Rev. Edward J. Humphrey in the Southside Citizen Richmond, Virginia

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it"—Matthew 13:44–46.

The things that we believe in sincerely and want desperately we eagerly and gladly pay down the price to gain. Every man's hope and motive is to find life's blessings and to make them his own. ...

The parables of Jesus, like the two above, contain gems of truth about the meaning of goals of life, and about the greatest satisfactions and about the greatest satisfactions to be gained from life. They are down-to-earth stories which tug at the sleeves of our imaginations, embodying profound spiritual truths in thought-provoking and easily grasped word pictures.

Many of us do not take Jesus at his word when, again and again in his teachings, we find him insisting that he came into the world to open to men life's richest treasures and life's dearest pearls. When one first considers the demands of the Christian life and the sacrifices it involves, he is usually inclined to take Jesus somewhat his teachings he hears Jesus say that he came that we might have life abundantly, that his joy might be in us, and that our joy in life might be full. ...

So many of the things we seek in life disappoint us when they are one day realized either wholly or in part. Also, they fail to give us the feeling that we can depend upon them to see us through the more difficult experiences of life. And they are so easily lost, or so quickly lose their luster, or so speedily pass away. ...

Some come upon this discovery of life's real meaning suddenly, as the man in Jesus' parable discovered the treasure in the field almost by accident. Others find it as the result of long search, as the pearl merchant one day found the gem for which his heart had long yearned. Both had to be willing to pay the price involved in gaining the treasure. And so it is with us. The price varies with each individual, but for each one the price tag is that of putting his relation to God above all else in life.

And the price is paid gladly. Too many of us think of serving God and following Christ as a burden to be borne, a toll or a tribute exacted from us and only grudgingly paid by us. This is to miss the joy of the Christian life which Jesus constantly emphasized. That note of joy stands out conspicuously in these two little stories. Each man went running eagerly to gather together the money to pay gather together the money to pay the price of the treasure he had found, and came back and joyfully paid the price.

Rev. William Fingland, D. D. in the Niagara Falls Evening Review Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Our world today is a rapidly shrinking world, and more closely knit together whether we like it that way or not. We are coming to see that if we want any decent thing on earth, any lasting peace with security, the price we must pay is Brotherhood. .... Economic welfare cries out that one nation cannot hope to be strong and stable if other nations are trembling on the brink of bankruptcy. ...

Even in the area of religion we are not able to dodge the fact of Brotherhood. This was one of the things upon which the Master laid great insistence. "If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, ... first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" [Am. Stand. Ver.]. The parable of the Good Samaritan is based upon the principle of Brotherhood.

Indeed one of the things that makes our religion "Christian" is the large place it gives to the plea for Brotherhood. As people of the Christian way we are all tied together in the great bundle of Brotherhood. The more we come to understand our Lord the more we will be concerned for our brother.

Rev. R. C. Coleman as reported in the Daily Telegraph Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Men made a great mistake when they drew a line between the sacred and the secular, the Rev. R. C. Coleman said yesterday.

Mr. Coleman was preaching in the Wesley Chapel.

He said: "The inference is that God is more concerned about our worship than our work.

"The inference also is that He is more concerned about our conversion than our conversation and esteems a minister more highly than a manual worker.

"The falsity of this attitude is highlighted when we examine the teaching and example of Him who was the carpenter at Nazareth.

"When God wants something done in this world He frequently does it through unlikely people.

"Simon Peter, David Livingstone and Abraham Lincoln would have been regarded as unlikely material for initiating mighty movements.

"They were ordinary men taken from everyday circumstances.

"But with a man working in cooperation with God great things are possible."