CHAPTER XLIX.

CHRIST AT SUPPER ON THE SABBATH DAY IN THE HOUSE OF A CHIEF PHARISEE HEALS A DROPSICAL MAN-TEACHES HUMILITY COMMANDS THAT THE POOR BE FED-PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER-THE LORD'S SUPPER IN THE HOLY COMMUNION.

Luke, xiv. 1-24.

"AND it came to pass, as Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched Him." It would appear that a great feast had been prepared, at which many Lawyers and Pharisees were present; the guest-chamber was crowded; and they who had been invited were anxious to choose out the chief places of distinction for themselves. It must have been saddening to the Messiah to be in the midst. of so much false joy. The scene of crowded festivity could not harmonize with the thoughts of the Son of Man on His way to the Cross. Moreover, He scanned each secret of every heart. The motives of all were clearly known to Him: and what did He behold? pride and self-love, envy and guile lurking in the bosoms of His enemies. Nevertheless, it was consistent with the great purpose of His sojourn on Earth to frequent the busy haunts of men, that by His Heavenly doctrines and example He might instruct every class in the nature of His spiritual Kingdom.

"They watched Him:" They sought to find some accusation against Him.' Nor had they long to wait; for, “behold,

1 "Ipsi observabant eum.' Non erat venerationis et benevolentiæ ea observatio: sed invidiæ, et malevolentiæ, cujus est ex floribus haurire venenum.” Barradius, vol. iii. lib iii. cap. 13, p. 227.

there was a certain man before Him which had the dropsy." Either he was conveyed there of set purpose to tempt our Lord to heal on the sabbath day; or the man's anxious friends brought him in, hoping to have him cured. In either case the jealous watching of the Lawyers and Pharisees was plainly expressed in their manner and whispers: for Jesus, answering, spake unto them, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?' And they held their peace." It was the silence of ill-concealed malice: but "He took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, 'Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?'”1 Such was the gentleness, power, and dignity of Christ! It was impossible for His enemies to deny the miraculous virtue of His health-giving touch; and they dared not openly to condemn the cure, for fear of exposing their own selfishness in having more regard for their cattle than for the health of a fellowcreature. So "they could not answer Him again to these things."

During the supper, He did not lose the opportunity of setting forth the laws and conditions of His Gospel. He had observed the anxiety of the guests,-amongst whom were many Pharisees and Lawyers, and persons of distinction,--to secure for themselves the chief seats at table: whereas they who would be His disciples must learn to take the lower place. The yoke of Christ cannot be made easy until the lofty will of the natural man is beaten down, and subdued for the worldly spirit of seeking to be foremost saps the very foundation of humility, on which the Christian character is to be builded up.2 They who love Him most will desire to follow Him in the

1 There were five miracles of mercy wrought by the Saviour on sabbath days, namely, the cure of the man with a withered hand, Matt. xii. 10; the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, John, v. 10; the man born blind, John, ix. 14; the woman bowed down with an infirmity for eighteen years, Luke xiii. 14, and now the dropsical man.

"O humility! the very eye of self-knowledge, our very acceptance in the sight of God, our very power to receive grace, how essential art thou to man! Without thee none can be acquainted with himself or with God: without thee none can love perfectly. Without thee no man can be exalted to a heavenly union with God, which is the highest joy of the saints." Faber Stapulensis, Evang. Luc., p. 414.

2

closest imitation of His meekness.1 "And He put forth a Parable to those which were bidden, when He marked how they chose out the chief rooms;" saying unto them, “When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room.' This is a hard lesson to learn and practice. We all desire to take our stand on high ground in the eye of the world. We can humble ourselves in secret before God; but no sooner do we mix with our fellow-men, than our natural pride and love of self assert their claims to respect.3 In HIM alone, Who was

Quo quisque loco humiliori, mente ac humili voluntate, recumbit, eo propinquior est Christo regi. Quamobrem præclarissimum locum occupat." Barradius, vol. iii. p. 229.

2 Faber Stapulensis ascribes to this passage a depth of meaning not usually given to it. He explains it as representing by a figure the spirit of humility, in which we should attend the Holy Communion. "He who invites to the feast, is the Son of God; the guests at table, all the faithful. The supper is His own feast, and the feast of His ever-virgin spouse the Church, which is united to Him in a divine marriage, wherein purity and holiness prevail, because it is a spiritual union. The table is the altar of God; the food, the Lamb slain for the whole world; the drink, His most precious blood. The Lord forbids that any man, under the notion that he is more worthy than others, should desire to take the highest seat, which is a great presumption. Such an one, by the just command of God, shall have more honourable men preferred before him, and shall begin to take the lowest seat, and be made ashamed by a sense of his fault. Whosoever is invited to this Supper, be his advantages of nature or of fortune what they may, whether riches, honour, power, beauty, high birth, science, or even endowments of divine grace, which are preferable to all others, must humbly look upon himself as least worthy, regarding only the majesty of the Inviter, and the sacredness and dignity of the feast, which is more precious than all created things in heaven or in earth. It is a certain truth, that whoever closely examines, and understands his own heart, will take the lowest seat, otherwise he is not of a meek spirit, like unto the Inviter, who took upon Him the form of a servant. If any distinction is to be made in this sacred feast, the place of honour is not given according to a man's own estimate of himself, but according to the appointment of Him who invites the guests; and then he receives honour in the sight of the angels and saints of God. For thus our Lord adds, ' Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'" Stapulensis, In Lucam., p. 413.

3 "When Christ forbids us to be presumptuous at a feast, he seems desirous to make men polite in their manners. And, unless my imagination deceives me, nothing from the beginning of the world till now, either in theory or practice, ever wrought more powerfully for manners and courtesy than the Gospel of the infinitely wise Saviour. For He taught a twofold gentleness, how men might behave properly and becomingly towards each other, and also how to attain the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever may be the standard of human judgment, which is dependent on the opinions of the world, the truly courteous man is nowhere reproved in the Gospel. Severe to none, he lives harmlessly

the true Pattern of every grace and moral virtue, the fulness of humility shone forth it was first exemplified when He took upon Him our nature; it was perfected on the Cross.

The banquet of a chief Pharisee would of course be abundant, if not sumptuous, and the guests such as they accounted worthy to sit with the noble and rich: but others were absent, not less dear to the Messiah,-the poor and hungry; and to them His thoughts turned. He would fain have had them by His side, when He addressed to the chief Pharisee that memorable command, in which even now, and for ever, He pleads their cause. "When thou makest a dinner, or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for THOU SHALT "I Had

BE RECOMPENSED AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST.

all classes of men the heart to act in the spirit of this golden law of benevolence, society would be relieved of much of its burthens and dangers; and the rich and poor be united in a bond of mutual confidence. A double blessing ever attends on charity; it makes the benefactor beloved, and his own heart more loving. Here and there the history of the Church records for our example some saintly man, who literally obeyed the

with all, gives the place of honour to others, arrogates no distinction to himself. He is meek, not only with those above him, but with his equals and inferiors: esteeming others better than himself, his thoughts of them and his behaviour towards them are respectful. There has been nothing in all the refinements among men so modest or wise, so blameless and free from reproach, as the Gospel of God the Messiah, not only as a preparation for the life above, but as regards the conduct of the life that now is." Simon De Cassia, lib. ii. cap. 18, p. 386.

"Ergo, O dives, cum facis convivium, voca pauperes, ut enarret Christus in judicio tuas eleemosynas: et ut retribuat tibi in resurrectione justorum. Quid dixi, voca pauperes? Cum facis convivium, O dives, voca Christum ; Christus enim vocatur, cum vocantur pauperes." Barradius, vol. iii. p. 231. "Chrysostomus ait, Non sub hac spe aliis beneficia conferamus, ut nobis retribuant, hæc enim frigida est intentio, et talis amicitia celeriter evanescet; si vero pauperem vocaveris, Deum nunquam obliviscentem habebis debitorem. Quanto enim minor est frater, tanto magis Christus per eum accedit, et visitat." Dionysius Carth., in Luc., art. xxxvii. fol. 220.

Divine command in calling the poor to feast with Him:1 but how rare are such instances! Yet Christ would have all to "go and do likewise." The poor were the special objects of His compassion, whilst He was on Earth; and He regards them with the same Love from His throne in Heaven. He commits them as a sacred trust to the care of the rich,-if they desire to be called by His Name. Of Him the great receive their wealth; He demands a portion back again through the suffering members of His Body, the Church; and He counts the gift as bestowed on Himself. To all who offer Him the service of their Love in deeds of charity He will return an hundred fold: for such is the promise;-they shall be "recompensed at the Resurrection of the just."

The Divine command to feast "the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind," seems to inculcate a still higher duty on all who would inherit the reward. Everywhere in Christian lands there are the spiritually "poor, maimed, halt, and blind;" and Christ desires that they may be nourished to eternal life. Surely He would have churches built for them, and other means provided for their religious instruction: and all who claim to love Him may be His servants in this holy cause, each in his several sphere and degree. High is the privilege, rich the recompense for "he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." First to His appointed Bishops and Priests He says, "Feed My sheep; feed My lambs." And not less to kings and queens and princes, who acknowledge that they

1 St. Gregory, St. Louis, Bishop Ken, &c. See Cornelius à Lapide for other examples, Luke, xiii. 14. It would not be difficult for every rich man, once a week, to feed a few of the most deserving aged poor with homely fare, in some lower room of his country mansion. He need not sit and feast with them: but he might stay a while with them, and talk kindly to them, showing them how happy he is in their happiness. Surely this would be blessed to him, and to his family. It would be a lesson of charity to his children, and his servants;— promoting harmony through his own household, and the happiness of many destitute. Many beautiful commentaries have been written, and sermons preached, on the Parable of Dives, who fared sumptuously every day, and Lazarus who lay at his gate hungry and thirsty. Would that all who write and preach, and all who read and hear, would particularly obey the Lord's command, "Call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind," each according to his opportunities and means.

2 James, v. 20.