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Author: Stephen Weller
787 words, 4 minutes read time

The First Invitation

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-6

With the previous lesson we finished another event of a very busy Tuesday for Jesus. With this lesson we will begin another event, which is also a parable. This one is about a wedding feast a king gave for his son.

^{Mt 22:1} And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

According to what we covered in Mark in the previous lesson, it appears that either the religious leaders were leaving at the time of this parable or had already left, so they may or may not have heard the consequences that will come upon them because of their failure to fulfill the commands of God to them. I believe the statement of Mark 12:12: “So they left him and went away” should have been placed after this parable in the harmonization narrative.

The wedding feast here described would be a countrywide celebration that would have lasted for several days. The “feast” represents enjoying fellowship with God in his kingdom and coming to the feast represents entering that kingdom.

Sometime in the past, invitations were sent out announcing the coming of the wedding feast. That time has now come, and the servants of the king were sent out to call those who were previously invited but they would not come. Refusing this direct invitation from the king would be a dangerous resistance to his authority as well as an extreme insult. An illustration of this is found in Ester 6:14 ESV: “While [Haman’s wife and friends] were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.”

^{Mt 22:4} Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

The king sends more servants to those invited and again invites them to come explaining that a great dinner has been prepared for them and everything is ready, but again they ignored the invitation and went about their business. Some were so irritated with the invitation that they seized the king’s servants and treated them shamefully, even killing some.

God has sent his messengers to the religious leaders of Israel, again and again, but they would not listen. God sends his messengers to those who are lost to invite them to come but many refused. Refusing God’s invitation leads us to a question found in Hebrews 2:3 ESV: “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.”

In Hebrews 10 and 12, we find reminders of what will happen if we ignore God’s invitation to come. 28 “Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28 – 29 ESV). God has provided us with so much evidence and direction that we have no excuse, and if we refuse to come, do we not deserve justices under the law?

“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.” (Hebrews 12:25 ESV). God raised up messengers on earth to invite people to come, and because of his love for the world, God sent his Son from heaven (John 3:16) to invite us to come.

Conclusion

The invitation to come for salvation is clear and judgment for refusal is certain under the law of God. What good reason do we have for not accepting the invitation? Is there any reason that is greater than the statement: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 ESV)?