THE GOSPEL FEAST.
One Sabbath-day Jesus was taking dinner at the house of a Pharisee. He talked with the people at the table about humility of manner at the great feasts which were given in those days. Then one of the company said to him, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” I do not think he meant heaven, but rather the kingdom that he hoped the Messiah would set up on the earth. Jesus answered him in the form of a story about a man who made a great supper, sending out many invitations. When everything was ready he sent for his guests to come, and every one of them sent an excuse. One said he had bought a piece of ground and must go and see it, and begged to be excused; another said he had bought five yoke of oxen, and was going to prove them; another said he had just been married and couldn’t come. When the servant came back and told his master he was angry. He told his servants to go out quickly through the streets and bring all the lame people, and the blind people, and the poor people of every sort. So the servant did as he was told; but he said to his master, “There is room yet.” So the master told him to go out in the highways and hedges, and coax people to come to the supper, and fill the house, for none of those who were first invited should be allowed to taste of the supper.
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO CÆSAREA.—Mark viii. 27.
THE PRODIGAL SON.
Jesus once, in teaching the people, told this story: “A man had two sons; the younger of them asked his father to give him the part of the property that would finally belong to him. So the father divided his wealth between them. A few days after that the younger son went a long journey, taking all his money with him; but he wasted it in wild and foolish living. When it was all gone there came a great famine to that country, and the foolish young man had nothing to live on. He went looking for work, and a man hired him to take care of swine. He was so hungry that he was willing to eat the husks that the swine had for food; and no one gave anything to him. Then he began to think of his home, and to remember how his father’s servants had plenty to eat, and here he was starving! Then he said, ‘I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am not worthy to be called your son; let me be one of your hired servants.’ So he went on his journey home. When he was yet a great way from the house, his father saw him and ran out to meet him, and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am not worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said, ‘bring the best clothes in the house for him to wear, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and have the fatted calf killed, and make a feast, and let us eat and drink and be merry; for my son was the same to me as dead, and now he is alive again; he was lost, but now he is found.’ And they were merry.”
RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON.—Luke xv. 20.