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THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S
The Golden Text Illustration.—It is counted an honor to be invited to a wedding. The greater the characters the more honored the guests. What an honor to be invited to the wedding of the Prince of Wales. Buit we are to be at the wedding of the Predestined- Heir of the Universe, the Son of God. We are bidden to invite all to come, even the outcasts of society. All who accept the invitation become a part of the Bride, the Church. The Old Testa ment saints and the angels will be the guests and God the Father will per form the ceremony. After which the Cherubim and Seraphim will serve the marriage feast. “And He said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Rev. 19:9. v. 2. Kingdom of heaven is like. This parable fixes beyond doubt the historical position of the kingdom of heaven, show ing that it unquestionably belongs to this age. The in- COMMENTS FROM vitation to the MANY SOURCES wedding has al- Keith L. Brooks ways been under stood as repre senting the Gospel and the supper as representing the blessings whereof sin ners are invited by the Gospel to par take.— Sel. v. 3. Sent forth servants. The invi tation to the marriage feast, first ex tended to Israel (v. 7), was greeted with violence and the King fulfilled the latter part of the verse in A. D. 70. The world wide call then went forth (Matt. 28:16- 20, see v. 9) “to as many as would re ceive” (Jn. 1:12).—Sum. Bible. They which are bidden. Only as Matthew 22 and Luke 14:16-24 are combined do we get tbe complete truth. Historically there are manifestly three periods: (1) The prophetic announcement repre sented by the first invitation. (2) Sec ond epoch of complete preparation fol lowed by acts of violence. (3) Exten sion of invitation to hitherto uninvited Gentiles. So, taken together, there are thnee attitudes of men toward the Gos pel: (1) Hostility—treating God’s her alds with hatred. (2) Frivolity—ex cusing attendance on various pretexts.
(3) Indignity—neglecting proper prep aration of attire.—-Pierson. Would not come. As the issue of the whole min istry of the Baptist, our Lord Himself and His apostles thereafter too sadly showed.—J. F. & B. v. 4. Have prepared my dinner. The introductory meal which opened the series of wedding feasts, an early meal toward midday, not the same as the marriage supper.—Lange. This feast may be considered as the first of the series of meals of which the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:6-9) is the closing' one amid heavenly and un fading joy.—Beveridge. - Compare 21: 36. Note His forbearance. He repeats not only the neglected demand for fruit but the neglected invitation to His feast.—Ottman. All things ready. To this privilege the pious of Israel and pre-eminently her teachers, had long since been called and for the arrival of the day they had been anxiously wait ing. Their recent history and contempo raneous political conditions accentuated their unspeakable stupidity and perver sity in ignoring the announcement that the day had at last arrived, that all things were ready.—Stuart. v. 5. One to his farm. It was his own concerns and not the gratification or honor of his sovereign in which he was interested.—Morrison. v. 6. The remnant. Note the three classes: Rejectors (v. 6), acceptors (v. 10), intruders (v. 11).—Garry. v.' 7- , King was wroth. The parable has fulfilled itself again and again* in history and will fulfill itself as* long as foolish and rebellious persons exist on earth. If the bounty of His grace be despised and insulted or still more, if it be outraged by wanton tyranny or cruelty, then, for the#benefit of the rest of mankind—awful severity. There is anger in God. Under God’s anger or under His love we must be, whether we will or not.-1—Kingsley. Burned their city. We learn here the solemn lesson that though there is much diversity in the degrees of aggravation with which men accompany their rejection of the Savior, all who do not receive Him per ish in the same condemnation.—Arnot. v. 8. They were not worthy. As spe cific fulfillment of this parable we refer to the experience of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13). After they had preached Christ in the Jewish synagogue, declar ing that unto them the word of this salvation had been sent (v. 26) and after the Jews had spoken against these
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