Parable of the Wedding Feast
Let us meditate on Mathew 22:1-5. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other 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”. But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business…”In this passage, we read that the king, out of his love for his people, not only invited a select group of people to the marriage but also sent His servants to call them personally. The great tragedy was that the chosen people “were not willing to come”. But the king did not relent in his efforts and sent out “other servants” with a specific invitation telling the chosen people about the great benefits that could be enjoyed by them. Today, similarly, the King of Kings sends out His special invitation to His chosen people through “other servants” like me, reminding them of His dinner. Oh, beloved guests of the great King, your King has killed His oxen and fatted cattle. Are you in the midst of a severe financial crisis, unemployment or any other problem in your life? Why cannot you lift up your eyes and see what great blessings are in store for you in His Kingdom? “My oxen and fatted cattle are killed”, tells your King. The oxen and fatted cattle are symbolic of His great spiritual and material blessings that await you in His Kingdom. “All things are ready”, He further tells you. You need not strive any longer to get such ready-made blessings. You have to simply “come to the wedding”.
It is a pity that they “made light of” His repeated invitations and “went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business…” Oh, dear wedding guest, as you read this message, are you hearing His small voice of invitation, bidding you to the marriage? Do not make light of it and go your own way. I quote a parable here. A five star hotel has thrown its door open to all the people in the town to get into it and eat the delicious food specially prepared for them. A blaring loudspeaker announces the grand invitation. But, a hungry man who passes by that side makes light of this invitation and goes hungry.
Let us forget our own farm or our own business today and take heed to his repeated invitations. We give priority to our own farms and businesses and relegate a back seat to Jesus in our life. Do you fall under the category of the people chosen for the wedding dinner who “were not willing to come”? Today, this final invitation comes to you bidding you to come to the “wedding”.
Marriage of the king’s on means the salvation to be experienced by accepting Jesus as the Savior. The kingdom of heaven is “like a certain king who arranged a marriage of his son”. The chosen people have not taken seriously the invitation extended to them. They not only ignored the invitation, but also seized the servants of the king and killed them.
In many nations including some Christian nations, there is a persecution of the evangelical churches. Various laws are being enacted for preventing the true ministers of God from evangelizing or from preaching the truth of the Word. The servants of the King of Kings in these nations are being persecuted and killed. The King, on hearing about it, is furious. He sends out His armies, destroys these murderers and burns up their city. God chose Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonians to judge and destroy His own people of Israel (Hab.1: 6). The armies of Babylonians or Chaldeans became the armies of God.
Since the invited people are not worthy, the King is asking His servants to “go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding”. In these last days, when the people of Christian nations are not accepting Christ, the people of non-Christian nations are accepting Christ and are being brought to the kingdom of heaven.
Even in the kingdom of heaven, the King “saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment”. Merely accepting Christ and entering the kingdom of heaven is not enough. Growing in holiness and conforming to the image of Christ would only confer us the wedding garments. One who has entered the kingdom of heaven but without the wedding garment may be thrown out and cast “into outer darkness”. Many a slip between the cup and the sip!
Let us heed the invitation of the King and come to the wedding. We should put on the wedding garments once we enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Job Anbalagan