Matthew 22:1-14 (NIV)
[22:1] Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: [2] “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. [3] He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.[4] “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
[5] “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. [6] The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. [7] The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
[8] “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. [9] Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ [10] So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
[11] “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. [12] ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
[13] “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
[14] “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
When Jesus said that those who had been invited were not deserving to come to the banquet, he was not talking about the usual measures of worthiness. Success, money, position, heritage, etc. did not count. What they lacked was a proper attitude of respect for the invitation and, more particularly, the King and His Banquet. I sometimes wonder if I treat the things of the Kingdom with less importance and priority than I should. The King of Kings invites me into His presence to worship and feast on food that truly satisfies but I am off to deal with something that I deem to be of greater importance than the Kingdom. Ouch!!! I sure don't want to be one of the many who were not ready or worthy.
ReplyDeleteIf only a few are chosen, how can we be sure that we are amongst the few. One thing that is certain is that Jesus has been chosen. He is approved and accepted by God. So, if I want to be among the chosen, I must be "in Christ." In E[phesians 1:13 Paul says: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."
WOW. My hope is in Christ. In verses 9- 11 of that same chapter Paul says: "And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effext when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring everything in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. IN HIM WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in accordance with the purpose of his will...."
I love that we have been chosen IN CHRIST. So the choosing has nothing to do with my worthiness and everything to do with Christ's worthiness.
Hey where did every one go? All the posters?
ReplyDeleteImagine that I could be invited by God!
Imagine that God could want me in His Presence!
Imagine that God wants me to spend time with Him!
Imagine that there are people that don't care!
Imagine that God does not force us to come!
Imagine the kingdom will be full!
Imagine some try to get in without His approval!
Imagine the possibility, the insignificant of the world becomes the significant of the Kingdom!