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Sunday 16th Dec 2007
Mat 22v1-14
Jesus is now reaching the end of his
mission. Now less than 3 days until his
trial.
This chapter ends his last public
confrontation with those who opposed him.
What subjects fill his mind?
What does he want to tell the world before
the end?
Mat 22v1-14 - the same Gospel message! (only
Matthew has this parable)
- the opportunity to get into the kingdom!
Matthew 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again
in parables, saying:
V1- the situation is the same as at the end
of the last chapter. The word “spoke” is
answered, Jesus is answering the people in
parables.
Matthew 22:2 2 "The kingdom
of heaven is like a king who prepared a
wedding banquet for his son.
The kingdom is described as a wedding
banquet v2.
Jesus is comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to
a wedding feast!
Weddings days are some of the best days we
can have on earth! The perfect wedding, full
of beautiful people all looking their best,
good weather, good food, friends / family,
dancing etc. - a celebration of love.
Weddings in Jesus day lasted for days. Not
just one banquet but banquet after banquet -
it is plural in the Greek.
V3-6 but those invited do not want to come!
Matthew 22:3 He sent his servants to
those who had been invited to the banquet to
tell them to come, but they refused to come.
V3 - it was customary to give a second call
to those invited nearer the time. (like a
dental reminder).
Upon the second reminder the invited did not
want to come! (JtheB first, then Jesus,
issuing Gods call.) Why not? Because they “refused”
- that is they were unwilling, they did not
have the desire to come!
Matthew 22:4 "Then he sent some more
servants and said, `Tell those who have been
invited that I have prepared my dinner: My
oxen and fattened cattle have been
slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come
to the wedding banquet.'
V4 - a third issue is given! Everything is
ready, just come. No need to wait any
longer.
Another thing is added to the story - “I
have prepared” - the king himself has done
the work!! When the king asks to ‘come’ it
is a command! Yet given in such a winsome
loving way, not harsh or unrealistic!
Matthew 22:5 5 "But they paid
no attention and went off--one to his field,
another to his business.
V5 - the second wave of rejection. Why?
First they have no desire, now they simply
ignore! The sent servants are
ignored. The invited go on about their own
business! Paying no attention to the
gracious invite. Danger of ignoring the
voice of God with our business.
Matthew 22:6 The rest seized his
servants, ill-treated them and killed them.
V6 - other invited guests could not simply
ignore! They could not silence the voice of
God with their business. But instead of
listening to the voice they kill the voice!
Seems utterly ridiculous that the person
bringing good news of a wedding should be
killed!
Matthew 22:7 7 The king was
enraged. He sent his army and destroyed
those murderers and burned their city.
V7 the consequence! The king cannot be
disobeyed without consequence! You are free
not to come, but there will be a price.
The reaction of the king is astonished rage
at the treatment his servants had received!
He brings justice to the invited!
V8-10 the offer of coming to the banquet is
opened out to all - the good and the bad!
Matthew 22:8 8 "Then he said
to his servants, `The wedding banquet is
ready, but those I invited did not deserve
to come.
The king is pointing out two things to the
servants. One: the banquet is ready. Two:
the invited are not coming. They are not
deserving!
But is anyone deserving / worthy? Not in
terms of earning the right, but in terms of
accepting the call! In so accepting we are
made worthy.
Matthew 22:9 9 Go to the
street corners and invite to the banquet
anyone you find.'
V9 This is now the third edict from the
king. V3, v4, v9. Come, come and come!
Go to the main areas of access - “street
corners”. get anyone you find. Invite
everyone you find! No exceptions. Who is
invited now? Anyone & everyone. The kingdom
is open to all!
Matthew 22:10 10 So the
servants went out into the streets and
gathered all the people they could find,
both good and bad, and the wedding hall was
filled with guests.
This time there is a great response! The
message has been given and a crowd have
responded!
The image is that everyone is reclining
around the banquet tables ready to eat!
Matthew 22:11 11 "But when
the king came in to see the guests, he
noticed a man there who was not wearing
wedding clothes.
V11 there is a twist now. Even though the
people have come they are not all ready! The
king enters the room to survey the great
occasion and behold someone is not dressed
for the occasion.
Matthew 22:12 12 `Friend,' he
asked, `how did you get in here without
wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
The king is very gracious in his approach to
the man, calling him friend. There is simply
no excuse - the man cannot answer!
Will you have an excuse if you have
heard the invite and gone to the feast
but are still not prepared ?
Matthew 22:13 13 "Then the
king told the attendants, `Tie him hand and
foot, and throw him outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.'
A shocking judgement follows for the man!
For those who do come there is a
transformation required, wedding clothes. We
cannot stay the same!
Matthew 22:14 14 "For many
are invited, but few are chosen."
V14: many are invited into the banquet but
only a few make it!! Invited = called.
What is the point?
Is Jesus saying the kingdom is open to
all but only a few are going to make it
in the end?! That would seem to be what
he is saying! But we need to remember
the context. Jesus is talking to the
Jews and the reference is specifically
to them in their context. They were the
ones who had the invite. They were
called but ignored the prophets or
killed them! Only a few of the Jewish
nation accepted the invite by accepting
Jesus!
On top of the original context we need to
remember the wider biblical picture:
Revelation 7:9 After this I looked
and there before me was a great
multitude that no-one could count, from
every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and
in front of the Lamb. They were wearing
white robes and were holding palm
branches in their hands.
So what is the point for us?
We are all called to join in this great
wedding.
We are all called to enter the Kingdom of
God.
The responsibility is on you? What are you
going to do with the invite?
Put it on the shelf? Ignore it for a while?
Actively reject it? - these reaction are all
displayed in the parable.
Or are you going to accept the call?
If you are you need to accept Jesus.
Accepting the call means accepting Jesus.
That is how you get ready. That is how you
put on the wedding clothes!
The only way you will be in danger of
v13 is if you reject Jesus!
sunday evening 16th Dec 2007
This morning we looked at the invitation to
accept the call into Gods kingdom by
accepting Jesus.
Tonight we will look at three more responses
to Jesus from chapter 22.
Three responses to Jesus
1) V22 the
Pharisees are amazed but leave him and go
away!
The Pharisees and the Herodians are upset by
the last three stories Jesus has just told!
They know they are the condemned people in
the stories - the boy who said yes but did
not obey. The tenants who killed the
servants and the Son. The invitees who
rejected the offer!
They want revenge! They want to trap Jesus
in his words v15.
But of course they cannot!
They had set out to trap him, by getting him
to justify the Roman occupation and so anger
the Jews, or justify the Jews in rebelling
and so anger the Romans!
Instead they get the balanced approach -
“give to Caesar….”v21.
So to v22 and their response.
Matthew 22:22 22 When they
heard this, they were amazed. So they left
him and went away.
a) their first reaction is one of total
amazement! They have been dumbfounded by the
genius of Jesus.
The amazement they display here is the same
as that of the disciples when Jesus calmed
the storm Mat 8v27. The disciples were
beginning to glimpse something of the real
Jesus.
The answer of Jesus must have been truly
astonishing. It must have been unheard of
before - to provoke such a response from the
Trappers.
b) their second response is that they leave
him and go away! This is the exact opposite
of how the disciples reacted to Jesus -
Mat4v20,22. The disciples left their
nets/boats and followed Jesus. The Pharisees
leave Jesus and follow themselves!
When it comes to Jesus there can only be
these 2 responses - you either leave
your own way and follow Jesus or leave
Jesus and follow your own way! As we see
from the next two responses.
2) V46 no one
dared ask him any more questions!
Matthew 22:46 46 No-one
could say a word in reply, and from that day
on no-one dared to ask him any more
questions.
This second response is one of hopeless
resignation.
The Pharisees had gotten together again to
test Jesus v34-40.
Then Jesus decides to test them with a
question v41-45
They get so bamboozled that they cannot
answer Jesus and they just give up,
recognising at last a superior opponent when
they meet one! V46.
This response is unacceptable for the soul
that is seeking enlightenment and
understanding.
You cannot hope to truly be good at what we
call life if you ignore Jesus.
He is the Master Teacher. His word brings
light and understanding to life.
If you ignore Jesus you have put an end to
any hope you may have had of true happiness
in life!
Yet this is how many now deal with Jesus
today. Would anyone in the world today
think of going to ask Jesus his opinion?
Is there a UN committee set up to find
out how Jesus might respond to certain
problems around the world!
Sadly, the western majority respond to Jesus
in this way today - ignore him. Not because
they are afraid of his genius but because
they no longer believe he is a genius!
Finally we have a more positive response to
Jesus.
3) V33 the
crowds are astonished at his teaching!
Matthew 22:33 When the
crowds heard this, they were astonished at
his teaching.
In this next situation we have the Sadducees
coming to try and get at Jesus.
The Sadducees were the sceptics of the day,
the did not believe in the resurrection.
They said they believed the bible but
ignored it’s clear teaching as Jesus soon
points out!
Therefore, Jesus points them to the
scripture to straighten out their unbelief.
V31-32.
Are you doubting? Go back to the bible.
Trust what it teaches!
Jesus was a phenomenal Teacher.
It is from his teaching that we have the
second response to him.
V33 astonishment!
This is a common response to Jesus and his
teaching: Mat 7v28 - the crowds, 19v25 - the
disciples.
Today most people see Jesus as a really good
man. But not as a brilliant genius teacher.
The two things in popular culture seem to be
mutually exclusive.
If you are a good person you can’t be a
genius!
If you are a genius you can’t be good!
When it comes to Jesus we need to think
differently.
When it comes to the teaching of
Jesus we need to recapture this
astonishment.
How? By recognising what it is.
What is the teaching of Jesus?
a) John 7:16 Jesus answered, "My
teaching is not my own. It comes from him
who sent me.
Jesus’ teaching is the oracles of God. It is
the revealed secrets of the eternal God. It
is truth. We can live our lives by his
teaching. It is real.
b) 2 John 1:9 Anyone who runs ahead
and does not continue in the teaching of
Christ does not have God; whoever continues
in the teaching has both the Father and the
Son.
The teaching of Jesus is the way of
salvation! It is life!
How do we approach the teaching of Jesus? Do
we really take it seriously? Do we respect
it?
If you were studying for an exam and you
had to read just one book to be sure of
a pass, how would you approach that
book? With respect, with diligence, with
real study in mind!
The teaching of Jesus tells us what life is
all about and how it can be lived well!
Approach it recognising it as such and
prepare to be astonished!
Conclusion.
4) how do you
respond to Jesus today?
There is no other such figure who towers
over all of history in the way that Jesus
does. His influence can be traced all over
our Western culture.
From that fact alone you must have some
response to him.
To ignore Him is just to stick you head in
the sand.
As a Christian today how do you respond
to Jesus?
We call him our Lord and Saviour, but from
day to day, do we ignore him?
How can we stop ignoring him? By attending
to his presence.
At a wedding everything revolves around the
couple to be married. It is there big day.
Every day we should seek to make a ‘big day’
for the Lord.
Attend to His presence, look for Him, listen
to Him. Seek to be with Him.
At weddings all the talk is about the
couple, how we know them, if we are related
to them etc.
What is all our talk about? How much we know
the Lord, how close our relationship is to
him?