The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-04

lives. Back to the home 10 slogan
that will be heard increasingly.
When Truth Crowds Uncomfor fnbsy.I
A wee laddie known to me used to
try to divert parental admonitions by
saying Let's talk about the yellow
cow When truth crowds home, |
change the subject Of conversation. !
One of the shrewd old Pharisees who !
reclined at dinner with Jesus. nndinS |
the table talk rather too warm Tor
comfort, piously remarked. se1zang upon
a phase Of Jesus, Blessed Is he that !
shall eat bread in the kingdom OF
Cod He tried to use religion as
derailing switch; just as the church
members whose business has crooked
ramiflcations, cry, stick to the simple
gospel" when they find themselves
sQuirming under the preachers appl1-
cation of truth.
This unctuous pharisaism only stirr-
ed Jesus to sterner reproof. The self
complacent religious snobbery of the
leading Jews, which made them. sure
that they were the elect, aroused his
Indignation. The same sort Of SNUG
assurance is found today at old Tfberias
where two sects of rabbits have theo-
logical schools, on the traditional as
sumption that when the Messiah ap-
pears he ill rise out of the Lake OF
Galilee, choose his lieutenants from
the Liberals theologians. and then pro-
to set up his throne. Just as he could
be very tender toward sinners, SO Jesus
could be very stern toward those who
called themselves saints. Cried Frederic
Lawrence Knowles:
Gentle as she who nursed thee at
her breast,
(Yet what a lash of lightnings once
they tongue,
To scourge the hypocrite and Phari-
seeD
Nerve thou mine arm, o meek. o
mighty One
Countering full and fairly against
the pious snobbery Of the Pharisee,
Jesus told a story to illustrate that
| the first chosen might be the finally
left. This parable of the great sup
| per looks two ways: it is a rebuke to
! the Pharisees and an invitation TO
| the multitude. In passing, the old
observation may be repeated that the
! Master here once more presents the
kingdom invitation in the guise OF q
feast God has spread his finest re-
past in the gospel OF His Son.
The Free for All Feast
All things were made ready by the
host: the feast was spread. That was
the hosts part. His chosen failed in
theirs; they did not come when called.
| The invitation was flouted. Shall a
man spurn God? That is what is be-
! ing done every day. The Great Invf-
tation is rejected, with excuses as
transparency false as those offered In
| the lesson today.
| One man had bought a field, and
must go look at it as if men examined
| land after purchase. instead Of before!
Another pleaded that he must try out
| q new yoke Of Oxen-Which, OF course.
| should have been tested before pur-
. chase. The third had married a wife;
and so, as a settled member OF the
! community, should accept his social
| responsibilities.
| An anecdote relates that one Arab
sent another to borrow a rope. The
answer came back, II need it to tie up
a bale of water"
But water is not tied with rope,
was the response.
Allah permits one to do wonderful
things with a rope when he does not
want to lend It." said the owner: OF
this nature were the excuses OF the
guests first invited.
Then the master of the house be-
ing angry said to his servant. Go out
quickly into the streets and lanes OF
the city, and bring in hither the poor
and MANNED and blind and lame
Some persons think God is a molly
coddle. and cannot grow indignant
Scripture teaches otherwise. The no
! ton that God is a sort of vast. gelatin
GUS Geniality, whom mortal onences
cannot disturb, is as pernicious as II
is false The anger Of the Almighty
is predicted for those who reject the
Great Invitation.
So the invitation was sent running
. through the lanes and streets of the
city, where 1t reached the poor and
, MANNED and blind, and then even out
into the highways and hedges. where
> the very riff-raff were to be found. o.
: course, the picture sets forth the Cos
,. pei call to the heather, and to the ut
.. termost limits of humanity. Al
: through the ages the parable
prophecy has been in course of full
filment. The Gentiles Of old, and thu
. outcastes Of India today, are showing
. the greatest zeal to accept that invita-
z ton, which the proud and self-right
3 eous refused. The gateway to the feas
> is inscribed, 'Whosoever WILL"