Text: Matt. 22:1-14
Facebook live: In the midst of trial, Christ clothes and comforts you!
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
When I was 18 or 19 years old, my friends Bob, Jimmy and I went to weddings. No, I don’t mean we went to a wedding we were invited too, we just went to weddings. We dressed up in suits and headed to Mercy College. Almost every weekend they hosted four or more wedding receptions and having little money we devised a plan for a free evening.
We’d arrive with cards in our hands, slip into the reception and found a seat far away from the action. We looked like we belonged and if the time was right we got a good meal or if not we got a drink or mingled among the girls working the event. It seemed like a harmless way to kill and evening and meet girls we thought.
If the reception got a little boring we moved down the hall to another room to see if the celebration and action was better. After two or three receptions we happened upon the last wedding reception, slipped in and found our seat.
The bride and her father were just beginning the daddy, daughter dance and soon others joined in to dance with the bride. To my surprise as I looked on my friend Bob walked up and took his turn dancing with the bride. A bit bold you might say, but this was the fourth wedding this evening and by now we were pros at this.
Following the dance Bob, Jimmy and I were having drinks at the bar when this man came up and started a conversation with us. As we talked he asked us what side of the family we were from. Bob quickly said, “The groom’s side!” To which the man look right at him and said, “I’m the groom!”
Needless to say, we were shown the door.
Trusting in ourselves and without a proper invitation we were found out and cast out into the darkness of the evening left to find our car and go home.
In the midst of trial Christ clothes and comforts you!
22 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
So Jesus moves right from the master and the vineyard parable from last week to the parable of the wedding feast. The chief priests and the Pharisees had just realized that Jesus was talking about them as the ones who would be removed from the vineyard and it would be given to other tenants.
Now, with the wedding feast parable He once again paints the picture of those who will be welcomed at the feast.
4 Again he 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.”
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
The chief priests and Pharisees are once again singled out as those who having abused the vineyard and the servants sent to get the master’s good grapes are now in this parable, the ones called to the feast but pay no attention and shun the invitation.
So like the master in the previous parable who will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants:
7 The king [too] was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
So He tells them;
9 Go … to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Both … bad and good … those who, to human eyes appear to be worthy, and those who we might assume would never be invited, are called.
Maybe you found my little wedding story funny. It is, though in hindsight it can be one story on the road to destruction. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase;
"Remember that for every mile you drive there are two miles of ditch".
It’s just a simple analogy but profound reality that for every road we travel in life, there are two miles of ditch along the way inviting us to veer off the road and into the ditch. There are twice as many chances on either side for us to stray away from God and end up in the ditch.
I’ve had times in my life where the road wasn’t clear, where it wasn’t easy to see the shoulder until the tires hit the rumble strip and woke up my awareness directing me back towards the road!
Few of us ever intend to drive into the ditch. For most of us, it is simply that in life … little by little … we move ourselves from the safety of following Jesus and end up lost and off the road God intends us to be on.
The gift of grace and faith becomes rejected and little by little the wedding garment of salvation is removed as once again you clothe yourself in the filthy rags of your own self righteousness. Those rags, like a well worn pair of jeans can be so comfortable at times that you might not even notice the change. But the reality is there. You shun God’s word, reject God’s gifts, return to your old ways and if it’s not you … maybe it a loved one who’s rejected God and is in the ditch.
It is a lonely way at times.
Without the wedding garment, you are not invited to the wedding feast and the clothes you have on, no matter how comfortable and nice they look, stink and give you away as an imposter when the bridegroom comes and asks:
11 … ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’
The wedding garment is the veil and righteousness of Christ. It is given to you by faith through the working of the Holy Spirit. You are clothed with it in baptism and made Christ’s disciple and follower. The garment of Christ identifies you as one invited to attend the feast and your place at the table is secure.
Your name card is at the table now and by faith in Christ you wear the wedding garment right now!
The devil, the world, the ditches, of life and the stain of sin cannot remove the garment of forgiveness given you in Christ!
Unlike Bob, Jimmy and me you don’t have to look for a wedding to crash because the one invitation that’s needed you have, and the one feast that matters is given to you in Christ, and Jesus has secured your place!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
When I was 18 or 19 years old, my friends Bob, Jimmy and I went to weddings. No, I don’t mean we went to a wedding we were invited too, we just went to weddings. We dressed up in suits and headed to Mercy College. Almost every weekend they hosted four or more wedding receptions and having little money we devised a plan for a free evening.
We’d arrive with cards in our hands, slip into the reception and found a seat far away from the action. We looked like we belonged and if the time was right we got a good meal or if not we got a drink or mingled among the girls working the event. It seemed like a harmless way to kill and evening and meet girls we thought.
If the reception got a little boring we moved down the hall to another room to see if the celebration and action was better. After two or three receptions we happened upon the last wedding reception, slipped in and found our seat.
The bride and her father were just beginning the daddy, daughter dance and soon others joined in to dance with the bride. To my surprise as I looked on my friend Bob walked up and took his turn dancing with the bride. A bit bold you might say, but this was the fourth wedding this evening and by now we were pros at this.
Following the dance Bob, Jimmy and I were having drinks at the bar when this man came up and started a conversation with us. As we talked he asked us what side of the family we were from. Bob quickly said, “The groom’s side!” To which the man look right at him and said, “I’m the groom!”
Needless to say, we were shown the door.
Trusting in ourselves and without a proper invitation we were found out and cast out into the darkness of the evening left to find our car and go home.
In the midst of trial Christ clothes and comforts you!
22 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
So Jesus moves right from the master and the vineyard parable from last week to the parable of the wedding feast. The chief priests and the Pharisees had just realized that Jesus was talking about them as the ones who would be removed from the vineyard and it would be given to other tenants.
Now, with the wedding feast parable He once again paints the picture of those who will be welcomed at the feast.
4 Again he 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.”
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
The chief priests and Pharisees are once again singled out as those who having abused the vineyard and the servants sent to get the master’s good grapes are now in this parable, the ones called to the feast but pay no attention and shun the invitation.
So like the master in the previous parable who will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants:
7 The king [too] was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
So He tells them;
9 Go … to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Both … bad and good … those who, to human eyes appear to be worthy, and those who we might assume would never be invited, are called.
Maybe you found my little wedding story funny. It is, though in hindsight it can be one story on the road to destruction. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase;
"Remember that for every mile you drive there are two miles of ditch".
It’s just a simple analogy but profound reality that for every road we travel in life, there are two miles of ditch along the way inviting us to veer off the road and into the ditch. There are twice as many chances on either side for us to stray away from God and end up in the ditch.
I’ve had times in my life where the road wasn’t clear, where it wasn’t easy to see the shoulder until the tires hit the rumble strip and woke up my awareness directing me back towards the road!
Few of us ever intend to drive into the ditch. For most of us, it is simply that in life … little by little … we move ourselves from the safety of following Jesus and end up lost and off the road God intends us to be on.
The gift of grace and faith becomes rejected and little by little the wedding garment of salvation is removed as once again you clothe yourself in the filthy rags of your own self righteousness. Those rags, like a well worn pair of jeans can be so comfortable at times that you might not even notice the change. But the reality is there. You shun God’s word, reject God’s gifts, return to your old ways and if it’s not you … maybe it a loved one who’s rejected God and is in the ditch.
It is a lonely way at times.
Without the wedding garment, you are not invited to the wedding feast and the clothes you have on, no matter how comfortable and nice they look, stink and give you away as an imposter when the bridegroom comes and asks:
11 … ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’
The wedding garment is the veil and righteousness of Christ. It is given to you by faith through the working of the Holy Spirit. You are clothed with it in baptism and made Christ’s disciple and follower. The garment of Christ identifies you as one invited to attend the feast and your place at the table is secure.
Your name card is at the table now and by faith in Christ you wear the wedding garment right now!
The devil, the world, the ditches, of life and the stain of sin cannot remove the garment of forgiveness given you in Christ!
Unlike Bob, Jimmy and me you don’t have to look for a wedding to crash because the one invitation that’s needed you have, and the one feast that matters is given to you in Christ, and Jesus has secured your place!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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