Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-04-09


COLLEEN TExT.lCome, for all things are
ROW ready.-Luke 14;17.
THE SEcrIoN.-Read Luke 14:1-SS The
incidents recorded in the chapter may be
used to illustrate the lesson text. as fol-
lows: V. I6 receives light from two other
references TO feasts, % the advice giveni
i'll vs. I'll. and % the persons invited In
VS. 1914: the excuses. vs.. ITO, are vain,
while the real reasons are found In the
cross, VS. 2S-S3; the new invitation, vs.
21-2S, is illustrated by the invitation in
vs. 1914: the exclusion, " "a. is illustrated
ty the comparison to bad salt In vs. 81. 30
Read. also. the similar parable In Matt
2S:1-14
Historically In December. A. d. q.
az January. A. D. 50.
PLAcE-In pharisee's house In Perea.
on the way to Jerusalem by the fords or
TIE Jordan near Jericho
LESSON NOTES.
THE GOSPEL FEAsT.-Es. Is, 16.-
Jesus WIGS present as \ guest at sup
per, or evening dinner, in a pharisee's
house. And when one of those who sat
at the supper heard of the blessing
Christ had just said belonged to the
ones who invited the poor and neg
lected to their feasts land moved by
the delightful feast ut which they were,
suggesting the nobler feast), said to
Jesus: blessed is he that shall eat
Eread in the kingdom of God" Per
kaps he felt assured that himself and
the other Jews were sure of that bless
irg. Then Jesus spoke the parable OF
the lesson To show this Jew that while
his thought was right. yet that he and
the others were unconsciously refusing
to join in that feast So He represents
God the Father, who prepares every
good for His children and invites them
to come and partake of His blessings,
as n man who made great supper.
1.-THE 1NvITATIoN.-Vs. 16, ia
preliminary invitation went out in or
der that the persons invited might have
time to arrange their affairs so as to
leave the time of the feast open, and to
make all necessary preparations Then
they could have no reasonable excuse
for not going to the feast. The pri-
mary application was to the Jews who
We're learned in the Scriptures. 1t in
cluded all Gentiles who had been
willing to learn from this special
nation whom God had been train
ing as the means of redeeming the
world. In our day the guests represent
those who have had special advantages
in Christian training. or who know Of
the blessings.
In the east it is still customary, not
only to give an invitation some time
beforehand, but to send announce
ments at the proper time to inform the
invited guests that all things are ready
For each of US all things are ready: the
atonement made, the mansion pre-
pared, the Father willing to receive,
the angels waiting to welcome, the
doors open, the Holy Spirit present,
duties awaiting. '4The servant" repre-
whole order or class OF Gods messen-
gers.
III.-THE INVITATION REJECTED
VS.. 1890 When the invitation had come
they had accepted 1t, but now the
servant was come they all began to
make excuse The Greek word is the
exact equivalent OF our Ito beg off,"
They gave 10 real reasons, but rem
0ered the most plausible excuses they
could find The first excuse was on
account of property. The man who
gave it lived, as do ell in that country,
in a village. He had bought farm and
must needs go and see it, not look It
over, but see to its cultivation. The
second excuse was that of business.
his man had bought five yoke of oxen
and he wanted to prove them. His
his plans so as TO have an excuse. The
third excuse was that of domestic
duties and enjoyments- He chad mar
ried wife, He could not take his
bride to a feast of men, nor did he wish
to leave her at home. But he knew all
this beforehand, and could easily have
arranged to be present, had he so de-
sired Note that ali were hindered by
!he wrong use Of right things There
was no real incompatibility between
the true enjoyment of farm, merchan-
disc or wife, and accepting the invita-
ton; nor is there any between disciple
ship and the fullest use and truest en-
joyment Of earthly good
IV.-THE WIDER INvIrATIoN.-v. e1-24.
When 1T was made known to the master
that none of those who had been in
vited would come he command his
servant to go out Into the streets and
lanes of the city, and bring in the poor,
and the MANNED. and the halt, and the
blind" In the east, rich In beggar,
opulent in misery. without poorhopses,
or hospitals. or other organized means
Of caring for and lessening misery, and
with laws and social organism multi