Matthew 22:2 The marriage of Christ is the mystery of the Church, and it belongs to the initiated. To those who stand in the outer circle of thought it is a word and a fable. To those who are within it is the simplest and the grandest of all possible realities. I. Consider how this union, of which... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:2 Our Lord's parable has fulfilled itself again and again in history, and will fulfil itself as long as foolish and rebellious persons exist on earth. This is one of the laws of the kingdom of Heaven. It must be so, for it arises by necessity out of the character of Christ, the King of H... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:11 The Guest without the Wedding Garment. I. The service of Christ requires qualifications. Many may be attracted to the service who shrink from obtaining these necessary qualifications. Yet they may for a long time pass muster, and they may even bring themselves to believe that they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:14 We have to do in the text not with an arbitrary call and an arbitrary choice, as if God called many in mockery, meaning to choose out of them only a few, and making His choice independently of any exertion of theirs. The picture is very different; it is a gracious call to us all to co... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:21 Sacrifice to Cæsar or to God. I. The only Cæsar which we have to fear nowadays is called Public Opinion the huge, anonymous idol which we ourselves help to make, and then tremble before the creation of our own cowardice; whereas, if we will but face him, in the fear of God and the fai... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:36 Consider the law of love as a natural force of humanity. It will help us to understand this principle if we first distinguish it from some other principles of our nature. I. It is to be distinguished from the principle of will, and in some regards is indeed to be opposed to it. The h... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:37 The Mind's Love for God. I. Is it not manifestly true that besides the love of the senses, and the love of the heart, and the love of the soul, and the love of the strength, there is also a love of the mind, without whose entrance into the completeness of the loving man's relation to... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:37 There are two reasons why men do not love God. For one of them there are great excuses; for the other there is no excuse whatsoever. I. In the first place, too many find it difficult to love God, because they have not been taught that God is lovable, and worthy of their love. They hav... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 22:42 I. Some people do not think much about Him any way. Their minds are pre-occupied; they think of something else. II. Some do think, and now it is of much importance that we inquire what they think. (1) There is a _historic_ideal of Christ. It admits all the facts of His biography. I do... [ Continue Reading ]