. 30-37.-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 a wrangling
which had not yet ceased Jesus wait
ed until they had arrived at Caper-
naum. and ther heat had cooled some
what before taking any notice of the
dispute. In response to his question
ng they held their peace, for, after
-efection, they we're ashamed of what
nad taken place, v. 34 Jesus then pre-
sented to them 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 1S:15-17) tells
is that these disciples desired to send
he children away, hence the words,
Suffer them to come Ever after,
when this mean, low, ambition to be
the greatest" came up, there must
nave arisen before them, In memory,
his picture. His appeal to children
meets a well nigh universal response
n the hearts of men. The fact that
he child was so near at hand is sug-
yestive of the attractiveness of Jesus.
rhe disciples were seemingly afraid
IF him ". 32), not so, however, the
,hild. For us to receive one who per-
'ectly trusts him is to receive Jesus
himself, and to receive Jesus is to re-
;eive the Father, for he came as the
representative of the Father, the full
,evelation of God, Col 2:9 To en-
Ter the kingdom is of course prelim-
nary to any question of precedence
n that kingdom. Jesus taught these
disciples that as a little child is
;eachabIe (Matt. 1879, so must all be
who are to follow him.
Thus Jesus contrasts the spirit of
humility with that of pride which they
lad just shown The lower we put
ourselves the higher God will exalt us.
Phil. 2:6-11. Jesus rebuked his disci-
pies and taught them that rather than
seek the place of authority and leader
ship, they ought to take the place Of
4 child, that they may be taught and
be ruled.
u. Authority Denied, w. 3s41. The
spirit manifested by these disciples
". 3S) is far from having been re-
moved from the earth after all OF these
years. The ability tu cast out devils
in the name of Jesus was evidence
enough in his mind that such persons
were for, and not against, him, Wv. 80,
40. 1t is not, however, the ability to
cast out the devils, but rather the
tact 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. IL: 80
Set Good Example.
III. Angels In Disguise, 1o:13-16
This attitude of Jesus towards those
children about him (9:36) led others
to bring their children to him, and
among these were the babies, Luke
1915. Try and picture the scene al
Jesus extended his hands In blessed
benediction What effect this blessing
may have had upon babys heart We
are not told, but we can imagins
that a sense of responsibility for Chris
tian nurture must have remained will
these parents, Eph. GA. Those II
charge of these children have set vi
a good example in bringing them thu
early to Jesus. To allow children t.
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 physica
cleanliness. until they are old enougl
to understand sanitation, hygiene, o
the laws of medical science.
AS we look back over these inc
dents we are impressed by the fac
that those who engage in such silly
nay, even wicked discussion as t
the matter of Observation-Disclosures
1t be that they had a spiritual or ten
poral idea of that kingdom--stoo'
dumb before him when called upon +
A. Nnf,