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JESUS CHANGES THINGS
OBJECTS: A Large Prepared Card, a Collection of
Colored Envelopes
To illustrate this lesson secure a piece of cardboard about ten inches square, and place on it in straight rows a number of smaller pieces of cardboard about one inch square. First, place a row of white squares. This represents the white race. The next row make yellow to represent the Chinese race. Next, a row all brown to represent the people of India. Next, a row all red to represent the Indians. The last row, black, representing the African people.
On the other side make the same number of rows, but put them all in gold.
Hold up first the side containing the colored cards, and tell the following story.
A weary missionary fell asleep and had a dream. A messenger had arrived announcing the Master was coming, and to her was given the task of getting all the children ready to receive him. So she arranged them on benches in tiers, putting the little white children first, and nearest to where the Master would stand. Then the little yellow, red, and brown children far back, and on the last row of seats sat the little black children, As you thus describe the mission hall hold up the card and say, "Here is the order in which the children were seated to meet the Master." When she had completed the arrangements she looked at it, and it did not seem quite right. Why should the black children be so far away? Perhaps they ought to be on the front benches. She started to arrange them over again, giving the black children the front place, but when all was in a state of confusion footsteps were heard. It was the Master's tread. He was coming before the children were ready, and she was greatly troubled to think the task entrusted to her had not been accomplished in time. The footsteps drew near, and she was obliged to look up, and lo, as her eyes rested upon the children all shades of color had disappeared and differences vanished! The little children in the Master's presence were all alike. Here reverse the card showing the little cards all in gold. They were all precious in his sight, more precious than gold, for he loves them all alike, all the little children of the world.
To teach the same lesson as to the value of all souls, begin just the same.
Secure a white envelope and put in a silver dollar. Then ask how much is a silver dollar worth in a white envelope, and the reply would be one hundred cents. Take the same dollar and put it into a red envelope, which stands for the Indian race, and the reply would be just the same. Now place it in the yellow envelope, standing for the Chinese race, and still the answer would be the same. Likewise the same reply would greet placing it in the brown envelope. At last put it in a black envelope, asking its value, and the answer of course would be that its worth had not changed. The dollar represents the soul, the colored envelopes the races. The souls of the white, red, brown, yellow, and black are worth just the same to God. Jesus died for all mankind, and his blood was shed to save all the races of the earth, for he loves the nations of the earth. He died to save all souls. They all look alike to him, for Jesus changes things.