Frustration(s)
I left my filter at home.
I don’t want to get into it too much. I am starting to understand Jesus parable in Matthew 22 better. Let me paraphrase it for you.
Matthew 22, In Don’s words (please read it in a real translation too)
There is a king who plans a wedding party for his son. He sends out his servants to invite everyone to the festivities. No one shows up. He tells them to go out again and give some of the features of the feast; “Tell them I have so much food they will all be leaving with leftovers. This is not McDonald’s people. This is prime rib!”
No one comes.
They have excuses. One guy went back to work on his farm, another went to his job. Others actually were so irritated they grabbed the servants, humiliated them, and killed them. Upon hearing this, the king summoned his troops and destroyed the city.
He looked at his servants and said. “the feast is ready, but those I have invited are not worthy to attend. He sent them back out into the city to gather anyone who would come. It did not matter if they were good or bad. The servants, probably battered and bruised, some in fear of their lives, went out and invited others. The hall was quickly filled with guests.
The king decided to look in on the celebration.
He noticed a guy not in “wedding clothes,” an impostor, if you will. The king grabbed him and said, “how did you make it in here, you are not even wearing the wedding garb like the others.” The man had no answer. The king called for his servants again.
“Grab this man, bind him up, and throw him out into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Where do we really stand?
I think most people are the impostor. Most of us attend the feasts, we do the church thing. We say the right phrases and listen to the right preachers and the correct music. Many of us may find ourselves like the first round of invitees. We are too busy with work and other preoccupations to actually come and enjoy the feast.
How many of us are truly the servants who do the inviting? How many of us would actually attend the feast held by the king?
How many of us would be bound up and thrown into the darkness?
-Don-
