March 3

Matthew 22:1-14 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:11-14

Observation

I think that when a person is about to die and he knows it, he becomes very focused and the things he wants to talk about become very distilled. Jesus has just entered Jerusalem, cleansed the temple and is facing a large crowd of people whose hearts are very fickle. Some are folks who want to just silence him and get rid of him. Others seem to adore him but for the wrong reasons and he knows that they will turn on him in a day's time. And he knows his script all too well, that he will be walking that lonely road with that burden that is not light and a yoke that will bind him into a darkness that we cannot fathom. And what does he talk about at this time? He gives an insight into the father's heart. The father is preparing a feast and the invitation is sent out in sequence, first to a select group, and then because those people refuse to come and otherwise behave very badly, the invitation list grows. Jesus' parables are confusing at times but here, the story is very simple and plain. God reaches out to mankind through a variety of means. His heart is for people to simply say yes to his invitation. Prophets came and went, with messages of hope at times and warning at others. But the messages were from God to people. And with Jesus, the invitation goes out to all of mankind, to the highways and byways. The Father's heart is that none should perish but the refusals, the rejections, the mistreatments seem to be the norm, throughout history. And even among those that do respond well to the invitation, there are hypocrites who saw the value of joining the feast but really were not interested in the festivities except for whatever benefits they could extract.

Application

In this day, what part do I, as a believer, play? I should take on the role of the servant who goes out to deliver the invitation so that all will know that they too are invited.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the invitation that is still being sent out, that your heart is open to all who would receive it. Help me to deliver that piece of mail to my world.

--JHH