Wednesday, January 16, 2019

You’re Invited – Part 1



This week, Michael writes: Everyone needs the message of the gospel of the good news of Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. In Matthew 22, Jesus confronted the Pharisees and told them a parable about a wedding feast. The Pharisee’s were the religious leaders who did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. In the previous chapter Jesus had said that He was the chief cornerstone which the builders had rejected. The Pharisee’s perceived that He was talking about them when he said that they would break themselves by opposing the cornerstone. A parable is an earthly story that illustrates a spiritual truth.

In Matthew 22:2-14, Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The people of this culture were familiar with wedding feasts. The wedding celebration of a prince could last as long as a week. According to verse 3 (above), the king invited many to come to the wedding feast of his son. However those who were invited were unwilling to come. God originally called his people, the children of Israel to hear the Word of God and God’s message of salvation. In verse 4, he sent his servants to tell those who were invited. However, some of them seized the king’s slaves, arrested them, and killed them.

Today’s culture has evolved from a nation that considered itself “one nation under God” to a culture where many secular Americans think that quoting scripture is an example of “hate speech.” Many in today’s humanistic culture, many believe that eternal life is on their own terms instead of God’s terms. They reject the truth of the Word of God that salvation is by grace alone thought faith alone in Christ alone. Ezekiel 33:11 says that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. However, God sent not His Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. The context of John 3:16 says that even though the Son of God came into the world to show them the light of the truth, they who loved evil hated the light because they preferred the darkness rather than the light of truth.

Let's continue Michael's message on the next post,
In Christ, Brian

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