The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-10-11

verses 10 oC studied suggest the fol.
lowing outline:
inNitation To the Great Supper. ls II
LNcu5gs 81 ThJsc Invited ,...........vs. lS-2C
The Wider Invitation. n................ys p "a
Piety aud Can't Jesus paruble Of
the great pupper was brought out by
the remarks Of one of those who sat
at the table with Him. The man who
mace this remark was probably O
pharisee. The pharisees us we know
then mace great OstentatiOn of Their
prayers on the street corners and their
hearts They were known by the
prayers on the street corner and thei1
plous phrases. Their religion was one
OF cant not of pIety. We have an ex,
ample before MS. A pharisee to whom
the practical teachings Of Jesus were
becoming distasteful sought to change
the subject, and we have the remark
while absolutely true, yet, under the
circumstances and coming from tn,
source it did, teemed with pious cant
He said: Blessed Is he that shall eat
bread in the kingdom of God" Tc
"eat bread in the kingdom of God
meant being member of that king,
dom. To the pharisees keeping the
ceremonials Of the law and traditions
meant entrance into the kingdom. II
is to this thought that Jesus replies.
Invitations to the Great Supper.-A
certain man made great supper and
sent invitations to those in the Gloss
circle OF his friends. The application
is plain when we remember that the
Jews were the chosen people of God
Oriental suppers were not served with
the regularity to which we are used In
this day in the western world. When
the supper was ready II servant would
be sent around with second sum
mons. When the second summons came
the invited guests began TO make ex
cuses.
Excuses of Those Invited-The Va.
rious excuses made are expressed in
oriental terms, which, translated to fl,
in with our modern life and thought
cover all the field of excuses we can
make for not accepting the invitation
of Jesus. The first was care of prop.
erty; the second. interference with
business; the third, pleasures and home
ties. How accurately all this fits in
with our course of life. The invitation
to the better life comes to us. We can
live it here and now, but in a fuller
sense hereafter. The day and hour OF
the second summons (Which we cal
death) we cannot know. In the mean.
time We let property, business and
pleasure occupy our time 10 the exc,u.
sion Of all else. When the second sum.
mons comes we could not 90 if wa
would; these other things stand in the
way.
The Wider Invitations banquet
awaited the guests, and few if any had
come. a wider invitation was this
time issued. $50 out quickly into the
streets and lanes OF the city and bring
in hither the poor. and the manned
and the halt, and the blind" But still
there was room. go out into the high.
ways and hedges and compel them to
come In, that my house may he filled
OF course we know that parables are
not to be stretched and strained to put
a meaning into every phrase and word
SO here We may say that this parable
does not teach that any will gain ad.
mission to the Heavenly mansion with.
out due preparation. Jesus has taugh
otherwise in that para bic of a supper
where there came in one without a
proper garment and who was forth.
with elected. Jesus was talking to the
pharisees, elite among the chosen OF
God, 40 they themselves thought. Jesus
here teaches plainly that the chosen
ones may be rejected, and those they
looked upon as dogs, Samaritans and
Gentiles might after all become the ac.
cantnn