Most of this day will be just me and You, Father. Enable me to be productive in writing and in preparation for worship Sunday. Guide my thoughts, spur me to action in the directions You would have me go. Amen.
Matthew 22:1-14 (<<click to read the passage)
Lord, what a poignant story! It is very strong and to the point because it is dealing with a very serious matter. Many would like to avoid it all together but we all realize that our days are numbered. Not a single one of us will avoid standing before You on the final day of judgment. It is extremely sobering…
Every person to ever come into existence on this planet has received an invitation to the “great wedding feast”, that is eternity spent with You. You have set everything into place with Your coming, in person, to live amongst us. You loved us. You taught us. You sacrificially gave Your life for us so that we might have the opportunity to join You and the Father for “the banquet”.
But so many have “refused to come”! In their audacious pride, they have rudely declined the invitation of their Creator! And instead of eternal life – abundant and free – eternal death will be their sentence… And they will have no one to blame but themselves. Each and every one has made their own personal choice, regardless of circumstances.
But what about the “guest” “without wedding clothes”? He too was bound and thrown “into the outer darkness” – eternal life is forfeit, an eternal death sentence is pronounced.
Who was this “guest” and what does Your proclamation, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (v.14) mean?
In seeking some insight myself, I looked at several study Bibles available to me on biblegateway.com. One, in particular, the MacArthur Study Bible helped me to get a better grasp on this passage.
First of all, this guest was not a “party crasher”. Everyone there had been rounded up from “the street corners” and I don’t know about you but on most days I am definitely not dressed for a wedding banquet! So the king would have provided proper attire for all in attendance. So whoever this guy was he had to have purposely rejected the king’s gift – again a conscious decision, a deliberate act on his part. And here’s the quote that helps verse 14 make a little more sense.
“The imagery seems to represent those who identify with the kingdom externally, profess to be Christians, belong to the church in a visible sense – yet spurn the garment of righteousness Christ offers by seeking to establish a righteousness of their own”
Christ is the only means of entrance to the “great wedding feast” – our eternal life with Him. Isaiah 64:6 says,
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind. NLT (Emphasis mine)
So…it is our choice and ours alone. What is your choice?
Sept 13th, 2018, Thurs, 8:37 am
