Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-02-01

&0AMAR4 4OR4C-The story OF We'd
eng Party
JUNIOR TOPICAL Invitation to a
Wedding
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Accepting and Extending the Great In
v1tation.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Great Invitation.
In the previous parable the respon.
Mbilities Of the subjects of the king
dom were before US for consideration
IN the light Of the obligation to rem
Ger to the householder the fruits Of
his vineyard. In this one the ethic
lie changed and the privileges and
blessings Of the kingdom are placed
On exhibition. This parable lifts the
conception of the kingdom and places
It on a high plane 1t is much more
than paying rent to king: 1t is feast
Ing at the Kings table on fat things
which He has prepared with great ex-
pense to Himself.
l. The Kings Feast Despised wv.
40.
The previous parable exhibits the
aAtitude Of the Jewish people toward
the king mp to the crucifixion Of
Christ. This one carries us beyond
Ihe cross, even through the present
age of the Gentiles. The marriage
feast which the king made for his sou
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 fatllngs
are ready. His repeated invitations
show Gods earnestness In seeking
10 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
lest 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 cruci-
fixion to the destruction Of Jerusalem,
n 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
gengers 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 70 A.
D., and Is typical Of what He will do
10 those that neglect or reject His in
vitation at the close of this dispense
ton.
q. The Kings invitation Accepted
wv. S-10).
When those who were first invited
refused, the king sent his servants
30 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 &C.
eept, not because the king was unwii-
Mng. When this was done he sent
his servants among the Gentiles,
which is shown In His going into the
highways and hedges.
~. The King Inspecting the Guests
wv. 11-14).
As he made this inspection the king
found one among the guests VINO mao
rot on a wedding garment-had not
Oonformed 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
tAat he only accepted the invitation
Aur 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-
tatle one to the place at the Kings
marriage feast. This Righteousness Is
obtained by faith in the atoning blood
OF Jesus Christ.