THE CHILDREN'S PLAY-TIME

The Creator has evidently given to the young ones of some of His creatures the desire to show their happiness by being playful. It is a common sight in Springtime to see the lambs and calves capering about. Even the skipping of rams, older members of the flock, is referred to in Scripture. Some sea-creatures also, such as dolphins, are said by deep-sea sailors to follow the ships playfully for long periods. I have even seen a killer whale in captivity sporting with apparent enjoyment in the water although it must be said that he had the prospect of a treat to look forward to at the end of the time!

One of the Prophets spoke of the time when God will give such prolonged peace and rest in Jerusalem that the boys and girls will be playing without danger in the streets of the city. Alongside them will be their grandfathers and grandmothers and even their great grandparents sitting staff in hand because they are so old. Probably the children will play the same kind of imitation games that the older folk played in their youth. Whether 'weddings and funerals' will be one of the games we cannot say, since funerals will not be common during the thousand years of the reign of the Lord Jesus.

This game was, however, played in the market-places in the days when Jesus was here on the earth. Little did the children at that time realise who it was that was watching them and noticing that sometimes they did not play fairly. When the pipes were sounded merrily they should have danced and when the music was mournful they should have cried and looked sad. But they did not always keep the rules but did the opposite instead, and the Teacher gave a lesson from what He observed with the children. The grown-ups too were not always answering as they should to God's call to them. John the baptist had come and some religious persons thought him so severe that he must be a wicked man. But really he was the forerunner of Jesus, calling upon persons to repent. When the Saviour Himself came they refused Him and complained because He was a friend of sinners. But the sinners did not complain or refuse Him; they loved Him. Do you?

J.C.Evershed