Jesus tells a Story of Inviting
Guests to a Grand Celebration
Matthew 21:1-14
Jesus was a
storyteller. He told many stories, or
parables, as He went about His ministry of teaching the people about God and healing the
sick. His stories were part of His
teaching and they always had a meaning and a purpose. In each of His stories, Jesus
is trying to teach us a spiritual Truth. And He is trying to show us the Way so
that we might have Life.
In our story
today, Jesus is teaching that the whole world is invited to a grand heavenly party,
a wedding party, celebrating salvation! The
Father or the King sends His messengers out with His invitation. Many people will
refuse the invitation and mock the messengers who bring it. And others may even kill the messengers who
bring the invitation. Some people will
joyfully accept the invitation and let it change them. But others will refuse the invitation but then
try to break into the grand party illegally.
Jesus begins
his story about the festive wedding feast. The king’s son will be marrying his bride. A lavish royal feast is being prepared with only
the best foods and finest wines and the king is sending out messengers to
invite only his close friends and relatives to the royal dinner party and joyous
celebration. Come, taste and see that the Lord is good.
Scripture reads:
“The king sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast,
but those who were invited were not willing to come. Again. The king sent out more 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 party.’ But they made light of it and went their way,
one to his own farm, and another to his business. And the rest who were invited seized the king’s
servants, treated them spitefully and killed them.” (Matthew 22:3-6)
The king and
his son are deeply hurt. They had prepared so much for their relatives and
their loved ones. How could this be? They are heartbroken. Many of their own
would not receive them. So much had been
prepared for these chosen ones, but the ones they loved so dearly didn’t have
time. The king is angry that some of his messengers have been killed when they
were delivering his invitation. He sends
out his army to find those who have done this and let justice be served.
What is
Jesus trying to tell us in this story?
Bible scholars believe that the Son who was to be married at this
wedding feast is Christ and the bride are the believers. The bride – those who
accept the invitation for Salvation.
Those who allow Christ to take away their sins and cover them with His
robe of righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 132:9, Job 29:14, 2 Corinthians
5:21)
The marriage
holds a promise or a covenant between Christ and his believers. And the royal dinner
party, with heaven’s music, joyful dancing, rich food and fine wines, all there
to celebrate the love between Christ and His beloved believers. And also, there is rejoicing in all of the
blessings that go along with this new marriage covenant.
Some of the
blessings of this marriage covenant are pardon of sins, the favor of God, peace
and joy, the gifts and fruit of the Spirit, the promises of the gospel, the
comforts of the Holy Spirit, and the joy of eternal life – all these are part
of the preparations for this grand wedding feast and celebration. A feast that was
made for love. For laughter and
rejoicing. For fellowship. And it was
made for fulness. The design of the good news of Christ is to fill every hungry
soul with good things. No one is left wanting anything. What a celebration it will be!
All the
preparations are ready. Pardon is ready,
peace is ready, comfort is ready. The
promises are ready, and heaven at last is ready to receive us! But those who were invited are not
ready. They will not come! Not because they cannot, but because they will
not! Are all those good things to go to
waste with no one to enjoy them? What is the king to do?
Jesus
continues His story this way: “The king said to his servants, ‘The wedding is
ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. So then go into the highways and byways and as
many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ “The doors are flung open and all are
invited!
“So those servants went out into the highways
and gathered together all whom they found, both good and bad and the wedding
hall was filled with guests. “(Matthew 22:8-10) The whole world is invited to
the grand heavenly celebration. The good and the bad. The rich and the
poor. The criminals and the perverts. No one is left out. Whoever will, may come. All
who want to accept His invitation! Christ
will have His kingdom in this world!
Jesus
finishes His story. “The wedding hall is
now completely filled with excited guests!
And the king comes in to see all his guests. But the king sees a man there who does not
have on a wedding garment. The king asks
the man, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And the
man without the wedding garment has no answer.”
(Matthew 22:11-12)
The man
without the wedding garment is not able to stay at the grand wedding party! He is not allowed to remain in heaven wearing
his own dirty clothes. He cannot stay in heaven on his own in his sins. He isn’t good enough without Jesus. Without the
wedding garment, he cannot have eternal life.
Unless he accepts Jesus’ invitation to clean
him up, to wash away his sins. Unless he allows Jesus to cover him with the
wedding garment -Jesus’ robe of righteousness, - he cannot enjoy the royal celebration. Sadly, he must leave. Jesus finishes His story
by saying, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)
Jesus said: “I
am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No
person comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) I believe one of the lessons
Jesus is trying to teach us in this story is that we cannot enter heaven with
our own good works. We must have Jesus
covering us with His righteousness.
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