Matt 22-23

Yo, so this chapter. My first thought was that it reminded me of this one on going sketch that they did at Urbana this last winter. The theme of the whole conference was 'The Great Invitation'.

((OPTIONAL: If you want to watch the sketch the video links are below (less than 20 minutes for all 5 videos):
http://vimeo.com/56446607
http://vimeo.com/56446725
http://vimeo.com/56552544
http://vimeo.com/56560752
http://vimeo.com/57099352))

Basically a summary of the videos was this master holding a banquet so he sent out his servant to get those who had already RSVP'd expecting them to all be getting ready and anticipating the banquet, but they were all too busy with their new fields, or other business, so the master says to 'bring whoever is willing to come and eat!' And so the servant goes and does just that and the banquet is filled with all sorts of people.

Now, this is all a parable, but it is a very real invitation. He stands at the door and knocks (Rev 3:20). This is an invitation for each of us to come to know God better and open the door to our lives.

But the verses which really stuck out to me were verses 6-7 and 12-13.

Verse 6-7 detail how some guests killed the servants, so the king burned the city of murders. o.O Seems a bit strong, but death for death isn't that hard to consider, right? That's how a lot of the old Laws worked, pay back an eye for an eye, an ox for an ox, a life for a life. Stronger still is that all sin warrants death (Rom 6:26) and that we all have sinned (Rom 3:26).

And I think that is partially what happens in verses 12 and 13. This man wasn't dressed in 'wedding clothes' so they were thrown out into the darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth (the way hell is oft described). This guy didn't kill the servants, he came to the banquet. But he still wasn't presentable; they still weren't ready for a wedding banquet (which is presumably the wedding of Christ and the church after judgement).

Rev 3:17-18 "You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

Although we think we are going the right way, our paths lead to destruction (Prov 14:12, 16:25), although we think we are good enough, our deeds are crap (Isa 64:6), although we think we are satisfied, our wells run dry (Jer 2:13).

But if we turn to Him, His Spirit and Word guides us (John 16:13, Psa 119:105), in His death on the cross we are made new, our sins paid for, and us now imbued His righteousness by faith (1 John 2:2, Rom 5:1-2, 2 Cor 5:21), and more over, He satisfies our every desire, the fountain of living water that never runs dry (Jer 2:13, Rev 21:6).

In this passage we are not told to go get wedding clothes of our own, but to sell all we have to buy from Him clothes of pure white to cover our nakedness, finding our righteousness in Him.