Many Are Called, but Few are Chosen

Meditate. Are you called…chosen?

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." Matthew 22:1-14  

Purity in the Lord.
Do you have the purity of this water lily?
What garmet will you wear to the banquet?

Feasts and weeping…many are called, but few are chosen. Jesus used parables to teach His followers…but He often used a more direct approach in teaching His disciples, such as an actual occurrence involving a healing episode. On one such occasion Jesus was asked by a Roman officer to heal his paralyzed servant—just by saying so, not by going to the servant. The Roman officer displayed such a great level of faith in Jesus that He was amazed.

And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west--and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 8:11-12

Jesus used that wedding feast that we all expect to see in the Kingdom of Heaven as an illustration of a reward that believers will get…in contrast to what non-believers will get—the gnashing of teeth and great sorrowful crying. It will be a very sad time for those who reject Jesus Christ. This passage is only mentioning the Israelites who reject Jesus…but anyone who rejects Him will be eternally miserable. For the rest of us who know and faithfully love the Lord…happy days. Whether that banquet feast in the Kingdom of Heaven is one that has actual physical food—or only spiritual food—it won’t matter. Can you imagine feasting with the great Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

Jesus uses the wedding feast that a king—like His Father—hosts to celebrate the wedding of His Son—Jesus—to illustrate the invitation of the guests to the wedding and the banquet. Proper wedding clothes must also be considered. What we wear does show a commitment—a way of caring about the event we are attending.

How often do you ignore an invitation to an event? Especially during this time of COVID social restrictions we aren’t getting many invitations to special occasions. Weddings, funerals, graduation and birthday parties happen with only a few people attending. Those who attend in larger groups invariably are putting themselves and others at risk of getting COVID. Is that reason to not attend gatherings? For those who are vaccinated or for those who are not…there is a risk. Compare that to the risk of ignoring Jesus or accepting the invitation to not just knowing Him, but believing in Him…and having a relationship with Him. Relationship. That is what counts…that is what matters in life. Food sustains us, physically and spiritually, but relationships make life worth living. Live for what matters and don’t ignore the invitations that God sends to you. 

Prayer ~ Lord God, open my eyes and heart to Your truths and help me to see the invitations that You give me…not only to know Jesus as my Savior, but to the gifts You give me to use in service to others. I am so looking forward to celebrating the wedding feast one day with You.      May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Verse of Salvation ~ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14

Bible Trivia Answer to the Question: What are we to “seek first” according to the Sermon on the Mount recorded in the book of Matthew?

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Bible Trivia Question for next week: What tree to we see at the beginning and end of the Bible?

© 2021 Text, photos and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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