Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-28
Golden Text: "But rather seek yt
tie kingdom of God. Luke 1881.

Last week we interrupted our con-
nected study of the gospel accord
ing to Luke, to take up the Christ
mas story; so today, instead of the
review Of the, past three months
lessons, We have chosen to study
the optional lesson for last week,
the 18th chapter, which we would
not otherwise get in this series. It
is peculiarly appropriate, too, for
the lessons which it presents to us
are most timely for the closing day
of the present year, and on the
threshold of the New Year.
The Pharisees had been showing
their fangs, and now their hatred
of Him had become so open that
Jesus thought it wise to show them
up, so He warned His disciples
against the leaven of the PhariseeS,
which is hypocrisy. On passing we
call your attention to the fact that
everywhere in the Bible without eX-
ception, leaven is type of SIM
These religious leaders were APP
parently very friendly, but actually
they were His bitterest enemies; so
Jesus said that the time was COM
ing when everything should be re-
vealed, and that told in secret
should be proclaimed upon the
housetops.
This, however, was not to discOn-
cert His followers, for Gods care
for them was assured and they
could confidently trust in His pro-
lection. Two sparrows were sold in
the market for a farthing, and five
for two farthings, the extra one be-
ing thrown in , for good measure
without additional cost, and yet
that extra one is not forgotten by
God. They were of far more value
than many sparrows, for God cared
for them so much that even the
hairs of their head are numbered
not only does God take thought and
account of the extra sparrow, but
He knows when a hair is lost from
the head of one of His own children.
Therefore, when the hidden
things were revealed, when the real
test should come, they could be as
sured that God would take care of
them, and, therefore, now make
bold confession of Him, even though
that confession brought them be-
fore magistrates and powers.
First Things First
In the midst of this message a
discordant note was sounded. One
of the company was thinking so lit
tie of real values and so largely
of his own small affairs that he
broke in with this: Master, speak
to my brother that he divide the in
heritance with me-"
Was it with a note of sadness
or of indignation that Jesus replied:
"Man, who made me a judge or
divider over your" But this gave
Him the opportunity to tell them
something, and as usual He did it
by telling a stOry-thiS time of a
rich man who had so much he
couldn't use it, and tore down his
barns to build larger ones so he
could store up his fruits and Lave Il
good time the rest of his life. He
was the type of man we find so
often today. who lives to make
enough money to lay by and retire
as early as possible, and to enjoy
the fruit of his labors in a life of
ease and luxury. Such men the
world counts successful and holds
them up as examples to be emu
lated. How different God thought of
such a man! but God said unto
him: Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee then
whose shall those things be which
thou hast provided?
Jesus then went on to tell His
disciples that their first considera-