Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-02-03
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY s
THE MARRIAGE FEAST. (May Be
Used With Missionary AppIications).

-
LESSON TExT-Matt. 22:1-14.
GOLDEN TEXT-Go out into the high
ways and hedges, and compel them to
come in.--I1ulSe 1423
REFERENCE MATERIAI1-Isa. Sill;
Matt. 1885, Luxe 4:15-24; Rev. PLY
PRIMARY TOPIC-The Story of q Wed
ding Party
JUNIOR TOPIC-An Invitation to a
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Accepting and Extending the Great In
vitation
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Great Invitation
In the previous parable the respon-
sibilities Of the subjects Of the king
dom were before us for consideration
in the light Of the obligation to rem
deg to the householder the fruits Of
his vineyard. In this one the ethic
is changed, and the privileges and
blessings of the kingdom are placed
on exhibition. This parable lifts tie
conception of the Kingdom and places
it on a high plane. 1t is much more
than paying rent to a king it is feast
ing at the Kings table on fat things
which He has prepared with great ex-
pense to Himself
!. The Kings Feast Despised wv.
1-7).
The previous parable exhibits the
attitude of the Jewish people toward
the king up to the crucifxion of
Christ This one carries us beyond
the cross, even through the present
age of the Gentiles The marriage
feast which the king made for his son
and to which he invited guests repre-
sents the gracious offer of God to give
joy and blessing to certain of His
creatures. This feast has been made
in honor of his Son and is an exceed
ing rich one. His oxen and fatlings
are ready. His repeated invitations
show Gods earnestness in seeking
to bless men. God does more than
simply invite men once; He presses
His invitation again and again most
earnestly. How many times from our
childhood has He not pressed His in
vitation upon us! The attitude of
those invited, toward the invitation and
toward the king is passing strange
and exceeding sinful. To treat the
kings invitation with such contempt
after he had made such costly prepa-
ration deserves the severest punish
ment. They not only neglected it but
made light of 1t and hurried on to
their worldly business, showing that
they regarded it as of more impor-
lance than the salvation of their poor
lost souls. Some went forth and even
did violence to the messengers of the
king, killing them.
While this is a picture of the atti-
tude of the Jews from Christ's cruel
fixion to the destruction of Jerusalem,
it has its counterpart in the day in
which we live. Some today are indiff-
erent to Gods invitation; some are
making light Of Gods way of salvation,
and others are hostile to the mes
sengers of Christ. Their attitude and
behavior melted the anger of the king
and he executed vengeance upon them,
burning up their city. This was his
torically fulfilled in the destruction
of Jerusalem by the Romans in 20 A.
D., and is typical of what He will do
TO those that neglect or reject His in
vitation at the close of this dispersal
ton.
II. The ~King's Invitation Accepted
wv. 8-10).
When those who were first invited
refused, the king sent his servants
to others; for his table must be pro
vided the guests. He has prepared
this feast at an infinite cost, and
most urgently invites to the accept
ance of it. Though He urgently in
vites, He will not compel any one to
accept. Those that were shut out were
shut out because they refused to ac-
cept, not because the king was unwil-
ling. When this was done he sent
his servants among the Gentiles,
which is shown in His going into the
highways and hedges,
III. The King Inspecting the Guests
(vv. LILO.
AS he made this inspection the king
found one among the guests who had
not on a wedding garment-had not
conformed to the regulations of the
feast. The custom in the East was
for the king to furnish the guests with
a suitable garment. There could thus
be no excuse for not having one on.
Therefore, this act Of the man showed
that he only accepted the invitation
for selfish ends, not desiring to con-
form to the regulations of the king.
The wedding garment which the King
provided in this case is the righteous
ness of Christ which alone will en-
title one to the place at the Kings
marriage feast. This righteousness is
obtained by faith in the atoning blood
of Jesus Christ.