The Washington herald., 1914-08-22
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THE WEDDING FEAST.
August 22, 1914.
b. c. CAMPBELL MORGAN. D. D.
The Creates Living Evangelist.
LESsoN-Matthe~ Exhi-M
GOLDEN TET-Luks xiiisa

LEssoN-Matthe~ rriia-lG
GOLDEN TExT-Lnks xii=H.
20 JersaIza. Jerusalem, which hnsth the proph-
often would have Eathsred Thy childrsn togethsr.
even as = hen EathsTsth her o~n hrOod under hS
WtngS. and ye would not
% And Jesus answered and spake again
IN parallels unto them, saying:
| CD The kingdom OF heaven Is likeued
unto q certain king. which made a mar
rage feast for his son.
90 And sent forth his servants to call
them that were hidden to the marriage
feast; and they would not come.
20 Again he sent forth other servants,
| saying, Tell them that are hidden. Be-
hold. have made ready my dinner; my
oxen and my fatlings are killed. and all
things are ready; come to the marriage
feast
90 But they made light Of IT, and went
their ways, one to his own farm. another
TO his merchandise.
60 And the rest laid hold on his serv-
ants, and entreated them shamefully,
and killed them.
% But the king was wroth: and he
sent his armies, and destroyed those
murderers, and burned their city.
CO Then saith he to his servants. The
wedding u ready out Iney IhaI were plo-
den were not worthy.
80 Go ye therefore unto the partinEs
Of the highways. and as many as ys
shall ind. bid to the marriage feast.
90 And those servants went out into
the highways, and gathered together all
as many as they found. both bad and
good; and the wedding was filed with
guests.
uD But when the king came in to be-
hold the guests, he saw there a man
which had not on q a wedding garment
90 And he saith unto him. Friend.
how earnest thou in hither not having q
wedding garment? And he was speech
less.
QQ Then the king said to the servants.
Bind him hand and foot, and cast him
out into the outer darkness; there shall
be the weeping and crashing Of teeth.
90 For many are called, but few
chosen.
The Narrative.
Following upon the parallels to which
our previous lesson referred. and with
one Of which II dealt the Pharisees, per-
ceiving that He spake Of them. sought |
TO arrest Him, but were restrained by |
their fear Of the multitudes He had not |
yet completed His dealing with them. and |
until He had done so. they were power
less.
In our present lesson we have another
parable which He spoke to them. In |
this the figure IL changed from the vine
yard to q feast, and so the thoughts are |
conferred not upon the responsibility of |
toll, but upon the privilege of restivity. |
In the first Of these parallels the subject
had been their responsibility TO God: in |
the second their responsibility to God as
finally falling in their attitude toward |
~ T.,
with their responsibility to the messen- 1
gers sent to them, particularly as they |
delivered the message Of privilege. |
The prophetic note in this parable can
not be ignored; indeed, II Is its supreme |
value. Under the figure Of a marriage
feast which king prepared for his son.
our Lord spoke of three Invitations The
first was refused by those to whom II was
sent The second was also refused, some
treating 1t with indifference. and others
with hostility. The result OF this refusal
was the destruction of the city. The third
invitation was sent to those beyond the
boundaries Of this citizenship, from whom
guests were gathered TO the feast.
The first invitation was that which had
already been given to these men by His
own ministry and that Of His disciples.
The second was that which would be
given from the period OF His rejection to
y ~
The third was that which would follow,
and in which those outside the borders
OF Hebrew national life would be called
to the privileges OF the kingdom Of God.
With regard to this last period. a final
note Of the parable revealed the fact that
those accepting the invitation to the
feast would be good and bad, but that
their acceptance would not be final as
surance OF position, for the man who
lacked k.I
excluded.
The Teaching.
The teaching Of this parable specially
emphasizes the privileges which are Of
fered by the kingdom of God. The whole
purpose Of God for men is hEurativeIy
set forth under this figure Of feast. The
full realization Of the Kingdom is that
OF Joy and gladness and perfect satisfac-
ton. At an earlier point in His ministry |
as we have seen in a previous lesson this
year. one man recognized this fact as he
listened to the Masters rebuke Of hosts
and guests, and exclaimed, blessed is
he that shall eat bread in the kingdom Of
God" In answer to him Jesus had ut
tered the parable of the great supper,
which Is so closely akin to this In that
as In this. the principal teaching had to
DO with the attitude Of men to the in
vitation; but the conception must not be
lost sight of. AS we have said, It is that
OF the. high privilege Of being in the
kingdom, which lie a kingdom Of right
eousness, and therefore OF peace and of
Joy.
The teaching OF the lesson further en-
phasizes the nature OF the answer OF menl
to this offer OF privilege. It Is first that
of refusal. the refusal OF men who are
blind to the glory and beauty Of what
Ii offered to them. This refusal is not ac-
cepted as final, and other servants are
sent who describe more particularly the
benefits which are offered. Men, still
blind. make light Of the invitation and
turn to their own interests, finding sat-
isfaction in them, while others answer
the bounty OF the king by shamefuIlyl
treating his messengers, and killing them.
Such treatment is visited by swift judg-
ment. The murderers are destroyed, and
the city is burned.
Yet once again the invitation goes
forth, and this time those who are gath
cred constitute a mixed company Of such
as have come from unworthy and worthy
motives
All this. falling from the lips Of Christ,
Is surely an almost appalling revelation
Of His view OF human nature
His final words. Many are called. butt
few chosen" bring us back to the fact
that the special emphasis of all His
teaching at this time must be laid upon
the subject of service and responsibility.
Although in this final narapraph Ha had