Have you ever held a party only to have no one or just a few people show up? That’s happened to me several times. That’s the story that Jesus told in a parable in Matthew 22, which is all about His invitation to salvation that many people reject. Let’s dig in…
Parable of the Great Feast
Jesus also told them other parables. He said, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. 3 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14 NLT
I covered what Jesus was talking about in the Matthew study. Here I want to bring you a different point of view. My pastor’s son, Micah, is a missionary with Scriptures in Use, which is one of the ministries that I personally support. This ministry specializes in spreading the Gospel through storytelling in various languages of “untouched” people groups all over the world. Just like Jesus did. Micah trains Christians to tell the stories and, in turn, convert and train other Christians.
One time, when he was doing a training on this parable, one of the participants was inspired to write a poem placing the parable in modern times. I asked if I could share it here…
Excuses, Excuses
By: Mindi Hawkins
A banquet has been prepared.
No expense has been spared.
Many invitations have been sent,
but no one will come to the event.“I’m on my way to work;
my responsibilities I cannot shirk.”
“I have a church committee meeting;
that sounds more fun than eating.”“I can’t come, don’t you see?
Please excuse me.”
They have nothing but an excuse
for the invitation they refuse.There are many who reject the feast,
so go summon the least.
They are to dine from the finest platter
and their position does not matter.You have been sent
To invite the homosexual and the immigrant.
There’s room for more,
so find the homeless man and the whore.The invitation is for the outcast
and anyone with a rough past.
This message that has been proclaimed
is for those who feel ashamed.Those who rejected the first invite
will never taste a bite.
Yet the Kingdom is full of the unexpected:
those whom society has rejected.
Where do you see yourself in this story?
- Are you the person making excuses why you can’t or won’t go to church, or even read the Bible?
- Or are you the outcast, the one with the rough past, the sinner? They are the chosen.
- She didn’t mention the guy who didn’t come dressed for a wedding banquet. That’s a person who won’t repent. The person who doesn’t want to give up their life of sin. Sorry, but you’re not welcome.
Which one are You?
What’s your excuse for not letting Jesus into your life?
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
