The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-04-03


GOLDEN TEXT-"Everyone that exalt-
eth himself shall be humbled; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted" Luke
A11.
This lesson is connected directly
with that Of two weeks ago, the
events occurring in the house of the
"chief Pharisee," 14:1.
|. An Honorable Promotion, w. ~.
spirit of humility here empha.
sized by Jesus is not that of com.
mending the man who piously, osten-
tatiously, takes the low seat, and then
is angry if he is not promoted; the
man who says mo" and is angry if he
is taken at his word. These words
are not only to be applied literally but
have wide scope and embrace all
the followers of Christ in every walk
Of life. The sincere evidence of this
spirit is proof of the nearness of the
disciple to the life of his Lord; see
Phil. 2:3, 6, 7 and Matt 1874. Men
scramble for position and power to
be obtained at the hands of other
men. Jesus, the keen observer, saw
men striving in this house, and criti-
cizes such conduct Lest haply,"
twice repeated, gives us the clew to
this section. Guests are not to seek
the higher seats, "lest haply' more
worthy ones should appear who ought
to occupy them.
Real Hospitality.
II. A Holy Recompense, w. 1914.
The man who makes a feast invites
those who can return his favor or else
thereby pays his obligations to SO.
ciety. Not so the members Of the
kingdom Matt. 6:1-6, 1919. RE
compense" is here the key. Those
who are needy cannot make any ma
terial recompense and the one who
gives the feast does not need any
other recompense than that of the
gratitude of those served and the ap'
prevail. well DONE" from the king
This does not forbid the interchange
of hospitality and courtesies but does
warn US lest in our elaborate feasts
we overlook the poor, but worthy
ones. In the kingdom, hospitality con-
sists of a desire to give rather than
to get.
III. A Heavenly Invitation, wv. IS.
24.-One of the guests seems to have
been impressed with the words OF
Jesus and exclaimed, BLESSED is he
that shall eat bread in the kingdom Of
I Cod He seemed to realize that the
conduct Jesus was speaking OF was
to be found only there. In answer our
Lord gave us this parable of the great
supper in which he describes an at.
mosphere like that created by his host
and the guests there present By this
parable he replies to this man, con-
trasting the admixing Of an ideal and
being willing to be governed by that
ideal. (a) Those who refused. This
was great supper" time Of great
Joy and many were invited, see Gal,
IA, s; Matt. 80; Mark TIA, Is. All
men had to do was to come" lisa.
55:1; Matt. 1928; John 1887; Rev.
22:17. There were three who made
excuses, yet all three refused the in
vitation. The first ". 49, was the
man whose property stood in his way
(1I Tim. 4:10; Tim. 6:9). The Sec
ond allowed dumb OK, that might
have received attention later, to take
precedence over the glad feast. Do
nestle demands and goddess homo ties
are used frequently by the evil one to
keep men out of the kingdom. The
third excuse ". 20) was still less jus
tifiable, for this man should have
brought his wife with him. 1t was her
place as much as his to accept the
invitation. However, to spurn Gods
invitation does not mean that there
shall be any lack Of guests, see John
Ill and Matt. 1881. (2) Those who
accepted this invitation wv. 21-24)
Thus to be spurned made the master
of the house angry" ". 81.
Gods Method.
This is Gods method Of filling
| empty churches. If we wear out con
secrated shoe-leather during the week
men will not forget us on the Sab
bath, and guests will always be found
for Gods table. "Compulsion" ". 80
indicates intense, earnest effort in
bringing men to Christ I'll Cor. 500;
Col. 1928; II Tim. 4:2). Men should
be reluctant only through a sense Of
their unworthiness, which is in reality
their greatest possible fitness.
Here again the question of host ant
guest is thrust upon US. In society
we ask our friends and rich neighbors
lest haply they bid us in turn. or re
pay by making some other recon-
pense. Our hospitality is a guild prt
| quo business. Thus there Is set be
fore us the blindness of human hearts
1 in the excuses they make In answer
to Gods invitation.
In the matter Of entering the king
dom of God it is the man who humble:
himself that Is exalted within. Mel
must stoop to reach the heights, w
undergo In order to overcome. In thu
matter Of our behavior, guests mus
humble themselves to the needs Of tn,
lowest. IL they are to he exalted Il