Transcript

Rejecting The King's Feast

Matthew 22:1-14
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith

---

To the best of my recollection it was roughly two years ago. It was a meat-lovers delight - everything from Johnson's chicken wings with the "spicy African hot sauce" to Alan's drumsticks that looked like legs off a Tyrannosaurus Rex! Table after table of brats and chili and venison. How can we forget that first men's night at the Grace Tabernacle!

A week from this Friday we have scheduled the first Men's night in our new church. We have some great activities planned in and outside of the gym, a guy's devotional from the Word and of course an international assortment of meat items that would make the mouth of any carnivorous mammal water. All of the men in our church are invited. I can't imagine why any of you wouldn't want to attend!

This morning I'd like to tell you about another feast that is mentioned in the Bible. This feast far surpasses any feast we could produce. It was a feast thrown by a royal king with no expenses spared. Yet unlike our church feasts, none of the invited guest wished to participate. As surprised as I would be if any man can find something more important to do on July 30th, the outcome of this rejection catches us by even more surprise.

1. THE EXPLANATION

As we begin the first point please permit me to explain using Jesus' parable.

In verse 2 we learn about a king that wished to give a wedding feast for his son. Back then a wedding ceremony could last for a week. At the very end of the festivities the bride and groom would consummate their marriage. But before the marriage rites were conducted, it was basically one massive party. And the fact that this was thrown by a king makes it all the more special.

To put it into contemporary language, imagine being invited to the White House filled with the finest food and entertainment the mind can imagine all provided to you at no expense. In addition to the promise of a great time would be the honor of a personal invitation from the leader of the free world. To fail to attend would be inconceivable.

Since we are in the first century, we are talking long before the days of high-speed communication. Often an invitation was sent, and then as the date approached, messengers were dispatched (as verse 3 indicates) to collect all who had been invited. But to our surprise, the verse says, "Those who had been invited were unwilling to come." Based on the grammar it was a persistent refusal of the request.

Rightly understanding the culture, their failure to attend was even more shocking. You did not reject an invitation from the king back then in a shame and honor society, especially when he held your life in the palm of his hand. Furthermore, most of these Jews lived with the continual need to find food on a daily basis to survive. So why would they reject the offer of free food and free lodging in the king's palace?

Yet this is one gracious king. After being shunned, he makes another appeal to his invited guests. He dispatched more messengers and said (verse 4), "Tell those who have been invited, 'Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.'" Another invitation is sent this time spiced with added incentive. In other words, "I went through many efforts to arrange a wonderful feast. Listen to the foods I have prepared. Everything is all set to go. I promise you it will be a brilliant occasion!"

But once again the response from those invited is the same. Verse 5, "They paid no attention and went on their way." Some were indifferent as they "went on their way, one to his own farm, and another to his business." Others were outright hostile. Verse 6, "And the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them." It is hard to imagine how far these last fellows went. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Don't shoot the messenger?" Not only does this last batch refuse the message, but they kill the messengers who were bringing good news in the process. It is like knocking off the mailman when he is trying to deliver your income tax return!

At this point the king was pushed too far. Verse 7 tells us, "[He] was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire." So in one sense justice was accomplished. Those who killed his servants were punished. Yet in another sense he still had an unresolved problem. Much of his fortune had been spent in preparing this feast for his son, and all the original people invited either went their own way or were no longer alive. He needed guests, or it would have been one lonely week with he and his son.

Verses 8-9, "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.'"

The king will have dinner guests one way or another. A new invitation now goes out to all, as verse 10 says, both "evil and good." The newly invited ones respond favorably. This time we learn that "the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests."

But now something interesting happens. While the hall was filled with guests, still no doubt surprised they were even sitting there; one particular individual catches the king by surprise. According to verse 11, he was "not dressed in wedding clothes."

Were the guests expected to go home and put on their "Sunday's Best" before they arrived or was special attire provided by the king as people arrived? The text does not provide the answer. Maybe this fellow was never invited. Maybe he tried to crash the wedding. All we do know is that this requirement for the right clothes was not met by this individual and he knew it. After being confronted, verse 12 tells us he was "speechless." No excuses offered: (I spilled some salsa on my wedding garment and this was all I had in the trunk of the car! My wife took the clothes to the cleaner and I thought they'd be back by now! I tried on the garments at the door but none were my size!). Rather it was an act of blatant defiance. "I know about the king's request, and I have simply chosen to disregard his commands and do it my own way."

The obstinate behavior is met with the utmost severity. Verse 13, "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" I suppose the binding was to prevent him from returning. Regardless, he was treated no different than those who originally refused the invitation. He was removed from the place of blessing and consigned to a place of judgment.

So the wedding feast was commenced. Those present received undeserved grace and blessings. And those who rejected the king's invitation traded inexpressible joy for severe judgment.

2. THE APPLICATION

As we move to the second point we need to ask the text what it means for our lives personally. Allow me to present to you ten concise points of application.

Number one

The primary point of this passage is Jesus informing the Jews that God will no longer work with their nation as He has done on the past. This is now the third parable each climaxing and cascading on the other as to how the Jewish nation has been judged. Each of the parables describes how God planned bountiful blessings for His "chosen people," but they continually rejected His offer by their harsh treatment of His messengers.

First it was the Old Testament prophets (Mt. 21:35-36). Then it was John the Baptist (Mt. 21:32). And finally it was His own beloved Son (Mt. 21:37-39). As Peter said in Acts, "You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you" (Ac. 3:14). Jesus is basically saying, since you have rejected Me, God is now rejecting you. Or as we learned from 21:43, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it." God will begin working with the church comprised of people from all nations, or as verse 9 says, people invited from "the main highways."

Number two

Everything in these three parables boils down to the word "authority." The speech from Jesus is kicked-off in 21:23 when people question His authority. As we have learned over the past two sermons, blessings come to those who submit to Jesus' authority, and chastisement comes to those who refuse. So Grace Tabernacle, before we knock the Jewish leaders, who is the ultimate authority in your life? Who gets the final say as to how you conduct your life? Who do you submit to as Lord and King? Your actions will determine that answer much louder than your words.

Number three

In our parable today, we witnessed the two ways that people invited to the king's feast rejected His authority. Both are the primary ways people today reject the authority of King Jesus. Let me show you what I mean.

When the king's invitation was turned down in the parable, verse 5 says, "[Some] paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business." We are talking about sheer indifference. In the same way, unbelievers and even many professing believers just seem to have no time for Jesus. It is not aggressive rebellion, just indifference. "I'm too busy to use my spiritual gifts in service." "I'm not interested in praying." "I don't feel comfortable sharing my faith." "I'd rather spend my money elsewhere." Bottom line: The commands of Jesus simply are not a priority.

Others reject Jesus with outright hostility. Verse 6, "The rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them." Just mention the name "Jesus" around some people and you are looking for a fight. And who are the greatest persecutors of Christians throughout the centuries? Individuals who identify themselves as "religious" people. In Revelation we read that the final world religious system will be, "Drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus" (Rev. 17:6).

Number four

This parable according to verse 2 is intended to describe "the kingdom of heaven." I find it fascinating that the kingdom of heaven in the Bible is always compared to something wonderful - a pearl, a hidden treasure, as we saw today, a magnificent feast. It is a shame that many Christians are unexcited about heaven. The lack of excitement is a result of a poor conception of their future home. Heaven is not sitting on a cloud and playing a harp. It is not listening to unending sermons from Pastor Randy - what a death sentence that would be! Rather heaven is the enjoyment and fulfillment of all our deepest needs and desires all met in the eternal presence of God. And maybe if we were more excited about heaven, we would live more for the life to come than for the one we are presently experiencing.

Number five

The Jews rejected Jesus because they misunderstood why He came. The people had been looking forward to the Messiah, but a Messiah that would crush the Roman opposition with a rod of iron. Rather, He crushed their religious system climaxed by His cleansing of the Temple (Mt. 12-17). They did not expect a meek servant that talked about dying on a cross.

Things are no different today. Millions of reasons are given as to why people should come to Jesus, but only one falls in line with the purpose of His arrival. Matthew says it best in the beginning of His Gospel: "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

You could see the volcano just waiting to erupt. You have a group of self-righteous people believing their own goodness and bloodline is sufficient to find favor with God. Without apology, Jesus confronts and shatters their deepest convictions. He repeatedly stresses the reality that we are all sinners and the only hope for our salvation is utter dependence on Him and acceptance of the righteousness He provides. The Jews were not prepared for that nor are many today.

Number six

We see in these parables that God's patience is limited. After the rejection of several calls to come to Him, time had run out on the Jews. Proverbs 29:1, "A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." Revelation 2:21, "I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality" (also see Gen. 6:3; Dan. 5:21-31; Lk. 13:9).

So the King of the universe prepares an invitation to the wedding feast at the cost of His Son and your response is "No thank you." That rejection is the greatest of all sins. We learned about the consequences of repeatedly rejecting God. Verse 7, "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire." Verse 13, "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Reality hit home for the Jews in AD 70. General Titus with his Roman troops destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, and it is believed more than a million people. As a political unit Israel ceased to exist just as Jesus predicted. "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation'" (Lk. 19:41-44; Mt. 21:40-43; 23:37-38; 24:1-2, 15f).

Number seven

All are invited to participate in God's kingdom. As verse 10 indicates, the offer goes out to "both evil and good" (as people are perceived in the eyes of the world). The call of God for people to come to Him is the message of the Bible. The prophets were repeatedly sent to the Jewish people. Faithful Christians are repeatedly sent to the people of our day. In our parable there were at least three calls from the gracious and patient king.

I would suggest in our country that a person has heard even more calls (or invitations) from God to enter into His kingdom. Like the parable, some receive the call and others reject it. So human responsibility is definitely taught, but verse 14 balances it with divine sovereignty. "For many are called, but few are chosen." According to the Bible, salvation in final analysis is not a human accomplishment, but a gift of God's sovereign grace (Lk. 12:32; Jn. 6:39, 44; Eph. 1:4)

Number eight

Well, how specifically do I get into the King's feast? The answer is simple; it is by submitting to the King's way of salvation. I find it interesting that those "not worthy" (verse 8) were the ones who rejected the offer, and those worthy were the ones who accepted the offer whether they came in "evil [or] good" (verse 10). So present moral standing is not the key to enter the kingdom, but rather a willingness to receive the invitation.

Some rejected the call. They were excluded. Another tried to come in on his own terms with his own wedding clothes and he received the same fate. There is a "narrow gate" (Mt. 7:13). The way to heaven is through Jesus Christ who died on the cross to remove our sin. When we accept the invitation from Christ, we forsake our own goodness and rely on His goodness to achieve our favor with God. Or if I can stay with the parable, we throw away our own wedding clothes of self-righteousness and allow the King to clothe us with the righteousness of Christ.

Listen to some other verses: Isaiah 1:18, "'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." Galatians 3:27, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Revelation 3:18, "I advise you to [get] from Me…white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed." Revelation 7:14, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Membership in the visible church does not guarantee salvation. Rather entrance to heaven is based on joyfully accepting the invitation - understanding that we are saved by grace thought faith, understanding that we have received the call and stand before God who is a Consuming Fire covered with the asbestos clothing of Christ.

Number nine

Though people enter the kingdom both "evil and good" (verse 10), (according to human standards), an indication that we are truly members of His kingdom will be the evidence of good works (according to God's standards) after we enter. Not works to gain our salvation, but works that prove the reality of our salvation. God imputes righteousness, but He also imparts righteousness to His children as well.

How can we enjoy presence in the King's banquet that we do not deserve, and then live in a way that is completely unacceptable to the King? Salvation breeds humility. Humility breeds the desire to live no longer for ourselves, but for King Jesus!

Number ten

Finally, if this banquet is so great and the consequences are so severe for those who refuse, how can we not invite others to attend? Just like the parable, God has ordained it in such a way that His call to the heavenly feast goes out though His servants. So as Christians, we not only have the responsibility, but also the compulsion to invite others to the feast from all the "highways" (verse 9) and then allow God to bring about a change in their hearts.

And will God save people though our witness? Some will be indifferent and others will "shoot the messenger" in hostility. But according to verse 10, God's wedding hall will be "filled" as Revelation declares, individuals "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9).

So have you accepted the invitation? Is your life giving evidence that God is your King, and you are living for a future feast of joy in heaven that far surpasses anything of this world?