Those theories may have been be exploded by pictures of earth from space, but there is a similar and equally ridiculous idea hanging around that still has millions of adherents. It’s the idea that the human race is the center of the universe. That the entire creation – the physical cosmos – revolves around us. That you and I are the pinnacle of evolution having crawled and eaten our way to the top of the food chain. So many of us are like the invited guests of verse 5. “They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his frm, another to his merchandise.” “Lord, if you exist at all, you are just going to have to wait in line. The farm comes first; the family comes first; money comes first.” For these people, nearly everything cuts in line before the Lord. But obviously, it just doesn’t work that way, despite our ignorant understanding of things. “Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” God can require our souls, immediately, for a hundred different reasons. Not the least of which is that He has a right to them by creation and daily maintenance. Our world owes itself the truth: There is a King above us, and He had better be first in our lives.
Here in Matthew 22 , the Lord is still speaking to the same group of chief priests, scribes and Pharisees. And the subject is basically the same as Jesus’ two earlier parables. These parables are not designed to hide the lesson from the unbeliever but to expose that unbeliever. Let me share with you some of the lessons of the Heavenly Feast of Matthew 22.
Think of the Feast Itself.
This is a parable – an earthly story used to illustrate an heavenly truth. Christ Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a royal wedding feast. This not an householder, or a wealthy and generous farmer – this is the King. We’re talking about Heaven on earth – the rule of God over His creation. I have said a hundred times that the Kingdom of Heaven speaks about the place in which we live. But it speaks about Heaven as well.
I have never met a person who knew what he was talking about who said, “I don’t want go Heaven.” Only a fool would not want to go to Heaven – eventually. The Fiske Planetarium, on the campus of University of Colorado was having financial trouble. So the director came up with a gimmick to raise a few dollars. He bought advertising which promised 1,000 acre plots of land on Mars for a small check. He mentioned red sunsets, reduced gravity – perfect for those who were over-weight. Once golf courses were built up there, everyone’s scores would improve. There were not just one moon in the sky, but two. He painted a very pretty picture and even displayed pictures of his picture. And amazingly money started pouring in. Why can’t the fools of this world be interested in some genuine Heavenly real estate? Why do they look for the impossible and imaginary variety of Heaven? Is it simply because the Lord hasn’t got a good publicity campaign going?
I think there may be a reason why the Bible doesn’t speak as much Heaven, as it does Hell. If we just knew what awaits the child of grace, we’d be dying to get there. Creation took six days to complete, but the mansions in our Father’s city have taken much longer. We are talking here about the highest of human needs – eternal rest for the soul. It ought to be the highest of human goals to sit at the table, like Mephiboseth, with the King of Kings.
And what is this feast? It is the celebration of the wedding of the King’s Son. It will be the day of the Lord Jesus’ highest glory. When all those whom He has saved through His precious blood will gather around His throne. We shall all lay our crowns at feet; every knee bow and every tongue shall confess that He is indeed Lord of lords. It will be a day of honor for the Son and for His unworthy servants. It shall be the day when Christ marries His bride.
And please notice that the feast is already prepared at the time of this invitation. In fact the original invitations had already been distributed long before the special day. As was the custom, there were two invitations to important gatherings like this. There was a preparatory invitation, sent out days or weeks in advance. And then at the appropriate hour servants were sent to escort the invitees. The point is that the feast was ready; the table set; the time was come. Can we say that the King been preparing this day since His Son’s incarnation? Actually, God initiated the covenant of redemption long, long before that. It began before the birth of his beloved Son, in whom He is well-pleased. Preparations began in eternity past. The invitations, the carriage, the clothes, the meal, the decorations – everything has been pre-arranged. The oxen and fatlings have shed their blood as a sacrifice to feed our souls. The King didn’t go to the market, He sacrificed his own animals. Isaac asked Abraham, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham replied, “My Son, God shall provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” The feast is upon the Son himself, if we stretch the illustration in the proper direction. “Except ye eat the flesh and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
So the feast is prepared, and the Son is ready for the glory which He so richly deserves. The King, the Sovereign over every one of our souls, says, “Come on!” It is the greatest feast any of us have ever even imagined. It is not a banquet; it is a divine feast. A little girl and her father were out in the country in the middle of the night, where there was not an earthly light to be seen. As they gazed at the stars the little girl was awe-struck. She said, “Daddy, if the bottom side of Heaven is so beautiful I wonder what the top side is like.” Amen!
The invitations have been issued, and the servants have been sent.
Who are those servants? (Remember that this is just a parable). Those servants are never angels – God has never given to them the task of evangelism. Rather, they are parents who are commanded to train up their children in nurture and admonition of the Lord. They are the prophets who’ve stood before congregations pleading for repentance. They are pastors, evangelists and missionaries who’ve carried the gospel far and wide. And they are simply other good folk who have already breathed in the luscious perfume of the feast. They are Christians who have been bought by the precious blood of Christ. They can’t sit idly by and watch others spiritually starve.
Obviously Jehovah is not obligated to send this invitation to anyone. We are sinners – we deserve to stay and to starve in city of destruction. We are like those cannibals of which the Bible speaks – eating their own flesh and blood. Despite our unworthiness, the invitations have been sent – praise the Lord, they have been sent. And specifically there is one simple word on the card – “come.” It can’t get much simpler than that. There is no demand to join some society to bring glory to the King’s son. It carries no demand to first take a bath, or eat to take away our hunger. Nor are we to wait until our hunger reaches some extreme height. We don’t have to go out and rent tuxedos or buy fancy gowns, the King has made provision for our dress. The invitation is simply to come.
Miss Ada Habershon wrote about in her biography about hearing D.L. Moody one Sunday. In the pew in front of her sat a lady with a young child about the age of Ellie Kjeldgaard. For some reason, the little one’s eyes had been fixed on the preacher as he presented Christ. And then she began to repeat over and over, “Come, Come, Come,” again and again. Moody stretched out his arms, and again said, “Come.” And that small baby, imitated the preacher its little arms stretched out as if it wanted to go up to him. The invitation is as simple as that – “Come.” The King and His Son have done everything necessary for us to enjoy this feast. All that we have to do is come. Leave your sins at the door – repent of them and come to the feast.
Notice that invitation was not meant for certain groups to the exclusion others. This was not sent the Jews only. It was not sent to blacks, forgetting whites, Protestants to the exclusion of the Catholics. It was not delivered to men omitting women, or to adults, forgetting children. This invitation is extended to all. And the offer was extended once, then twice, again, and again, and again. Our King is patient and longsuffering – until it reaches the flash point.
Everyone of us are depicted in one or more of the invited guests.
Which one best describes you? There were some who totally rejected the invitations. Some were just too busy with their self-centered lives. For some it was business, school, fun, families, or making money. They were too wrapped up in themselves to see their need of the Son, or to see the nearness of eternity. It’s not just those who openly hate God who go to Hell. Those people who simply ignore Him will be cast into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. You are not the center of the universe – this King is. Others laughed at the very invitation itself. “Ha, the king wants me, but what do I owe him? Sure he gave me my life, some peace, my property, even a bit of luxury. But tell him to go jump in a lake or fly a kite; I’m too busy for him.” Some even grew violent. “The remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.” They killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them. But do you see what became of all these? “But when the king heard thererof, he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” Yes Virginia, there is a punishment for the rejection of Christ – the King’s Son. Yes Virginia, there is a Hell “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Of course, there were some who answered the second and third invitation, rejoicing in the Lord’s provision. Even though they had not been included in the very first invitation. The king accepted them no matter what sort of people they had been. “So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” No questions were asked, because none were needed. “There is none righteous, no not one.” There was not one guest who worthy of the feast or even worthy of the invitation. This was all about the graciousness of the king. And I believe that they all came as equals, even exchanging tattered clothes for a nice fresh wedding garment.
All except for one fellow, who came to feast, wanting the food but rejecting garment. He was just like so many who try to climb into Heaven his own way. They are thieves creeping over the wall, when could, should and must go through the door. They are like thieves stealing candy when it would been given if they’d asked. There will be no one in glory whose sins are not covered with robe of Jesus’ righteousness. No matter how bad or good; none are good enough for the holy God. But provision has been made to cover our sins and our deformities. Every provision has been made for this great feast. But still, the vast majority of those invited will not come. In fact, there are some who often attend this church, hearing the invitation over and over again. There is nothing more heart-breaking than that. And that is a part of our Lord’s theme throughout all of these parables.