Christian Age Leviticus 22:21 And whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep… One cold morning a little ragged, woeful-looking child came in at our back door, begging for food. "Please, ma'am, mend the children most starved. Only a bit o' bread." "Have you no father or mother, child?" asked I. "Yes'm," and a look of shame and despair mantled his hollow cheeks. "Don't they work and earn money?" "Yes'm, little; but they most allus spend it afore they gets home, at the 'Horn o' Plenty.' "Immediately my heart became adamant. The miserable, drunken brutes, thought I, I'll not feed their children. Then I remembered there is a very stale loaf of bread in the cupboard, scarcely fit for toast. I gave that to the child, very glad to dispose of it. He grabbed it eagerly, with a clutch that reminded one of the grasp of the drowning, when they would fain save themselves. Little Gracie, our six-year-old darling, had been a silent spectator; but after the boy departed, she came to me with deep inquiry depicted upon her spiritual countenance, saying, "Mamma, if Jesus Christ had come and said He was starving to death, would you have given Him that awful dry loaf of bread?" "Why, child," said I, "why do you ask such a question ?" "Why, when we give to the poor, ought we not to think that we are really giving to Jesus Himself? I thought He said so when here upon the earth." "Well, Gracie," said I, kissing her sweet, troubled face, "I think you are right, and I will remember your lesson next time. Yes, Gracie, we, whom the Lord hath blessed in our 'granary and our store,' would soon relieve suffering humanity if we gave our alms as if we really were giving to the 'Blessed Redeemer.' We are too prone to forget this truth." "The very best that we have in the house isn't too good for Him, is it, mamma?" asked she. "No, no, my precious child," replied I, clasping her to my heart and thinking, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength and wisdom." (Christian Age.) Parallel Verses KJV: And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. |
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