Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the parable of the wedding feast to further understand the similarities of heaven’s kingdom: “for there are many called, but few chosen.” We read it in Mat 22:14. Here the Lord God wants to make a wedding for his Son, and men want to kill him. But to this thought of the king is attached the marvelous grace which wishes to make the sinner participate in the wedding of which only the son was worthy. And it is from these thoughts of God towards his Son that the eternal happiness of the guests flows, for if God had acted towards us according to what we deserved, we should only know the darkness outside, far from the scene of happiness which our Savior is the center.
This is how the King sent his servants (the prophets) to invite the guests to the wedding feast, but they would not come. This first invitation took place for the Jews while the Lord Jesus was on earth; it was to make them enjoy the blessings that the Son of man brought them, but they refused. And after his death, God sent yet other servants (his apostles) to the invited, always the Jews, saying: “Behold, I have prepared my feast; my bulls and my fat animals are killed and everything is ready: come to the wedding”. For by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, everything was ready, so that these guilty could enjoy the grace offered to them.
Instead, without repenting that they had put their Messiah to death and believing themselves masters of the inheritance, they had disregarded this second invitation and “went, this one to his field, that one to his traffic; and the rest, seizing his servants, insulted them and killed them”. From then on, it was all over with Israel who refused Christ while he was here and still refused him after his death. Then the king was angry; he sent his troops, he destroyed these murderers, and burned their city.
Then the message of grace was addressed to the nations and the king said to his servants: “The wedding feast is ready, but the invited were not worthy; go therefore to the crossroads, and call to the weddings all that you find, invite them to the weddings. And these servants went out into the ways, and gathered together all they found, evil and good; and the wedding hall was full of guests”.
It was that the apostles and disciples of Jesus went beyond the borders of Israel and proclaimed the gospel to the nations. And this work of grace has been accomplished and continues to this day. All have been invited to take their places at the table of grace to enjoy the heavenly and eternal blessings that are in Christ. But the parable goes beyond our current time to show what will happen, at the end of the present dispensation, to those who will have taken their places at the King’s table, without having conformed to his thoughts. For the time will come when the king will know the results of the message he is sending to all.
Therefore, having entered to see those who were at table, the king saw a man there who had not put on a wedding garment and said to him: My friend, how did you come in here, without having a wedding garment? wedding? This man had his mouth shut. Then the king said to the servants, Bind his feet and his hands, and cast him into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Because there are many called, but few chosen.
The Lord thus shows us in his talks and speeches the different classes of the people, his relations with God in all respects, and above all, shows us the position he himself took. He shows their national position first as being responsible to Him, according to the natural conscience and the privileges which belonged to them. But for having rejected it, the consequences will be their retrenchment and their replacement by others in the vineyard of the Lord. For the Lord God shows the certainty of the promises made to their fathers, as well as the relationship of God with them with regard to life and the resurrection. Finally, he shows them the position that the Son of David took (Ps 110).
Finally, we note that the responsibility of the nation, seen as enjoying its ancient privileges, was not assumed because it should have borne fruit. Not having done so, another nation is substituted for it. And Jesus’ death, the last of those who had been sent to seek fruit, brings judgment on these murderers (Mat 21.31-41). Then the refusal of the testimony of the kingdom brought judgment on the vine growers, that is, the scribes, the chief priests and the heads of the people. For some despised the message, others mistreated the messengers, and grace thus being rejected, their city was then burned, and its inhabitants cut off (Mat 23:36, Luke 21).
The following verses are compiled for your edification and grouped together to facilitate your understanding.
- the wedding of the king’s son
-Christ as husband:
Mat 9.15 “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. Mt 25.1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Mt 25.6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Jn 3.29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
-The Church as bride:
Isa 62.5 As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. 2 Cor 11.2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him; Rev 19: 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; Rev 21.2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
-The men of God are sent as messengers of God: Isa 48.16 “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, endowed with his Spirit; Jer 25.4 And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention; Za 2.12 The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem; Luke 1.19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news; Jn 1.6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
– Divine call to repentance and to a righteous life: Jr 35.15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me; Ez 33.11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me;
-A divine call declined by men: Ps 81.11 “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. Jer 7.13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer; Jn 5.40 And you do not want to come to me to have life! Rom 10.21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
-The invitations # to purify yourself: Isa 1.18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool; # to receive rest for the soul: Mt 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest; # to respond to the king’s urgent invitation: Mt 22.4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’; # come to the feast of the Gospel: Luke 14.17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’At supper time, he sent his servant to say to the guests: Come, for everything is already ready .; # come and answer the triple call: Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
-The divine pleadings: Pr 1.24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand; Isa 55.1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost; Ezekiel 18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?; Mt 6.3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing; Mt 23.37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing; 2 Cor 5.20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
-People of God called “the chosen people” Dt 7.6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Ps 4.4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent; 1 Cor 1.26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth; Eph 1.4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love; James 2.5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 1 P 2.10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- The separation
-Between the righteous and the ungodly: Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Mt 13.49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous; Mt 25.32 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; Luke 16.26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Luke 17.34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left; Rev 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
-The future of the wicked described as the banishment from the presence of God: Mt 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Mt 8:12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”; Mt 22.13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; Mt 25.46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
-The darkness, symbol of punishment: Pr 20.20 If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness;; Job 18.5 “The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. 2 P 2.17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them; Jude 6 which he reserved for the judgment of the great day, chained eternally by darkness, the angels who did not keep their dignity, but who forsook their own home;
-Total destruction foretold: Isa 34.2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is on all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter; Jer 25.9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin; I will bring him against this land and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations roundabout, to consecrate them by interdict, and to make them an object of desolation and mockery, eternal ruins; Mt 3.9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham; Luke 3.9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 2 Th 1.9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might;; Rev 18.21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
-Few saved: the number of saved is minimal: Mt 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it; Mt 22.14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”; Luke 13:24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to; 1 P 3.20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water; Rev 3.4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
From all the above, we note that the responsibility of the nation, seen as enjoying its former privileges, was not assumed by those concerned because they should have borne fruit. And not having done so, another nation was substituted to him. Then Jesus’ death, the last of those who had been sent to seek fruit, brought judgment on these murderers. Then the refusal of the testimony of the kingdom brought judgment on the vine growers, that is, the scribes, the chief priests and the heads of the people. For they did not wear a wedding garment: some despised the message, others mistreated the messengers, and grace thus being rejected, they were cut off into outer darkness. Today we are faced with the same situation where we should seek to be part of the small number of elect in the wedding garment. Our prayers support you all in your efforts towards this goal.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to respond to your queries and comments as necessary, before sharing with you next week on the parable of the bad vine growers: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. “
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.