Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-01-25
SATURDAY. might
SERM0bSSHa49
BY. .::<N.ll .l.NS
PEySAMUELW. PURv1S.D.D.
TRAGEDY or THE UNPREPARED

The Pharisces leave the temple
They've listened 20 the young reyolu
ZIONIST from Galilee The evidence Il
Indisputable. They will soon have him
They rub their hands delightedly az
they go down the steps There's mer
CHESS look In their eyes Somehow one
seems 10 hear the bsying ~ blood
hounds near. But the Nazarene is moi
long alone Crowds are coming and
going. The needs OF his audience grir
him. He grips them with a parable
II Is only three days before the agony
Of the cross Yet he likcns the king
dom OF heaven 10 merry wedding
feast,
Some folks are born ascetics. This
parable would have wrong setting 10
them. Like John the Baptist. they
would clothe themselves in skins and
banquet ON locusts and wild honey.
Like John they believe In fasting
Jesus came feastinE- and they secretly
dIsapprove Christ makes the symbol
Of eternal things be- found In the ban
quet hall.
ACT ne 0otoCt tUNtkdttOUs
The parable Is drama in three acts.
Great wedding az the kings palace.
There's flashing Of lights, fragrance
OF flowers. crashing of music. And the
viands. oh. for appetite Ike wood
chopper. Invitations have been out
many days There must be no pre-
vious engagement when king in
vites Princes are not married every
day Now It's the hour No clocks IN
that easy going land. Sunrise. sun
high, sunset-that's close enough reck
oning The servants go ont 10 call
them that were hidden. Happy
guests. But the servants are rebuffed
what. Jared? Not coming. Must 20
to your farm" And you. Bozeth. de
cline that you must look after mer
chandise.' And such hooking. jeer
ing, ribald laughter from others
shane good friends. The king looks
puzzled There's mistake. surely.
Alas. poor subjects. they have igno-
rantly. thoughtlessly. erred; that's all.
lie will send other servants. But they
return beaten and tell Of murdered
comrades. There Is quick and Just
reprtsal The curtain falls Forty
years later Titus Is stcrming the walls
OF Jerusalem Tho ground around the
city Is planted thick with crosses. One
million Ave hundred thousand are put
to death The king Is God. The SON
In Christ. The relation Of God 10 his
people is often under figure Of mar
rage. The Jews were first hidden un
der Old Testament dispcnsation- Then
in Christs time the bidding servants
were John the Baptist. the twelve. the
seventy, Stephen and others.
Act 1.-THE General invitation.
How ungrateful are the few! The
privileged class always do the least.
But II the four hundred are unworthy
the king will not lack from among his
subjects. out in the highway stand
the hitherto unbidden. II is motley
multitude that troop into the palace
and take their places nj the table. But
how appreeiative they are. And when
they have put on the wedding garment
court II Is a happy scene. How glori-
Gus Christ's invitation. First Jews.
then gentiles. "Ho every one that
thirsts.'' Come We jewellers In Sums.
yc pale faced convicts. ostracized OF
society. scarlet girl Of the midnight
street. timid down and ont straggler
10 red light mission. Come-'Who'
soever viii may come" Put on the
wedding garment Put ye on the
Lord Jesus" come. Fine parable
The curtain falls on a festal hall
crowded with guests from the north,
south, east aud west.
Act iil-The Tragedy Of the Umpire.
pared.
Again the curtain rises. The place
il the same The music. the flowers
the bright wedding garments. make n
beautiful scene. Too bad yon fellow
insists he will do as he pleases AZ the
kings table. He has pushed pnst the
attendants with words Of disrespeci
and Insult How impudent how
staggering he Is. Hear his hilarious.
derislve mockery OF acquaintance for
their careful preparation. But, hook
The king comes. Down through the
hall he goes amid rapurous applause
smiling and speaking with his guests
Our scofiing friend turns pale. The
king IL coming his way. Friend, how
earnest thou In hithcr not having a
wedding garment" He Is speechless.
His bravado's gone. Now infideliU IS
loud voiced; some day II Will he speech
less. He need not be silent Can he
not plead his poverty; He was picked
np 10y the roadside How could he pre-
pare? All. but the contents OF the royal
roblng room were his No. he thought
himself good enough Self righteous.
That Is one OF the sins OF today As
the apple is 10 the tree so is Christ's
comment on the parable. MANY called
- Naf all fha fSraalffag