Just Desserts

This one probably isn’t for anyone but me, but I really need to go there.

Here’s The Word:

Matthew 22:1-14 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 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. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

The Breakdown – It is absolutely well supported in Scripture that the BIG idea behind all of this is, God ACTUALLY is indeed making a gift for His Son. A Bride. At the end of the age, the thing that will usher in the new age is the wedding feast of Christ and His Bride, The Church. Over the course of history, God’s chosen people; The Jews were to be the first shining example of the people of God, but as goes with us all, the pull of sin leads us to fulfil our own desires. However, this has never derailed God’s plan. Even when He sent His Son, Jesus to testify to “The Kingdom of Heaven”, giving a personal invitation, just like others sent before Him, He was put to death. This also has never derailed God’s plan. In God’s foreknowledge, He knew that this was going to happen and was part of His plan to create the perfect Bride. Christ is called the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8). Now, who is this last guy? He’s referred to as “Friend” but treated as anything but – being found without proper wedding attire, he’s thrown out. Notice this, it’s only the King who determined this. If the servants had known, they probably would’ve left this guy alone. The servants gathered all they could find “both bad and good” – it wasn’t up to them to decide, it was simply commissioned to them to invite.

Outside of the obviousness of this parable, true to form, it seems to me that our world has a problem with this “King”. We look at life from a selfish perspective and many don’t realize that they entertain religion through selfish ideas. Even this parable isn’t very popular as it makes us uncomfortable when we consider that anyone would be thrown out into outer darkness. We fall into sympathetic understanding of the pottery who asks the potter “Why have you made me thus?”(Romans 9:20) We fall into the mental back and forth of eternity having such high stakes, resolving that maybe it would be better if we were never made. Okay, or maybe it’s just me then.

The entire chapter of Romans 9 addresses this and yes, it’s hard. Especially verse 15 (I’ll leave it to you to prayerfully consider and ask for Spiritual illumination on that).

But what did God do? Other than what was His heart’s pleasure to do, we still need to see it rightfully rather than selfishly. From only what’s supported in Scripture, in God’s infinite mind, He had a benevolent idea: A gift for His Son. Not just any gift, but a “thing” like no other….ever. A wife.

A wife, developed over the ages that has the very real ability to love in the deepest understanding of the definition. This development required true choice, true consequence and true mercy. And as often as we fall into the mind of God’s difficult parts, if we really reflect on the history of this development, it has been us who’s been the wayward spouse. The unfaithful lover. The ungrateful recipient of grace. Yet, even this has never derailed God’s plan. Why? Because it wasn’t as much about us as it was the gift He’s going to give to His Son.

God chose a feeble, wretched, prostitute to show His perfect love to. We like the show perfect love part, but we try to get past the first part quickly because we don’t like feeling cheap. It’s this tendency that continues to make our fight harder than it needs to be. God didn’t just choose us, He empowers us to adorn ourselves. To submit to the Spirits perfecting of each of us who confess and commit to Christ.

Think about all that God personally paid to realize His plan. The Bible says that it was God’s pleasure to crush His Son, knowing that His Son died to purify The Bride. Spotless. Fulfilling His plan.

Yes, there are some hard truths about what happens to us if we dishonor the King. However, my point is this: Does God not deserve full benefit from His plan? Does the Son deserve a “lesser” bride because for us, sin is so strong?
It's true, we’re hard-wired to want, and sin beguiles us, offering quick and easy fulfillment to our various desires. But we’re also free to choose, and God mercifully gives the power to overcome it. Even though none of us could pay as high a price as He did to defeat sin on our behalf. The Father and His Christ, deserve every bit of glorious splendor that His marriage and wedding feast will display. Not only is He Sovereign, but He went the extra nth degree to show us mercies on top of mercies. He sacrificed more than we can imagine, and even still, He reaches out in patience, beckoning to us - BE RECONCILED TO GOD. Magnificently glorious. That’s the grateful appreciation that should invigorate our lives every day. That He’s accomplishing such a great work in such an unworthy vessel.

Think about it. Pray about it. Read about it. Be about it.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.


In Him,
Cros