Short Stories – Week 7 (7-16-23)

Short Stories
You Are Invited
July 16, 2023

3 consecutive parables:

• 2 Sons
• Tenants
• Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22:1-3
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

Refusal to attend communicates:

1. The Kings son is unworthy of your time or presence
2. Don’t approve of the marriage
3. No longer giving their allegiance to the King

Matthew 22:4-6
“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 butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.

Matthew 22:7
The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Marriage 22:8-10
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Truth: All are welcome just as you are…
The other half: God loves you too much to leave you as you are.

God is not hoping that you will become a good person but a new person, a kingdom person.

Matthew 22:11-13
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. 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.’

Parables —> stories of everyday life with deep-rooted spiritual truths.

Revelation 19:6-9
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”