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The Adventist Home
gatherings, when nothing is said or done to grieve Him away, God
is honored, and those who meet together are refreshed and strength-
ened
Our gatherings should be so conducted, and we should so conduct
ourselves, that when we return to our homes, we can have a conscience
void of offense toward God and man, a consciousness that we have
not wounded or injured in any manner those with whom we have been
associated, or had an injurious influence over them
Jesus Found Pleasure in Scenes of Innocent Happiness—Jesus
reproved self-indulgence in all its forms, yet He was social in His
nature. He accepted the hospitality of all classes, visiting the homes of
the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, and seeking to ele-
vate their thoughts from questions of commonplace life to those things
that are spiritual and eternal. He gave no license to dissipation, and no
shadow of worldly levity marred His conduct; yet He found pleasure
in scenes of innocent happiness and by His presence sanctioned the
social gathering. A Jewish marriage was an impressive occasion, and
its joy was not displeasing to the Son of man.... To the mind of Jesus
the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing
of that day when He shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house,
and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage
supper of the Lamb
His Example in Conversation and Conduct—When invited, as
His work commenced, to a dinner or feast by Pharisee or publican, He
accepted the invitation.... On such occasions Christ controlled the table
talk and gave many precious lessons. Those present listened to Him;
for had He not healed their sick, comforted their sorrowing, taken their
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children in His arms and blessed them? Publicans and sinners were
drawn to Him, and when He opened His lips to speak, their attention
was riveted on Him.
Christ taught His disciples how to conduct themselves when in
the company of those who were not religious and those who were.
He taught them by example that when attending any public gathering,
they need not want for something to say. But His conversation differed
most decidedly from that which had been listened to at feasts in the
11
The Youth’s Instructor, February 4, 1897
.
12
Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 337
.
13
The Desire of Ages, 150, 151
.