Dear God,
Thank You that we have another parable to warn, teach and give hope, for those who claim to be a followers of Jesus. In Matthew 22: 2, “’the kingdom of heaven refers to a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.” It is understood that the king is God the Father and the son is the Son of God. The marriage feast was indicative of wedding festivities enjoyed in Jewish culture, and written about as a symbol of the coming kingdom of the Messiah.
In the parable, Jesus followed Jewish cultural norms, when after the invitation had been given, it was followed up with the honour of a personal message by a servant, to remind them. In fact, the Jews had been given around 3 invitations to be part of the kingdom of God, firstly by the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist and now Jesus Christ Himself and His disciples. It is evident that there never has been a time when God has not issued an invitation to follow Him, promising the reward of partaking in the Kingdom of Glory in heaven.
Dear God may I and many others value Your invitation, and do not want to allow our own interests to blunt our minds to the privilege of being invited by God; as well as the preparation required to be suitably attired in the Robe of Christs Righteousness. Sadly many people who know that God has invited them to accept Him and His way of love, decline and pass up Gods celebratory feast. In the parable those invited had gotten waylaid by their own interests, and ‘were not willing to come.’ The king (God) graciously sent out another invitation, for everything for the meal was prepared. Matthew 22: 5 “But they made light of it and went their own ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.”
Some prophets and messengers got killed when delivering Gods messages, even unto our day. God filled his wedding celebration with the socially unacceptable, despised by the non-attenders, who were too self-absorbed to appreciate the gracious invitation by the King for His Son, but the other more humble folk were not, and gladly came. Though God loves all, he could not allow anyone to come into His feast that did not have on the (wedding garment) Robe of Christs Righteousness, which He had given each guest.
Please keep before me Your invitation and the free gift of the wedding garment that comes from accepting Jesus and His righteousness; for I cannot go to the kingdom of God’s glory without!
Amen