Show Me The Money

In the culture of our text today two invitations were expected, the first to inform the guest that there was going to be a wedding, then the second was to let everyone know that everything was ready. In the parable today, we see that the king has sent out three invites. Number one isn’t written down but the people of the time would have known that the guest had already been informed of the wedding, two was when he sent the servants out to tell everyone the banquet was ready, after everyone refused to come the third invitation went out and some had other things to do and ignored the invitation while others seized the messengers and insulted them and killed them.

This is about the rejection of the Jews. The prophets were rejected by the Jewish people, most of the Jews ignored John the Baptist, and they killed Jesus. It’s obvious that the text today was a parable that would have hit home with the Jewish leaders.

Then the king opens up the invitation to everyone, the good & the bad, he told the servants to go out on the streets and open the invitation to all. The banquet hall was filled with guest but one wasn’t dressed for the occasion and the king asked him why and he didn’t have an answer so the king had him tied up and thrown out.

And Jesus ended the parable with this statement “for many are called, but few are chosen”

So you may asked why the king was so harsh on this man, after all he came on short notice. What we must understand is that the king would have provided the wedding clothes for the unsuspecting guest, and for whatever reason , arrogance or just plain, you’re not gonna tell me what to wear attitude. So he threw him out where there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It’s plain to see that this parable is about the rejection of Jesus by the Jews and the invitation to the Kingdom of heaven being opened to the gentiles. Now it’s a great thing that you and I have been invited to the banquet but something in the parable if we think about it bothers us a little.

The thing that seems to bother us about this parable is that guest that got thrown out. It bothers people that not everyone is going to make it to the right side of eternity, it troubles us when we realize that not everyone will make it to heaven.

There is a current mindset in our society that all roads lead to God and that any religion will get you to heaven, don’t be fooled by that misconception. Jesus said that He was the way, The Truth & the Life and no one came to the Father except through Him

Scripture is clear that everyone will not make it to heaven, we are told in

Matthew 7: 13-14 that Jesus said Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:21 Jesus says Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Mathew 25:32-34 all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. 34Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.…

We have all been invited, the text today makes it clear as well as other scripture in the Bible.

Isaiah 55:1 every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost

Revelation 22:17 and the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

You see we have all been invited, we have all been given an opportunity to put on the wedding clothes of righteousness, but some are too busy, some reject the invitation outright and some think that they can sit at the table and go unnoticed. But that’s not how it works. We must be born again.

We don’t get into the banquet unless we have Jesus as our savior.