The Raymer enterprise., 1910-09-01
HE KINGS
lRIAGE FEAST
Sunday
tLssI L.s,es for Se,t. II, 1910
lily Arranged for This Paper

but few are chosen. Matthew 22:4
TIME TUESDAY. April 4. A. D. %. Three
Jays before the Cruciiixion.
PLAcE.-The Temple court at Jeru-
salem.
Suggestion, and Practical Thought.
The Kingdom of Heaven Like a
Wedding Feast.-vs. l, 2. And Jesus
answered the unspoken needs, desires.
and questions of the people. BY para.
bles, the most picturesque method.
compelling attention. but not antagon.
lstic. The enemy could not easily at.
tack 1t. while to those who wished
to know 1t was full of light.
The kingdom Of heaven. the new
order which he came to establish on
sarth, in which each citizen lived ac,
cprding to the laws OF heaven. The
king represented God. The son was
Jesus Christ.
Tkis feast represents all the bless.
lngs which God has provided in his
gospel. eQjoyed in large measure here.
and perfected in heaven. TIE em.
phasis Is cn- >,Ae marriage, the union
between Christ and his bso5sa. 1t is
the highest ideal Of love and 5kriend.
chip. 1t expresses intimate Fellowship
with God. the mutual love and delight
In one another, the protecting care on
the one hand and perfect trust on the
other. the unity Of purpose. OF char.
acter, OF hope. the abiding forever In
one perfect home. all OF which belong
to the union of Christ with believers.
The lnvitation.-Vs. 3. 4. And sent
forth his servants to call them that
were hidden. Literally. TO call the
called" to summon those who had pre-.
vously been invited: because they
had no timepieces. and the hour when
the feast could be ready was very un.
certain. This custom is not now OBJ.
served very strictly among the com.
mon people, nor In cities where west.
ern manners have greatly modified the
Oriental; but in Lebanon It still pre-.
walls. II a sheik begs. or emeer in.
vltes, he always sends a servant to
call you at the proper time. These
having refused to come. he sent forth
other servants. who we're mot merely
to invite to. but to command the feast,
with view to create a desire" Be
hold, have prepared my dinner: my
oxen and my fatlings. l. e.. smaller
animals, as lambs. calves, specially
fed for the occasion. All things are
ready: come.
How the Invitation Was Received
VS.. 3-6. They refused without giving
any reason, they would not come. They
simply did not regard the invitation
as worth attending to. They treated
It with Indifference. They plead other
interests. Their farm duties. their
business gains. weighed more than
their kings service and good will
Others displayed active opposition.
The king was wroth. Any
ordinary earthly king would be angry
Mt the insult, and indignant at the fol-
ly OF those that refused. and would
feel the necessity Of furnishing those
who openly rebelled In the act OF re-
fusing There was no other way Of
preserving his kingdom. Gods "an.
ger" Is never passion. never desire to
harm even the worst OF beings, but
burning indignation against wrong
Go yet therefore into the highways.
Or "the partings Of the highways"
the crossroads, the places where
great numbers meet. the broad, well.
trodden ways Of the. world
Gather together all both
bad and good. whoever was willing 10
come and by that very act showed
that they wanted to be good.
The fullness OF the time had come
The preparations were complete.
Everything was prepared for the re.
demption OF man-heaven. love. the
atonement, the strongest motives, the
power of the Holy Spirit. The world
was in the best condition for the com.
Ing of Christ Never before or since
has there been so fitting time-one
government. one language, peace,
roads. synagogues OF the Jews every,
where, The Staying OF the animals Is
an allusIon to sacrifice. Only when
the Lamb was slain on Calvary were
all things ready for the marriage. The
long preparations for the Gospel were
completed; the forerunner had done
his work; Jesus himself had come
from Heaven. and had taught the
Jews the divine message.
The leading Jews had very much at
stake-their country. their holy city,
their temple. their synagogues, their
rank md wealth. their leadership OF
the people, They were so busy with
these. they were so afraid they would
lose them II they accepted the humble
Nazarene as their teacher, and obeyed
his precepts. that they were unwill
ing even to consider his claims.
The kingdom OF God was trans
ferred from the Jewish nation to the
Gentiles The Jews henceforth. instead
Of being the people and kingdom OF
God. would be mere Semitic nation
ality. Many Of them then and since
belong to the Kingdom OF the Messiah
The Messlanic kingdom is today the
mightiest power on earth.
There has never been a king or
earth with 1.-THE OF the power and