LESSON II.—SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1900.
PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER.
15 "AND when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat 16 bread in the kingdom of God. But He said unto him, A 17 certain man made a great supper; and he bade many; and he 18 sent forth his servant at supper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see 19 it; I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have 20 bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee 21 have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, 22 and therefore I can not come. And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed 23 and blind and lame. And the servant said, Lord, what thou 24 didst command is done, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." NOTE.—The lesson section includes the lesson scripture, together with the marriage feast described in Matt. 22:1-14. Commit to memory Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 55:1-3. It is suggested that the teacher apply to modern times the whole story of this lesson. Golden Text: "Come; for all things are now ready." Luke 14:17. (1) What did the Saviour's discourse at the Pharisee's feast lead one of the guests to say? V. 15. Note 1. (2) In replying to this remark, what parable did the Saviour introduce? What was the most important feature of this great supper? V. 16. (3) When the supper was ready, who was sent out? What invitation did he carry? What statement accompanied the invitation? V. 17. (4) How was the final invitation received by those who had been previously invited? What excuse had the first to offer? V. 18. Note 2. (5) What excuse had the second one? V. 19. (6) What was the excuse of the third man? V. 20. (7) What did the servant then do? What command did the servant immediately receive? What classes of persons were included in the master's command to his servant? V. 21. Note 3. (8) What report of his work did the servant now bring to his master? What did he still find after having obeyed his master's command? V. 22. Note 4. (9) What further command did he then receive? How urgent must his work be? V. 23. Note 5. (10) What did the master declare in regard to those who had refused his invitation? V. 24. 1. Eat bread in the kingdom of God.—This expressed, in the oriental way, the idea of being members of that kingdom. Eating bread with another signified a joining of interests, and the oriental was always desirous of eating bread with those of power and influence. The remark of the guest evidently indicated his expectation of eating bread in the kingdom of God. But the Saviour, in the parable which He then put forth, showed the danger of refusing the call which He was then giving and which is still being given. Many who sat at table with Him were making excuses instead of heeding the invitation. 2. Began to make excuse.—The final invitation was sent when the meal was ready. The first invitation had been received some time before. Christ's invitation to the people of this dispensation corresponds to the final invitation of the giver of the feast. When Christ began His personal work, the final invitation began to be given. All things were then ready. He had come in the fulness of time. It was for them, as it is for us, to accept the invitation and come to the feast. They refused—"began to make excuse"—and the invitation must then go to the Gentiles. But even then the feast was not complete; for the invitation must go to the very lowest classes of humanity, into "the highways and the hedges," the haunts of vice and crime, and the hovels of the poverty-stricken. All who will come may come. The parable teaches that the redemption of Christ is sufficient for the salvation of the whole world. 3. Bring hither the poor and maimed.—The Gospel of Christ was for all classes. None are excluded; but the poor, the maimed, the blind, those who realize their great need, are the ones to whom the Gospel always appeals with the greatest force. Those who are rich and do not sense their need, their dependence upon God, are slowest to accept of the invitation. Those who were first bidden were not the needy ones. The invitation held out no15inducement to them. They considered themselves of equal importance with the one who gave the feast, and equally able to give feasts. The ones who were bidden later were in need and knew it. The human race to-day is poor and needy. The invitation has gone out. Those who realize their nothingness and their need will appreciate the invitation. They will come—they will come at once; and they will have on the wedding-garment. Christ's work on earth was always among the poor and needy, the lame, the maimed, the blind, and the suffering; and the wedding-garment which He is offering us is the spotless robe of His righteousness, which will cover the "filthy rags" of our own righteousness, and make us presentable to the heavenly hosts. 4. And yet there is room.—One of the most blessed facts of the Gospel. The world is not so large that any single soul need to perish. The salvation of Christ is sufficient for every soul that has ever lived upon the earth. Men will refuse to come to Christ; and men will be lost for refusing; but the plan of salvation is not to blame, nor Christ an insufficient Saviour. 5. Constrain them to come in.—This message, this invitation, was an urgent one. The idea is not that the servant was to drive them in, to force them in through fear of punishment. It does not mean the persecution of "heretics" to get them back to the fold. It does not mean that we are to compel men to worship God—that religious forms are to be forced upon men. Far from it; but, realizing the importance of his work, the servant would strenuously urge them to come in. The servant of Christ to-day is sent on just that mission. Souls of men are in the balances. The Master is holding out before them the invitation to eternal life. Refusing that, there is nothing before them but eternal destruction.