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December 24. 1913.<br />
Lesson I. January 4, 1914,<br />
LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN.<br />
By Anna Pritchard Ge<strong>org</strong>e.<br />
First Quarter.<br />
JESUS AND THE CHILDREN.<br />
Mark 9:30-41; 10:13-16.<br />
Jack, do you love your niother? "More than<br />
anyone else." Does your mother love you,<br />
Jeanne? "Yes, and she cries when I'm sick." Do<br />
you know that Jesus loves you children lar more<br />
than you love your mothers—even far more than<br />
your mothers love you.<br />
One day Jesus and his disciples Avalk along a<br />
country road toAvard Capernaum-, On the table<br />
sink this pan of water in the sand for the Sea of<br />
Galilee which Jesus loves so Avell. Pile up the<br />
sand for the hills around. These boxes are lor<br />
the flat-roofedhouses of 'Capernaum by the Sea<br />
of Galilee. Score the course of the Jordan River<br />
in the sand. These clothespins are for Jesus and<br />
his disciples. The disciples are arguing among<br />
themselves. They do not know that Jesus can<br />
hear. Can he May? "He hears everything." Yes,<br />
he knows all they say, but waits till he can have<br />
them by themselves before he corrects them.<br />
They enter this house in Capernaum, Jesus says,<br />
"I overheard you talking. What were you disagreeing<br />
about?" He wants the men to tell him<br />
themselves. But they are ashamed, and hang,<br />
their heads. They had been arguing as to which<br />
of them would be greatest among Christ's followers.<br />
Jesus sits down and calls his disciples<br />
around him. Is he cross. Bud? No, Jesus knows<br />
the disciples do not know any better, so he<br />
teaches them. He says, "If any man desire to be<br />
first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of<br />
all." The best man is not the one who wears<br />
fine clothes and can boss everyone else; the best<br />
boy and the best girl are not those who live in<br />
big houses and have servants to wait on him.<br />
The man who is firstwith God is the one Avho<br />
A FAMILY PAPER.<br />
waits on other people and puts himself last every<br />
time. The boy and girl who are firstwith Jesus<br />
are those who give up to others—who give the<br />
best seat to the timid little girl, who get father's<br />
slippers and do all they can for mother without<br />
being.told, who praise everyone else instead of<br />
themselves, and who love everyone. These are<br />
the first with Jesus, the ones Avho put themselves<br />
last.<br />
As Jesus is talking with his disciples, a little<br />
lioy stands quietly by. This stick is he. Jesus'<br />
face is so beautiful and kind, and his voice so<br />
sweet and loving—altogether more Avonderlul is<br />
he than any other man—the child cannot take<br />
his eyes off Jesus. Jesus looks up and smiles at<br />
the boy, then he calls him. Does the boy run<br />
away, Rosanna? "I guess he runs right up to<br />
Jesus just as fast as he can." Jesus reaches<br />
down and gathers the little boy up in his arms,<br />
for Jesus loves children so much. As he sits<br />
holding this little boy close, he says to the<br />
disciples, "Whosoever shall receive one of such<br />
children in my name, receiveth me." Don't you<br />
think that boy was happy, James? Do you think<br />
he would grow up to be a bad man? No, I think<br />
every time he would be tempted to do wrong,<br />
Le Avould think of Jesus smiling at him and<br />
reaching out his arms. Then instead of doing<br />
wrong, he would say, "No," and feel Jesus' arms<br />
about him again, as he did -when a little boy.<br />
Jesus and his disciples leave his house, and<br />
one day they come to a place here on the eastern<br />
shore of the Jordan. This box is for the house<br />
Avhere they are stopping. Leave off the top. A<br />
crowd of people came to hear Jesus. These sticks<br />
are they. While Jesus is talking with these grown<br />
up folk, there come a lot of children trying to<br />
get through the crowd to Jesus. Some may have<br />
seen him before and have brought others to<br />
.Jesus. These small sticks are the children. Then<br />
here come the mothers carrying tiny babies. They<br />
wish to bring them to Jesus too. But there<br />
seems to be no way to reach the :Master, the<br />
crOAvd of grown folk is so great. Then to make<br />
things worse, the disciples try to send them<br />
away, "This is no place for you children. The<br />
Master is busy." They think the children will<br />
be in Jesus' way. Does Jesus think so too, John?<br />
"Xo, he loves the children." Jesus is never too<br />
busy for even the tiniest child to come to him.<br />
As the children and mothers sadly turn away,<br />
Jesus calls out, and oh, how wondrously SAveet<br />
his voice rings in their ears, "Suffer the little<br />
children to come unto me; and forbid them not;<br />
for of such is the kingdom ol God." He turns from<br />
the wise rulers of the JeAvs to the children. They<br />
almost flyto him, they are so glad. Here comes a<br />
boy like Alvin. Jesus places his arm about him.<br />
A mother brings her tiny baby, Russell's size. As<br />
Jesus slas'Ps the baby in his arms, the little one<br />
cuddles up close, A little girl like Ruth comes<br />
shyly forward. Jesus draAvs her up, too. The children,<br />
big and little, crowd around Jesus, and he<br />
blesses them all, taking each one in turn in his<br />
arms. Oh, how they all love Jesus, and the love<br />
of Jesus for them is so great that it shines right<br />
out in his face till even the most timid child goes<br />
to him eagerly. Will any of them ever f<strong>org</strong>et<br />
that Jesus loves them, Ellis? "I don't think so."<br />
Jesus turns to the crowd around and says, "Whosoever<br />
shall not receive the kingdom of God as<br />
a little child, he shall not enter therein."<br />
Can you boys and girls see Jesus iiow, Ge<strong>org</strong>e?<br />
No, you cannot see his face. But Jesus can see<br />
you, and can draw you close to him as he did<br />
those other children. Just remember that Jesus<br />
will never turn you away. Some grown people<br />
may say, "There is no room for children here."<br />
But Jesus never does. He makes room for children<br />
first. There is always room for you in<br />
Jesus' house and in Jesus' arms. Do not be afraid<br />
to come to him. He loves you and he wants you.<br />
He says for you to "Suffer the little children to<br />
come unto me, and forbid them not."<br />
Lesson II. January 11, 1914 and Bethsaida on the northern shore<br />
of the Sea of Galilee, and for Chorazin,<br />
a little north ol Capernaum. Do<br />
the people in these cities know Jesus,<br />
LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN-<br />
By Anna Pritchard Ge<strong>org</strong>e.<br />
THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY.<br />
Luke 10:1-24,<br />
How many of you children love<br />
Jesus? It is good to see so many<br />
hands and happy faces. Do you know<br />
tliere are millions of boys and girls<br />
in this world who do not even know<br />
who Jesus is? What good does it<br />
do you to know and love Jesus, Ruth?<br />
"He makes us good and happy," "And<br />
he'll take us home to heaven, too.''<br />
Then we would like all these other<br />
children to know about Jesus too,<br />
would we not? But how can they<br />
ever know him, Ge<strong>org</strong>e? "We'll have<br />
to tell them." Yes, and some people<br />
who do not know him, live in far, far<br />
away lands. So some men and women<br />
spend their lives as missionaries<br />
among these heathen people, telling<br />
them all about Jesus and his love, so<br />
they can be good and happy too. Today's<br />
lesson is about some of the<br />
first missionaries—those whom Jesus<br />
sent himself.<br />
On the table lay out Palestine with<br />
this pan of water for the Sea of<br />
(lalilee. Bud, you score the 'course of<br />
the Jordan River in the sand. Let us<br />
place these tiny boxes for Capernaum<br />
Ruth? Yes, Jesus has had his home<br />
here in Capernaum every time he has<br />
been preaching and helping the people<br />
in Galilee. In these cities he has<br />
healed so many sick iPeople—made<br />
the lame to walk, the blind to see, the<br />
deaf to hear—he had done such Avonderful<br />
things. But over here on this<br />
other side of the Jordan live a great<br />
many people who do not know Jesus.<br />
Jesus has not been over here very<br />
often, and the people have not had a<br />
chance to hear all the good things<br />
Jesus has to tell, nor see the wonderful<br />
things he does. These other boxes<br />
.will do for the cities along this eastern<br />
short of the Jordan, and these<br />
sticks the people in them. These<br />
clothespins are Jesus and his disciples<br />
and many of Jesus' friends who<br />
follow him. They are gathered here<br />
on the shore of the Jordan.<br />
Jesus wants the people in these<br />
cities on this side ol the Jordan to<br />
them as missionaries to people who<br />
do not knoAV Him.<br />
Buster, when you go on a journey,<br />
do you take any extra clothing with<br />
you? "About a trunkful." Jesus tells<br />
these missionaries to carry nothing—<br />
no ipocketbook even, nor food, nor<br />
extra shoes, nor clothes. They are to<br />
go just as they are, and God will<br />
provide the rest. He will open the<br />
hearts of the people to take care of<br />
his missionaries. "Carry neither purse,<br />
nor scrip, nor shoes."<br />
Then Jesus divides them- into<br />
groups. They go two by two and each<br />
couple go to a city by themselves.<br />
Jesus is going later to these same<br />
cities, but he sends, these missionaries<br />
first to , prepare the way and<br />
tell the people about him. "The harvest<br />
truly is great," says Jesus, "but<br />
the laborers are few." When the<br />
ranchers have a big harvest, Alvin,<br />
does it take many hands in the field?<br />
"It is hard to get enough." Jesus<br />
says there are so many people who<br />
need to be told about God and his<br />
love, but there are not enough who<br />
are willin,o; to be sent.<br />
Is it always an easy thing to tell<br />
about Jesus, Grace? No, not always.<br />
.Jesus says, "I send you forth as<br />
lambs among wolves." We know how<br />
Here they start out, two by tAvo.<br />
These two go to this city, these two<br />
to the next. They tell the people<br />
about Jesus and heal the sick people.<br />
Here comes a father with his boy,<br />
who is possessed with an evil spirit<br />
—a devil. The missionaries cast out<br />
even this devil in Jesus' name. God<br />
gives them power to do such wonderiul<br />
things just as Jesus does. The<br />
people flock around to hear the story<br />
of Jesus, and see the miracles his<br />
missionaries perform. So these faithful<br />
friends of Jesus • go around from<br />
city to city, never once thinking<br />
about clothes or food, for they trust<br />
only in God. They are preparing the<br />
way for Jesus.<br />
After a time they return to Jesus,<br />
delighted with their success. "The<br />
seventy returned again with joy, saying.<br />
Lord, even the devils are subject<br />
unto us through thy name."<br />
Can children go away to other<br />
cities and far away lands to tell about<br />
Jesus, Jack? "No, we must stay at<br />
home till we're big." But, Elmer, don't<br />
you know some little boy who does<br />
not know Jesus? "The little Mexican<br />
boy. He swears." Cannot you tell him<br />
about Jesus and bring him to Sabbath<br />
School? If each boy and each girl<br />
tell about Jesus wherever they go,<br />
have a chance to believe in him and<br />
love him and to go home to heaven<br />
v.'hen they die. There are so many<br />
people to reach, that he asks others<br />
to help him. So he 'calls them out<br />
from this crowd of his friends. He<br />
chooses seventy of them, calling each<br />
man by his own name. Jesus's twelve<br />
disciples are not among these seven<br />
wolves treat little lambs, just as the that is being a missionary for Jesus<br />
coyottes kill the chickens. And some just as truly as going to China or<br />
bad people are very cruel to God'^ Turkey. God can work through you<br />
missionaries, sometimes even killing boys and girls to bring many to him<br />
ty, place these clothespins for the<br />
among seventy wishes them to one to tell side. do. them He Jesus is what sending stands he<br />
them.<br />
hearts same, story to they<br />
But<br />
and the<br />
these<br />
love want whole Jesus<br />
seventy<br />
to world. tell with<br />
go<br />
the all<br />
just<br />
sweet their<br />
the as today's week and He do and did for lesson. see through Jesus, how Let much these us all we seventy try can this say in