June 20, 2023

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 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.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

 

Matthew 22:1-14

Devotional

There’s a photo from our wedding, as Lauren and I walked down the center aisle in Peachtree’s Sanctuary, where my face has taken on a look that doesn’t seem right for a groom who has just married the love of his life. I had just spotted a relative’s husband who had decided to wear a pair of ripped jeans and a flannel shirt to our wedding where the attire was black tie, and the wedding party had even gone so far as to wear tails.  Whenever I think of that moment, I tend to remember the words of the king from this parable as he sought to have those who were not dressed for his son’s wedding cast into the outer darkness.

 

This parable points to two amazing facts, one of which most of us like, while the other one can be a bit harder for us to swallow: God calls for all of us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but not everyone is going to arrive at the reward to which we have been called. In the Presbyterian tradition, there is a belief that some people are predestined for eternal salvation, while some are predestined for eternal punishment. It’s a hard doctrine for many of us, as we all want the assurance that we and those whom we love are all among those who will enter into Paradise, but we also all know people who we doubt will be there.

 

Our salvation is not determined by whether at the end of our lives we are dressed in wedding attire; it comes from whether or not we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and have then sought to live our lives as best we are able in following His example. I get it wrong most days, yet I continue to strive to get it right in the next moment after I’ve fallen short. I believe this is what God truly desires from us in the state in which we find ourselves. While I will only know whether or not I have succeeded at the end of my time on this earth, I choose to live each day as though I am garbed and ready to enter into the wedding banquet of the Lamb of God.

For Discussion


Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, what is holding you back from doing so?

 

How does your life change when you try to live each day emulating Jesus, even knowing that you will fall short?

Prayer


Gracious God, you have called us to have life in you and to have it abundantly. Help us to follow the path that you desire for us, to repent when we fail, and to continue to live for you. In Jesus’ name we pray; amen.

Rev. Scott Tucker
Pastor for Grand Adults
404-842-3172