IT is only a simple incident we have given for Our Bible Portion this month. It may be considered very simple: but we are assured it is just such true faith as this child manifested that the Lord loves. This surely led Him to say, “thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matt. 11:2525At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Matthew 11:25)).
One Sunday afternoon a friend asked me to teach his children for an hour in his unavoidable absence from home.
There were three of them—a girl and two boys. Somehow we began to speak together upon the subject of Christ’s coming into the world and the effect it had upon people. I said it was pretty much the same now as then, and turning to the gospel of John I asked the eldest boy to read the verses we have quoted above. After he had read them, I held out three fingers of my left hand, and pointing to the first finger I said, “You will see,
“(1) This is the world that knew Him not, and did not want to know Him”: then pointing to the second finger I said,
“(2) This is His own people, the Jews, who knew all about it, and had the Word of God and the Temple and many teachers; but they received Him not, they had no heart for the Lord Jesus Christ”; and then pointing to the third finger I said,
“(3) This represents those meant by the words ‘as many as received Him.’ They were not much in the world’s estimation, but they received Him (Christ) into their hearts.”
The smallest boy held out his hand, and pointed to the third finger saying “I’M THERE! I’M THERE!” He instantly grasped the truth I had been endeavoring to teach, and it made me think how true it is that these things are hid from the wise and prudent, but revealed unto babes. God gets perfect praise and bold confession, even from a little child like this!
How many might grasp the first finger and own that they are with the world that would not have Him! How many would have to say I am with those who know all about Him, and who profess to be His own, but I have never received Christ as my personal Saviour, I have never confessed Him as my Lord and my God!
There are still those of whom God says, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power (or the right or the privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)).
God grant that each reader of this simple incident may be able to say, as did this little child, “I’m there! I’m there!”
J. S.