THE RUDE GUESTS.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20188, 13 December 1937, Page 4

THE RUDE GUESTS.

A PARABLE RETOLD. QUESTION OF EXCUSES. OLD MAIN’S KINDNESS. In an Eastern country long ago lived a man who loved giving parties. Splendid parties they were, for he was rich and gave his guests the best of all that he had. Moreover, he was so kind that no one in his company ever felt shy or left out.

Written invitations were not sent in the days of which we are speaking The host sent his servants to invite people a few weeks ahead, and on the day itself he would often send them again lest anyone should have forgotten the time.

After a while the good man’s friends took hjs kindness for granted, and were neither grateful nor polite. He was always glad to see them, they said, and they could go or stay away, just as they liked. Often they would tell his servants they were coming, and, when the day arrived send no message to say that they had changed their minds.

One day the kind host invited his friends to a supper par|y. He sent his servants to ask everyone well ahead of the day, but when the time came no one arrived.

Everything was ready, nothing forgotten that could make the guests happy, and none of them were there. Instead of getting cross or worried lest his lovely supper should be spoilt, the good man thought that he was to blame for the delay. No doubt they are waiting to hear from me, he thought, and he sent his servants out to tell everyone that slipper was ready and that they could come. The messengers arrived at the house of the first guest. They said to the servant at the door: “The feast is ready, we have been sent to fetch your master.”

The servant called his master, who came" out looking important. “Dear me,” said he, “it’s unfortunate your supper is to-night; I can’t possibly come, I have bought a field and I must go and see it. Pray make my excuses to your master.” The messengers wondered, as they went on to the second guest, if the first had ever meant to come to the party. They did not have to wait at the next house, as the owner met them on the way. He looked tired, dirty, and rather caoss. “Oh, that supper,” said he, before the messengers could speak. “I can’t come. I have bought five pairs of oxen and I must try them, ask your master to excuse me.” The messengers whispered to one another: “That man certainly docs not want to come.”

They went on to the third guest’s house. Here they had to wait some time. When the door was opened and they gave their message, the master did not trouble to come to them, but called from an inner room; “I have married a wife and I can’t come!”

At every house the messengers visited the same thing happened. Everyone had some excuse, and no one seemed to mind how bad or rude the excuse might be. Tired and sad, the servants returned to the good man and told him what had happened. He was hurt and angered by his friends’ ingratitude, but, despite his distress, he still wanted to make somebody happy by his supper. He knew many blind, lame and poor people who had never been to a party. They should come to his. He sent his servants off at once to fetch them. What fun that there were no surly excuses then! The people hurried as fast as their blind eyes and lame legs would let them. Shabby people, old people, little children who had never been to a party before, all so happy to be invited. The kind host was ready for them all, but, when everyone was seated, there was still room for many more.

“This will never do,” said the good man, “I will not have empty chairs at

my supper. Go out into the roads, look under the hedges, and make everyone you find come "in. I want my house quite full, no space shall be left for the friends whom I invited and who did not care to come.” No doubt they were very astonished strangers whom the servants brought in from the roads, particularly the beggars, who had thought of spending the night sleeping in the open. But whoever they were, and however dewildered, they enjoyed that party for the good man’s kindness, like a wide warm cloak, was wrapped round everyone.

The Lord Jesus told the story to His friends to show them that, just as the good man wanted nothing but to make everyone happy, so Father God wants to make everyone happy always. Nothing can shut us out from His kindness and the feast of His good things but our own wickedness—like the people who missed the party through their own rude excuses.