AFTER His Transfiguration, our Lord Jesus often told His apostles that He was going to be taken by the chief priests at Jerusalem, and that He should be ill-used, and beaten, and spit upon, and put to death on a cross; and that the third day He should rise again. But they never could understand how this would be, for they had never heard of rising from the dead; and they were so sure that He was Christ, and that Christ would be a great King, that they never understood or believed that He was to die. [Illustration: THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS THE BEGGAR.--Luke 16:19-21.] And sometimes they even disputed among themselves who would be first and greatest in His kingdom. When they did this our Lord called a little child, and took him, and set him in the midst, and said that the greatest in His kingdom would be the most like that little child; for only those who are ready to be last here can be high up there. [Illustration: "SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME."--Mark 10:14.] The Lord loved little children. Once, when the mothers were bringing their babies for Him to touch, the disciples wanted to keep them away; but He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And then He took the little ones up in His arms, and put His hands on them, and blessed them. And just so He embraces and blesses the little children we bring to Him in church, though we cannot see Him now; and He is always glad to hear them pray. QUESTIONS. 1. What was the Transfiguration? 2. What did our Lord say would happen to them? 3. Why would not the disciples believe it? 4. What did they dispute about? 5. Whom did our Lord call? 6. What did He tell them? 7. What is the way to be high in the kingdom of heaven? 8. Who were brought to Him? [Illustration: THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.--Luke 18:11-13.] [Illustration: THE RAISING OF LAZARUS.--John 11:43, 44.] Forty-sixth Sunday. _GOING UP TO JERUSALEM._ FIRST READING. "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."--_Matt. 20:30._ [Illustration] FOR three years our blessed Lord went about doing good and teaching, generally in Galilee, in the towns or on the hills, where the people came out to hear Him; and at the feasts, when people ought to worship at Jerusalem, He used to go up and speak to them in the outer court of the Temple. But there was a wicked high priest named Caiaphas, who had been set up by the Romans, and he and the Pharisees and Sadducees all hated JESUS, because He found fault with their evil ways, and they would not believe He was the Christ, but wanted to put Him to death. So whenever He came to Jerusalem it was more dangerous; and then they stirred up the chief men of Galilee, so that He could not be in the town, but had to wander on the hills. Once, when a man wanted to follow Him, He said, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."