February 22, 2009 7:35 AM
Sam wrote:
Waoh! This wedding banquet described in the first 14 chapters is certainly 'scarey'. It seems obvious that the parable starts off describing the religious people of the day who refused to believe in Jesus. THere seems to be references here to the believers (servants) being persecuted (to death) for following Christ. Then, when the 'common folk', like you and I, are invited to this wedding, one is found to not be "wearing wedding clothes" and was promptly sent outside (to Hell---'where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth').
So, what's the point? What are these 'wedding clothes'? I think that the point is that in our churches we will find those who are there only to serve Satan, and they will not be 'wearing the clothes of Jesus', that is, the Spirit of Christ. They will be eventually found out and cast to the devil. When I first read this this morning, I thought that this was 'scary' (as I wrote above), but now I see it differently. I thought at first it was referring to us, that some of us might not be 'wearing the proper clothes', that is, we weren't doing what we are supposed to for Christ, yet calling our selves Christians. But then, I go back to the cross and remember that Christ died for my sins, and they are already forgiven. NO, I don't think that the reference to 'no wedding clothes' has to do with us not doing what we should be doing, but rather what I stated, that there will be deceivers amonst us, in and out of church, who are not thusly 'clothed' with Christ and will be exposed as time continues toward the day of Jesus' return.
The early part of the chapter DOES, I believe, refer to people who will not listen to the Word of God, or who do, reject it. This would include all who are against Christ. Reply to this
February 22, 2009 8:51 AM
Anonymous wrote:
I think it is also interesting that the end of this parable says: "For many are invited, but few are chosen" It is an interesting definition of 'chosen'. In what way were these people 'chosen' - I mean, they are all invited, right? The ones that were 'chosen' seem to be the ones that responded to the invitation and wore the right wedding clothes. So it is not 'chosen' as in predestination but chosen as the 2nd step in responding to the invitation. Reply to this
February 22, 2009 8:53 AM
Rich wrote:
I don't disagree with you Mac, however, I also think again this is Jesus speaking to a crowd to try to wake them up! I assume there were 2 sets of people listening to Jesus. There were Jewish leaders and there were regular people ("common folk"). (There are implications for us as well, since people today fall in one of these 2 groups as well).
In the first part of the story, Jesus is warning the religious, like he does many other times. The message is clear to us - if you are too busy to accept God's invitation when it comes (go to field, go to work) or too disinterested (paid no attention), God will turn to someone else. God reaches out to people, he does want all to be saved, but God does not badger and badger and beg and such until people accept - he offers and if the offer is not accepted, he goes on! But many probably heard this message and it made no sense - let him who has ears to hear, hear!
The second group is everyone else (the non-religious) who God also reaches out to. Do you ever think that because someone appears to be a complete and total heathen that God does not love him/her or that God has no interest in that person? I too often judge "open" people by whether they appear religious. If the person seems religious, I assume they are open. In fact, we see here that perhaps they are the least open. They do not have ears to hear. Maybe God has already rejected them and moved on to someone else.
In the non-religious group, there are those who accept and are excited and there are those who just want some free food! I think the guy who did not dress up just wanted some free food. He did not appreciate the gift given to him. Jesus is telling the non-religious in the group that they need to appreciate what God offers to them. They need to not just listen but to act as well.
God desires appreciation from us. Have you told God that you love him today? When is the last time you spent an entire day praising God and telling how grateful you are as opposed to giving him another list of things you need? To be honest, it has been a very long time since I spent a full day praising God. I make up my list of needs and tell him about that everyday. I cry out when things are falling apart. Today is Sunday. Today I am going to try with all my power to just praise God, beginning by going to church to PRAISE God as opposed to going because it is the thing to do on Sunday or going because I want God to bless me or I think the because I go there is a better chance that things will go well this week for me. I am going and I will spend today with one theme in my head - PRAISE GOD!!! I want him to know that regardless of what is happening in my life or in the world, I appreciate and love him. (PERIOD)!!! Reply to this
February 22, 2009 9:13 AM
Johnbob wrote:
Anonymous here again - anyway, The last 2 parables (the tenants and wedding banquet) are very heavy - very moving, and although it is difficult to tell through the written word, probably told with some emotion. Jesus knew that his teaching would lead to his death soon, but the didn't hold back - he didn't candy-coat, people-please, and he wasn't weak and feeble like that Renaissance paintings. I mean anyone who had a heart for God couldn't miss the message of the tenants and not be moved by it. The message is that God has sent prophets in their lives time and time again, and then he sent his son - you can almost 'hear the pain' in his voice in the sense that he sends his one and only son - surely they will listen to him - God is the ultimate optimist - almost naive (sp?). Why risk sending his one and only son to tenants who have done nothing to think that they would respond correctly. We always think that it is just out of God's love. But there was no 'love' for the tenants, per se. There was trust, hope, optimism that that those tenants, like the those invited to the wedding, would do the obvious right thing - I mean, how can these people be so callous (so 'obtuse' from Shawshank). That is what God really wants to get across - that the Son of God is right in front of them and they are so hardened, even though they are religious. God appreciates more when terrible sinners repent. I think it was the ultimate slam against the pharisees to tell them that the tax collectors and prostitutes are getting into the kingdom before they do, because they responded.
God really hopes that we will respond to the truth and to the the prophets he has sent in our lives. Reply to this
Waoh! This wedding banquet described in the first 14 chapters is certainly 'scarey'. It seems obvious that the parable starts off describing the religious people of the day who refused to believe in Jesus. THere seems to be references here to the believers (servants) being persecuted (to death) for following Christ. Then, when the 'common folk', like you and I, are invited to this wedding, one is found to not be "wearing wedding clothes" and was promptly sent outside (to Hell---'where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth').
So, what's the point? What are these 'wedding clothes'? I think that the point is that in our churches we will find those who are there only to serve Satan, and they will not be 'wearing the clothes of Jesus', that is, the Spirit of Christ. They will be eventually found out and cast to the devil.
When I first read this this morning, I thought that this was 'scary' (as I wrote above), but now I see it differently. I thought at first it was referring to us, that some of us might not be 'wearing the proper clothes', that is, we weren't doing what we are supposed to for Christ, yet calling our selves Christians. But then, I go back to the cross and remember that Christ died for my sins, and they are already forgiven. NO, I don't think that the reference to 'no wedding clothes' has to do with us not doing what we should be doing, but rather what I stated, that there will be deceivers amonst us, in and out of church, who are not thusly 'clothed' with Christ and will be exposed as time continues toward the day of Jesus' return.
The early part of the chapter DOES, I believe, refer to people who will not listen to the Word of God, or who do, reject it. This would include all who are against Christ.
Reply to this
I think it is also interesting that the end of this parable says:
"For many are invited, but few are chosen"
It is an interesting definition of 'chosen'. In what way were these people 'chosen' - I mean, they are all invited, right? The ones that were 'chosen' seem to be the ones that responded to the invitation and wore the right wedding clothes. So it is not 'chosen' as in predestination but chosen as the 2nd step in responding to the invitation.
Reply to this
Good point, anon. You read more carefully than me and you thought about what you read.
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I don't disagree with you Mac, however, I also think again this is Jesus speaking to a crowd to try to wake them up! I assume there were 2 sets of people listening to Jesus. There were Jewish leaders and there were regular people ("common folk"). (There are implications for us as well, since people today fall in one of these 2 groups as well).
In the first part of the story, Jesus is warning the religious, like he does many other times. The message is clear to us - if you are too busy to accept God's invitation when it comes (go to field, go to work) or too disinterested (paid no attention), God will turn to someone else. God reaches out to people, he does want all to be saved, but God does not badger and badger and beg and such until people accept - he offers and if the offer is not accepted, he goes on! But many probably heard this message and it made no sense - let him who has ears to hear, hear!
The second group is everyone else (the non-religious) who God also reaches out to. Do you ever think that because someone appears to be a complete and total heathen that God does not love him/her or that God has no interest in that person? I too often judge "open" people by whether they appear religious. If the person seems religious, I assume they are open. In fact, we see here that perhaps they are the least open. They do not have ears to hear. Maybe God has already rejected them and moved on to someone else.
In the non-religious group, there are those who accept and are excited and there are those who just want some free food! I think the guy who did not dress up just wanted some free food. He did not appreciate the gift given to him. Jesus is telling the non-religious in the group that they need to appreciate what God offers to them. They need to not just listen but to act as well.
God desires appreciation from us. Have you told God that you love him today? When is the last time you spent an entire day praising God and telling how grateful you are as opposed to giving him another list of things you need? To be honest, it has been a very long time since I spent a full day praising God. I make up my list of needs and tell him about that everyday. I cry out when things are falling apart. Today is Sunday. Today I am going to try with all my power to just praise God, beginning by going to church to PRAISE God as opposed to going because it is the thing to do on Sunday or going because I want God to bless me or I think the because I go there is a better chance that things will go well this week for me. I am going and I will spend today with one theme in my head - PRAISE GOD!!! I want him to know that regardless of what is happening in my life or in the world, I appreciate and love him. (PERIOD)!!!
Reply to this
Anonymous here again - anyway, The last 2 parables (the tenants and wedding banquet) are very heavy - very moving, and although it is difficult to tell through the written word, probably told with some emotion. Jesus knew that his teaching would lead to his death soon, but the didn't hold back - he didn't candy-coat, people-please, and he wasn't weak and feeble like that Renaissance paintings. I mean anyone who had a heart for God couldn't miss the message of the tenants and not be moved by it. The message is that God has sent prophets in their lives time and time again, and then he sent his son - you can almost 'hear the pain' in his voice in the sense that he sends his one and only son - surely they will listen to him - God is the ultimate optimist - almost naive (sp?). Why risk sending his one and only son to tenants who have done nothing to think that they would respond correctly. We always think that it is just out of God's love. But there was no 'love' for the tenants, per se. There was trust, hope, optimism that that those tenants, like the those invited to the wedding, would do the obvious right thing - I mean, how can these people be so callous (so 'obtuse' from Shawshank). That is what God really wants to get across - that the Son of God is right in front of them and they are so hardened, even though they are religious. God appreciates more when terrible sinners repent. I think it was the ultimate slam against the pharisees to tell them that the tax collectors and prostitutes are getting into the kingdom before they do, because they responded.
God really hopes that we will respond to the truth and to the the prophets he has sent in our lives.
Reply to this