say He had not put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 13:14. He had failed to put off the old. man, and to put on the new, Eph. 4:22-24. (2) What the King said, ' ' Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?" " F r i e n d ," a very gentle salutation. The man shall have a courteous consid- eration. Perhaps he has some reason- able apology. But (3) What the man said; nothing at all! He was speech- less. He had no excuse. He could not plead poverty, for doubtless the wed- ding garment went with the invitation. He could not plead want of opportu- nity, for doubtless the King's ward- robe and chamberlain were quite at hand. The King says, " I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment that thou mayest be clothed," Eev. 3:18. Kings are not merchants to sell their treas- ures. He says ' ' Buy of me, without money and without price," Isa. 55:2. 3. The Man Ejected. (1) Having no excuse the fellow stood self-condemned, ' ' Knowing that they which do such things are worthy of death," Bom. 1:32. As there was none to blame for not being at the feast but the man him- self who "would not come," v. 3; so there is none to blame for being thrust out but the main himself who has no excuse to offer. " H e went out from them because he was not of them, for had he been of them, he would doubt- less have remained with them," I Jno. 2:19. Therefore (2) it was command- ed, (a) Bind him hand and foot, and (b) take him away, and (c) cast him into outer darkness; (d) there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." "Ma ny are called but few are ehosen." So it seems that this one man is the type of the majority! God forbid. But let every one hasten to the wedding in the wedding array; lest we have fo» the wedding garment the bonds; for the wedding light, the darkness; for the wedding joy, the weeping; for the wedding music, gnashing of teeth. LESSON 12. SUNDAY, SEPT. 18. By J. B. Pratt. Matt. 22:15-22; 34-45. I. EXPLANATION. II INTERPRETATION. III.. APPLICATION. I. EXPLANATION. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians, the question- ers in our lesson today, were the ene- mies of Christ, and from the beginning of His ministry had been constantly seeking occasion whereby they might
ensnare Him. They knew from their past experience that they could not defeat or entangle Jesus in open argu- ment; He had proven Himself more than a match for them; they had been so often defeated by Him that their dignity was disturbed. Jesus had by His faithful testimony to the truth, brought all of these spurious, superfi- cial religionists under condemnation. So we see them here, though utterly opposed to each other, and having no fellowship together ordinarily, coming together and forming a combine to de- feat Jesus, if possible. The Pharisees were strictly a sect. A member was " c h a b e n" (i. e. knit together; Judges 20:11) and took an obligation to remain true to the prin- ciples of Phariseeism. They were cor- rect, moral, zealous and self-denying, but self-righteous, Luke 17:11-12, and destitute of the sense of sin and need, Luke 7:39. The Sadducees were not strictly a sect, but those amongst the Jews who denied the existence of an- gels or .other spirits, and all miracles, especially the resurrection. They were the religious rationalists of the time, Mark 12:18-23; Acts 5:15-17; Acts 23:8 (Scofield). The Herodians, as their name would imply, were the politicians or supporters of the reigning family of Herod. These three classes were' the foremost persecutors of Jesus, and the object of His unsparing denunciation, Matt. 23:13-39; Luke 11:42-43. It was the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians that Jesus had warned His disciples of. Note their manner of a pp r o a c h- through their disciples,doubtless stu- dents in their theological seminary. Their testimony to Jesus' truthfulness, though meant for flattery (an art in which the orientals excel) was a true statement of the character, both of Jesus' life and teaching. II. INTERPRETATION... 1. The testimony of Jesus. (a) "We know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in t r u t h ." Sincerity and truthfulness are indis- pensable characteristics in any teacher. The man behind the message is as es- sential as " t h e man behind the gun." "Your life speaks so loud I can not hear what you say"—Emerson. The Scripture admonishes the tracher and preacher, " Take heed unto thyself; then to the flock over which the Holy
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