Monday 17 September, 2018

22 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 So 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, the bad as well as the good, 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 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ 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.”

Parables are interesting reading, filled with metaphor and interesting potential applications. For me, Jesus is illustrating the need to spread the good news about Him, inviting all to come and join in the feast, the party, the celebration of life and freedom in Him. That Jesus is looking for people willing to go wherever He’ll send them, inviting whoever He wants to come in, even to the streets that whoever would hear and respond, would be welcome. I want to be one such willing person, Jesus!

The part about “wedding clothes” or garments is interesting to me. I simply think that this is an important thing to note in the invitation. We do this for weddings today – what’s the dress code? Black tie? Cocktail? Etc. Here, I feel Jesus calling me, in my invitations to people, to be clear about the dress code – we come to this freedom feast in the clothes, dress, in the garments of salvation – grace, forgiveness, and hope in Jesus. Help me Lord remember to include the dress code in my invitations to people!

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh