The wedding feast

When I write any post that is about one of the parables it is very difficult for me. It's like turning a parable into another parable. Parables are one of Jesus's way of teaching things so that when he teaches his content it makes more sense. Whenever I post, I try to make the stories easier to understand as well. So when I write about a parable, it's me trying to make things make even more sense. 

It's sometimes difficult but I hope it makes sense!

What I am writing about today is a parable about what the kingdom of heaven is like. In Matthew chapter 22, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. It will make the most sense if I describe the parable the best that I can. 

So the king was in the process of preparing a wedding feast for his son. He sent all of his servants out to call those who were invited to the wedding feast. It's interesting that is how the word got out about the feast. It wasn't like today, where we have the technology to get a hold of anyone at anytime. The servants literally want to invite the guests face to face. Surprisingly nobody came. Again, the king sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast." The king is pulling out the big guns now. He is trying to make things seem like this is a feast that you do not want to miss! Well, they didn't pay attention to what was being said and they went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. See this part is tough for me understand. After all this feast was talked up, nobody came, and everything was ignored. The servants were seized and then killed. So the king was upset about this. He was very angry. I would be too if all of my servants were killed. He sent his troops out and then destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you can find.' So the servants went out and gathered all that they could whether go or bad. The wedding hall was finally filled with guests after multiplied failures. When the king came to look at the guests, he saw there was a man who had no wedding garment. The king said to him, 'Friend, who did you get in here without a wedding garment?' The man was speechless. Then the king had his attendants bind him and throw him out into the darkness. Jesus ends this parable by saying: "For many are called, but few are chosen."  

So what does this mean? Jesus said that that kingdom of heaven is like a great wedding feast. A wedding feast is something you don't want to miss. During a wedding feast all of the best most expensive food is usually served. I believe the invitation to the feast is God's invitation for us. God tells us how magnificent the kingdom of heaven is. He invites us and what happens? Nobody came. That is crazy to me. But relevant. How often do we miss out on the signs of God. Think about how often we choose worldly things over Godly things. That is clearly what happened. The people who were invited just kinda shrugged everything off.

So, the king was persistent, just like how God is. the king wasn't going to give up. So he sent the servants out again and then they were all seized. That's terribly sad! God is persistent in his calling of us to worship him so he was not going to ever quit. I picture that second sign we miss as something not so good. It's easy to kinda just shrug up something you hear once, but twice? We shouldn't be missing out on that. It's like when you're sitting in class not paying attention and the professor calls on you to answer a question. Now mind, you. During the first week of class the professor said that participation points will be offered. Hey, you didn't the answer to the question, no biggie. Now there are two things that can happen next. You start to either pay attention so this doesn't happen again, or you just continue to not pay attention. That leads to two outcomes. You either earn our participation points or you get a 0. The king sending out the servants and then being seized is that 0. The people kinda were like screw this, so they seized the servants and then killed them.

Third time is a charm right? Now the king tells the servants to go out the streets and to invite everyone. Not just the good people, not just the chosen people, not just the rich people, but everyone. Whether good or bad, everyone was getting an invite to the party. It was last possible solution. If nobody showed up the first time, and the second time the servants were killed, then what else could happen besides an open invite to everyone? The servants went out, invited everyone and the guests hall was now filled. After three times! How doest that happen? I would expect it to be full after the first time. But that's how the kingdom of heaven is I guess! In all of its greatness, you would think we would all want to be a part of the kingdom of heaven right this moment but that just isn't how it happens. That is what Jesus is trying to say through this entire parable. 

So once the guests arrived, the king came in to look at them. He saw a man there who had no wedding garment. He asked the man how he had gotten in without one and the man was speechless. He didn't know! So the king said this to his servants: 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' To me that sounds like a description of hell. Jesus ends with: "For many are called, but few are chosen." Many are called and few are chosen. Everyone is called by God. For we are God's chosen people! It's tough to see that only few are chosen. Right now that just seems how it is. One of the reasons I think God hasn't came back yet is that he has more to choose. There are millions of people out there who have yet to be reached. Millions of people who have no idea who Jesus is. That breaks my heart! Looking at the parable, eventually everyone showed up at the wedding feast but not all belonged. Where is your wedding garment? Have you made the decision to declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? That is when you are chosen. Not by the things you do or the things you say. Don't wait until it's too late. That day is going to come, and I hope we don't get to the day of judgment and you haven't made that decision yet. You're either going to hear, "well done good and faithful servant, or get thrown into the eternal fire. Find your garment and make that decision. 

Many are called and few are chosen...are you going to attend the feast?