The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-03
[MEz [Mz MEzTGbROKEXN NlEABERSNACLE
THE FAITHFUL ARE WATCHFUL
 Luke 2:35-4S--March s
ON ~

Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find
 watching " 37.
 Todays lesson opens with parable. I If, in a great house, the master were about to bring home his bride. the ser wants would on that particular night be especially active, wakeful. They
 would not know exactly the time of their masters coming. but would be
 continually alert to hear his knock and open instantly. So Jesus followers
 should be on the alert for His second ! coming
 1 The thought is that the followers of Jesus should take their ideals of alert ness from the extremest experience of
 earthly service. Jesus intimated that
 they might be looking for Him sooner than He would come, saying that if He l shall come in the second watch or in
 the third watch or whenever. blessed
 are those servants found ready to re-
 ceive Him. He will gird Himself. make
 Himself their servant, and cause them to sit down to a sumptuous feast. This, Bible students understand to signify that at Jesus Parousia, His second presence, He will first make
 Himself known to His faithful follow CTS, while the world in general will be ignorant of the fact that He has come. His manifestation to the world will ] come later; as we read: He shall be revealed in flaming fire'-judgments Our Lords Parousia is described In today's lesson-His earliest manifesto tions of His second advent. The world will see Him not, and know not of His presence: and His church will know of I h,,I n1rfs t17.. fulflment of prophecy. It will then be for the watchful ones to recognize this fulfilment. and promptly to acknowl- edge the Masters presence.
 For such as receive Him He will
 make feast. Out of the divine word
 He will bring things new and old, for their refreshment and comfort The Bible will become to them a new book;
 they will feast upon the riches of Gods
 grace, and the dark things will become
 clear The Master Himself will be the
 servant the setterforth of these viands
 of truth Many Bible students believe
 that we are living in this very time;
 and that each faithful follower of Jesus
 will be granted the privilege to par
 ticipate In this feast, which many tell
 us they are no wenjoying.
 The great Teacher then intmates
 that Satan is master of the present or
 der of things on earth; and that at His
 second coming Jesus will bind this
 strong man, overturn present institu-
 tions an destablish the long-promised
 reign of righteousness. This thorough
 transition from the reign of sin and
 death to the reign of righteonuness and life will cause the great time of trou-
 ble mentioned throughout the Bible as
 closing this gospel age.-Daniel 12:1;
 Mark 13:s; Matthew 24:21.
 Jesus speaks of His second coming
 l. Lt-H tIx f.. tl.rA
 will be present for time, unobserved
 by the world, known only to the bride
 class whom He will remove-changing
 them from earthly nature to heavenly.
 Verse 40 instructs all the Lords faith
 ful to be ready for His presence. to
 render up at any hour their accounts and experience their change
 "TO Give Them Their Portion" St. Peter was perplexed. Was this par able especially for the Apostles or for all the people? But the Lord did not answer him directly. He merely assured St. Peter that at the appropriate time the Lord would appoint steward over His house. hold, to give them food in due season. This Is not very different from the Lord s usual method of dealing with His family. For instance, St. Peter apparently was | a leader amongst the Apostles, In open | ing the Pentecostal door, and later in opening the door to the Gentiles-preach- | ing to Cornelius, the first Gentle convert. Later on, the Lord seems to have chosen St. Paul to be His particular messenger | to the Gentiles, as we read. He Is a
 chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name
 unto the Gentiles.'' (Acts 9:15.) Similarly Enoch, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, l and others during this gospel age, have seemed to be especially used of the Lord | to draw the attention of His people to | His word. In the Apostles case, there was of course a special inspiration which | does not appertain to others of this age since.
 When the Lord has thus appointed spe- l cial servants to give His household meat 1 in due Season at various times, 1t Is re- | quired that each partaker prove all things ] by the written word of God. which the l Apostle Paul declared Is sufficient that
 the man of God may be thoroughly fur
 nished. Any servant not found faithful, 1t is intimated would be supplanted by another.
 The servant at the end of the age. the time of the Masters coming. if found 1 faithful, would be especially blessed, and given general charge respecting the | spiritual food for the Lords family,
 meat in due season." But if he should prove unfaithful. fail to recognize the l Masters presence, and manifest an un-
 kind spirit toward the household. min
 istering to his own earthly wants rather than to the spiritual needs of Goods family. he would go into outer darkness
 with the world in utter ignorance of the times and seasons etc., of his Lord. ] The displacement of the one servant I would mean the recognition of another to supply the household of faith.
 | The Lord then explained a general prin-