Imagine a knock on your door. Your Ring camera shows two gentlemen in the attire of a king’s footman. Intrigued, you open the door. “You’re on the king’s guest list. He requests the pleasure of your company at the wedding feast for his son,” they say.
What would you do? In the U.S., we are not used to royalty, so a royal invitation is most likely not going to happen. But what if it did? Wouldn’t you say, “Well, yes, of course,” and rush out to buy some new finery to look your best at the king’s table?
This is precisely what happened at the wedding feast of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 22. The king had a list of invitees. Those on the list even had wedding attire given to them by the king. He sent out his servants, but they would not come. He sent out a bunch more to urge them: “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” (Matthew 22:4).
The response was astoundingly rude. some said they were simply too busy, while others even seized the servants and killed them.
The king’s understandable response was to disinvite them, calling them “not worthy” (vs. 8), and send his surviving servants out to the highways and byways to invite whoever they could find and provide them with the proper attire.
One of those apparently snuck in without the proper clothing, and he met an unfortunate fate: “outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (vs. 13)
We could discuss lots of things related to this parable. But what stood out to me as I meditated on it this week was the response of the invited guests. What does their refusal to come say about them? And why were the people from the highways and byways deemed worthy instead?
It would be a mistake to think that Jesus is merely talking about Jews versus Gentiles or the difference in unbelievers’ responses.
He is also, and perhaps primarily, talking about a professing believer’s response to an invitation from the king. The first refusal to accept the invitation and their excuses and even violent responses to the second sent a clear message to him: You don’t matter to us. I have better things to do than to keep company with you. In other words, their hearts were hard, and they had a profound lack of awe for their monarch.
The people on the highways and byways, on the other hand, were more than happy to be there. Perhaps they were more aware of their filth and humble state, so they gladly accepted a wedding garment and came, delighted to be invited to dine with the high and mighty king in honor of his son.
You could dismiss that and say it was intended for unbelievers, but was it? I think this parable is as relevant to you and me as it is to sinners in need of salvation.
As believers, we are already on our King’s guest list. We are even marked with His seal (see Ephesians 1:13). In fact, we are guests of honor at the table as part of the Bride of His Son. An invitation to be in His company should make us leap with delight, eagerly grab for the wedding garments we received when we first entered His kingdom, and run to the banquet hall. After all, what makes the King’s feast a feast is not the food so much as His presence. Communion with Him. Face-to-face contact. We want to be there because He is there.
If we think about it, we receive an invitation to keep company with the King every day. The Bible says so:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” (Isaiah 55:3)
But how does my heart respond? Do I simply ignore the invite that awaits me the moment I wake up? Do I come with excuses, like my to-do lists or urgent matters I must attend to?
When I do, what does that say about how I feel towards the King?
I don’t know about you, but I felt deeply convicted that every time I dismiss a nudge to pray and turn to something else—often inconsequential—I reject the presence of the King of Kings Who is knocking at my door because He desires my company. That tells me that I lack adoration and awe for God.
That’s not good. He promises to let spiritual riches flow into our lives when we come to Him. He gave His life in the most horrible way possible so I could be clothed with the mantle of holiness and righteousness required to enter His presence.
Yet I can dismiss His invitation so easily simply because I’m distracted by everything around me that is sending me invitations, too.
I must decide what is more important: the loving company of my King and all the benefits that flow from His throne when I show up or the tyranny of the urgent.
Perhaps that’s why Paul wrote:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)
Know that the minute you open your eyes and you become conscious, the invitation to enter and abide in the presence of the King awaits you. Don’t refuse or put off. It betrays your lack of awe and adoration for Him and puts you at risk of being deemed unworthy. Even Paul was scared of that, so let’s not be flippant about our chances. Of course, we must do earthly things, too. But by heeding HIs daily invite and seeking His presence first, we ensure that we remain in His presence even as we go about our business.
Let me be the humble servant of the King today and say: The King invites you! Come! Eat! Enjoy His presence, and don’t delay!
He is worth it.
And, oh – don’t kill; the messenger!
Photo credit: Michu Dang Quang/Unsplash.com