T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S is rendered all th e more gracious in its form by its being represented as more for our in terest to show a kindness which will draw down a recompense from God th a n a hospitality which men will re p a y s-B e n g e l. We may reason ably expect recompense from heaven for such good works as we do for which we are not recompensed on earth . God’s recompense of us for doing our duty in obedience to His commands is oft "in de ferred un til th e resu rrection of th e ju st.—Van Oosterzee. Let us not be disappointed and troubled a t not re ceiving a recompense from men on earth. R ath er let us be troubled when we re ceive it lest we learn to look only for rew ard on ea rth and so lose our rew ard in heaven.— Chrysostom. The resu rrec tio n of th e ju st. The resurrection of the ju st is th e first resurrection (Rev. 2 0 :5 ), when, a t th e Lord’s second com ing, th e dead in Him shall rise (1 Thess. 4 :16 ) and th e living in Him be caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4 :17 ; cf. Lk. 2 0 :3 5 ). The first resu r rection will include only the saved and will precede th e second— th a t of non believers and disbelievers— in point of tim e by a t least one thousand years.—1 Ellicott. The Story of a G reat D inner. Luke 14:7-14. Memory Verse.— “My little children, le t us no t love in word, n either in tongue; bu t in deed and in tru th .” 1 John 3:18. Approach.— Do not fail to explain how th e guests were seated a t a dinner. Secure a picture if possible to show to the children, or draw on blackboard I wonder how manj BEGINNERS of you boys or girls AND PRIMARY were ever invited Mabel L. M errill out to a d i n n e r where th e re w e r e
52 p u t themselves lowest and dispraise themselves in a set purpose to he placed higher, is by th e very n atu re of our Lord’s parable excluded. The exalta tion, a t th e hands of th e host is not to be a subjective end to the guest, bu t will follow tru e hum ility.—Alford. v. 11. Whosoever exalteth himself. F o r an example of such hum iliation see Isa. 14:13-15, and of such exaltation see Phil. 2:5-11__Willcock. In spir itu al things th e highest place is the most excellent and desirable. Christ’s love alone, however, can give us a title to even the lowest rooms in the sp iritual world.— Brameld. v. 12. Call no t th y friends, This lan guage does not forbid hospitality nor th e en tertainm en t of friends. H is own practice shows th a t it does not. He means to say, “ If you wish recompense, as you Pharisees do (for you give din ners th a t you may gain power and ad vance yourselves in th e synagogue and tem p le), call the poor. E n te rta in your friends, bu t still more feed th e hungry and relieve those who are in distress.— Cumming. L est they bid th e e again. The essence of hospitality is giving, not getting. Much en tertain ing is done for th e sake of policy. Jesus did not mean us to dispense w ith th e duties of ordi nary fellowship. But since th ere was no exercise of principle involved in it save of selfishness itself, H is object was to inculcate over and above everything of th is kind, such atten tion s to th e help less, and provision fo r them , as from th e ir inability to m ake any retu rn would m anifest th e ir own disinterested ness and, like every other exercise of high religious principle, meet w ith cor responding gracious recompense.— Brown. Recompense be m ade thee. Some of us get so much th ank s down here th a t th e re will be very little left to come to us a t th e resu rrection of the ju st when we shall stand before the judgm en t’ seat of Christ to receive our rew ards (2 Cor. 5 :1 0 ). v. 13. Call th e poor. In a world In which th e re is so much w ant and misery to relieve, a tru e follower of Jesus Christ will not spend much tim e in th e en ter tainm ent of those who have no need.— Torrey. The duty is recognized in an o th er form by Nehemiah, who says th a t if we ea t th e fa t and d rink th e sweet, we should send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared (Neh. 8 :1 0 ). — Camb. Bible. v. 14. Thou sh a lt be recompensed. The recommendation Christ h ere gives
too many people for all to sit a t th e first table, and you had to w ait un til the big folks had finished? Helen, I wondef if you were real sweet and pleasant, and were willing to play and have a good tim e while th e rest were eating? One tim e I was a t a dinner and th e children KEEP THE SILVER DOLLAR SMILING,
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