An Invitation

Our reading today takes place sometime between Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his Last Supper with the disciples. So, it falls into his last week on earth as a mere mortal wearing human flesh. In this last week, he talks to the disciples a lot about the kingdom of heaven. There could have been a multitude of reasons for this, but two I can be pretty sure of are that it was heavy on his heart and mind as he faced human death, and that he wanted to make sure the disciples "got it."

In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus is telling an allegory of the Jewish nation. The King is God. The King's son is Jesus. The servants sent to the invited guests are the Old Testament prophets. The invited guests represent the Jewish nation. The servants sent to the uninvited guests could very well be the disciples from the New Testament. The uninvited guests are you, me and the rest of the "Gentiles," essentially the rest of the world. In Jesus' culture, two invitations were expected for banquets. One asking guests to attend and another announcing that all is ready. In this story, God sent out three invitations, and each time they rejected his invitation. God invites us again and again- have you accepted his invitation?

One guest accepted the invitation, but only for his own personal pleasure. In this culture, wedding guests were given garments to wear to the banquet. Can you imagine having to provide clothes to everyone who attended your wedding? To refuse to wear them was an insult to the host. Christ has provided us with a new garment of righteousness to wear as we enter heaven. To refuse that new garment shows the ultimate insult to Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. God will not accept anyone who refuses to pay honor to His son. We all have an invitation, but we must be willing to accept the garments that come with it.

All that Jesus was saying obviously hit a little too close to home for the Pharisees and other religious groups of the day. They begin plotting to "trap" Jesus. Their common hatred united former enemies against Him. They all try to be the smartest and stump Jesus. Each time they only end up making themselves look like fools. Anyone else ever tried to look smart and ended up showing just how foolish you really were?!

They start off flattering Jesus. Always be wary of anyone who begins a conversation by flattering you! They probably either want something or want to try and manipulate you into doing something. Neither is a good scenario! In this instance, they wanted Jesus to pick a side. The church, or the government. No one likes to pay taxes, but not doing so carries serious consequences even today. Many people have been ruined by trying to cheat the government out of the money they owe them. We are expected to abide by the laws of the country we are in. But, at the same time, Jesus reminds them that we have a dual citizenship. Our primary allegiance and commitment should be to God and his eternal Kingdom. After all, while images from our country are on our currency, we bear the image of God. "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

After failing to trap Jesus with politics, they try to out think him. Again, Jesus shows how short sighted their thinking was- pointing out that heaven is going to be much more than we could ever expect or imagine. He also pointed out that they should not be so concerned with the things of heaven that they forget to live for God in this life. He also quickly summed up all of the law in the Old Testament for them: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments"

Love God.

Love others.

Who is first on my list of "loves?" Do my priorities need rearranging?

Obviously, the religious leaders of the day had things in the wrong order. God and others had to take a backseat to their own personal egos and agendas. Chapter 23 reads like a cautionary tale- be careful not to lift yourself up at the expense of others. By their actions and attitudes, the religious leaders of the day actually served to drive people further away from God rather than drawing them to Him. They were more concerned with the outward appearance of holiness than the actual conditions of their heart. Jesus says that He longs to care for, comfort and protect his people, but they run from it. Instead, they will become guilty of the blood of generations of martyrs when they send Jesus to the cross to die for them all.

Jesus sends us all an invitation to a beautiful wedding feast. It's written in his blood, and sparkling white garments are provided for us to wear to the banquet if we are willing. He offers us his protection and covering, warmth and care. Are you willing to accept his invitation?

Please enjoy this beautiful song called "The Invitation."