Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-04-01
The OntIinc DcyeIoped

! III. Concerning the Great Supper 10
t24.
The Outline Developed
Who were the guests? May we gath
er from v , that the Pharisee had in
vited select assembly, to the eXclu-
sion of the poor. MANNED, lame, blind,
etc? Possibly some of the influential
members of the 400 were present.
Jesus first observed and met the
needs Of the man who had the dropsy,
and then we see Him observing the
guests ."how they chose out the chief
trooms." Jesus, eye saw them; He saw
the place they chose, and He saw the
motive back OF the choice. He is still
concerned about mems choices, and
always knows the motive back of each
choice. Neither is there any crea-
ture that is not manifest i'm His sight:
| but all things are naked and opened
unto the eyes Of Him with whom we
have to do" (Heb. 4:13). How il must
grieve Him To see so many chose the
! toys Of this life rather than the things
that endure! Choose we this day whom
We will serve" And among his chill
dren there is too much of choosing
chief rooms. Remember that he is
observing. Another thing, Christ oh
served: do you observe? Do you OBJ
serve before you speak? And are your
eyes open to the things about you that
have lessons for you? His words "
SID are full of much needed and lit
| tie needed truth. Instead of seeking
and appropriating the place of honor,
we are to take the humble place. and
let Him who babe us say Ego up high
err If it please Him. For the highest
| ILLUSTRATION of this see Phil. 2:5-11.
The gist of His exhortation is given
in all Of our lesson. This was a hard
lesson for the disciples to learn, as
evidenced by their repeatedly ex-
pressed desires for self-exaltation, e.
e. Luke 1854; Mt. 1871 20:20,21. 1t
is the same today. Unsaved men ex-
ait their own good works and mar
tVel that God will not be satisfied with
such perfection. Listen to Paul: But
what things were gain To me. those
counted loss for Christ" And the
saints are too often found I'm conten-
ton about chief rooms Remember
For even the Son Of man came not
Ito be ministered unto, but TO minister
and TO give His life a ransom for
many" And cas- my Father hath
lsent me. even SO send ] you
Then He turned % the host, with
reference 20 the motive back Of his
Invitation. The Pharisee may have
prepared the feast for the purpose Of
being bidden again " 12), or as part
Of the conspiracy to catch Jesus in His
words, or 90 show Jesus how popular
he was with the aristocrats, or for all
of these reasons together just as
some today do. Jesus makes promi-
nent the thought OF recompense here.
He does not condemn feasts for fell
llowship, but lie does condemn feasts
for recompense. Did you invite your
friend TO dine in order to receive a re-
turn invitation? Did you invite the
widow and the fatherless also? Our
Lord said "calI the poor, the MANNED
the lame, the blind" There was only
one with whom He could have fellow
ship in that gathering-the man He
had healed. The others were occupied
with chief rooms and recompense. In
too many churches today the same
condition prevails-our Lord can have
fellowship with the few, who come to
exalt Him, with an eye single TO the
lrecompense of the reward (Heb. IL:
26), and the praise of God, while the
multitude come TO exalt SELF looking
for recompense on earth, and the
praise of men. MY brethren, these
things ought not so TO be" GAS. 3:10).
He sets before the Pharisee the two
kinds of guests, with the results in
each case. In the first case, a recon-
pense is made by man, and that ends
II. In the second case the host is
blessed, man cannot recompense, but
God does at the resurrection OF the
just. Nothing is said about blessing
or resurrection in the first case. Bles-
sed? Happiness within, blessing from
the guest, and blessing from God. The
blessing OF poor, manned, lame. blind
saint is worth more than the recon-
pense OF the goddess. These are val
ues. however, that appeal only to faith.
And there Is such a thing as doing
lot Of charity work SO as to get into
heaven, but this idea is just one Of
the deceiver's receptions. Charity
work never saved the gfver, and never
will. The blood OF Christ saves, and
after saved then the charity work be-
gins, for which you will be rewarded
Note that the Lord teaches rewards
for uvorko done. nofo ulcn the fiy,o ~