I want to talk a little about most of the parables/questions found in this chapter. The first parable is about a king who is hosting a wedding banquet. The king sends his servants to bring the invited guests to the banquet, but the guests refuse to come. So the king tells the servants to invite and bring anyone they can find...even off the streets. These people come, but one guy doesn't put on his wedding clothes...even though they were provided. The king asks the guy why he wasn't wearing wedding clothes, and this guy was speechless. So the king tells his servants to throw this guy out into the night, away from the party because the guy didn't do what the king requested him to do.
Jesus' point?
"For many are invited, but few are chosen." ~Matthew 22:14
Now remember, this parable came right after the last two parables in Matthew 21, when the chief priests asked Jesus by whose authority he was doing things. The last two parables in Matthew 21 and the first one in Matthew 22 have a striking similarity....
I don't think it's too hard to figure out the meaning of the parable of the wedding banquet, found in Matthew 22:1-14. Jesus is like the king in the story, and invited guests (the "good" people, religious leaders, etc.) to come to his party. They refused...so Jesus brought in a bunch of people off the streets...like tax collectors and sinners. And when Jesus found a religious leader at his party, not doing what Jesus commanded, Jesus threw the guy out. At least that's my take. I think it was pretty obvious to the religious leaders what Jesus was taking about in his parables here.
The Pharisees, Saducees, and their cohorts continue to try to trap Jesus throughout the chapter, whether it be on paying taxes to Caesar, marriage at the Resurrection, or what the greatest commandment is.
Scripture:
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. "~Matthew 22:37-38
Observation:
I suppose most everyone else will SOAP about this passage too, and I suppose I could've chosen a different one, but I really liked Jesus' reply to the question of which is the greatest commandment (see his answer in above Scripture).
Application:
Do we love God with everything we got? Do we give him every part of us, or just a few hours on the weekend? I mean, do we give him EVERYTHING????? At times I know it can be hard to do so. I'm still a teenager, and there seems to be so many things to devote myself to. Work, sleep, school, friends...do we really give God everything, and let him be in control of our lives?
But when we do love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and do give him everything we got, every other part of our life's puzzle falls together! Over the past few weeks I have been once again amazed at God's leading. First, I got my ACT results, and they are very good...I will quite possibly be able to receive several college scholarships. Just a few weeks ago I thought I would have no part-time summer job, and no part-time school year job either. Now, I have both a part-time job for this summer and next school year lined up. Praise the Lord for my jobs and score--but my point isn't about me. When we give ourselves 100% to God, he will give us/find a way for us to get everything we need. What was that verse in Matthew that we studied a few weeks ago??
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33
Prayer:
Awesome God, you are truly amazing and awesome. Thank you for promising to give me everything I need if I only seek you first. Help me to give all of myself to you, and love you with all of my heart. I know that "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13). Amen.
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