Sermon on 18 August 2024 by Pastor Gaius Lee
Matthew 22:1-14 - “Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! “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!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 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.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.””
The church of Christ is the bride and Jesus is the groom. Jesus prepared the feast for us but some of us don’t thank Him or even turn up for the feast. When Jesus came to Earth, He was to reach out to the descendants of Abraham. But they rejected His salvation message. Instead, the message reached the Gentiles. Although He was rejected and despised, His love expanded. Even though we reject Him, He still wants to accept us. That shows His great love.
Matthew 21:45-46 - “When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.”
Jesus was correcting many misconceptions. The chief priests and Pharisees thought that they were better than others. Many are called but few are chosen. The hearts of these people were hardened. This was what prompted Jesus to share about the parable of the wedding feast.
Do we think that we are better than others? Do we really feel happy for others achievements or do we get jealous? We are not meant to compete but to help each other out, just like how our five fingers are not the same length. The Pharisees wanted to prove that they were better than others. If you want to be chosen, you need to be humble. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We are unprofitable servants. We are just a vessel to God.
Matthew 22:2 - ““The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.”
Weddings are big events for Asians. The Jews had many traditions to follow in the past too. Do we like to be invited to an important wedding?
Matthew 22:3 - “When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!”
We are on God’s invitation list. We are not created randomly without thoughts or plans. None of us are an accident. It was all by God’s plan and purpose. He doesn’t want to see anyone perish but to receive His eternal life. Let’s not look down on this invitation list. God wants us to encourage others to come. God invites, we respond.
Matthew 22:4-5 - ““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!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.”
God is very patient. God is not there to judge us. Even if we fail the first time, He wants to see us come the second or third time.
Luke 14:18-20 - “But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’”
All those excuses are all blessings from God. But they took the blessings of God and gave that as an excuse as to why they cannot come.
Do we accept or reject? The best gift we can give to our parents is obedience. Similarly, when God invites, it will please Him by coming. If we reject, is it because we could not or would not?
Matthew 22:6-9 - “Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.”
We might have been on the invitation list, but became unworthy.
Ephesians 4:1-3 - “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”
Luke 14:22-23 - “After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.”
Matthew 22:10 - “So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.”
If we are being invited, it is not because of our achievements. Are we better than others? God is not looking at that. We cannot judge others in that way. At the end, it is God who will judge us. When God invites, we respond. Put off I, put on Christ.
Matthew 22:11-13 - ““But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 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.’”
Revelation 19:7-9 - “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.””
When we believe, we do the things that God says.
Revelation 22:14 - “Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.”
The invitation is by God. We don’t have to do anything but to respond. Let’s watch ourselves in our daily walk. Are we more important or is Christ more important? This is a life journey. It is a challenge we deal with everyday. God always upholds us. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. It is by God’s grace and mercy that we can live and fellowship with one another.
Matthew 22:14 - ““For many are called, but few are chosen.””
Amen.
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