Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Matthew 22:2-3 The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
SERVANTS WITH AN INVITATION TO SHARE
I'm sure that it will happen someday. The Lord has plans for my sons--to give each one of them a wife. Now, mind you, I'm not ready for that day yet. No, I'm not making any plans yet. It's a little early for me.
God was making plans for His Son for a long time. In fact, all through the Old Testament God told the Children of Israel that He was making plans for them. He promised that one day His Chosen One, the Messiah, would arrive. God was also planning a great celebration. This was promised through Isaiah the Prophet (25:6, 8): ". . . The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees . . . He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken."
God was making plans to present His Son, Jesus, who would provide all their spiritual needs and would defeat sin and death once and for all. God began to prepare for the presentation of His Son, and He sent out word that the time had come for the celebration to begin, but those who were invited were not willing. The Gospel of John records the chilling news (John 1:10-11): "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him."
God wouldn't give up. He wouldn't take "no" for an answer, but was patient and persistent. God repeatedly sent servants out with His word. He renewed His invitation to come to Him and His Son. Come, everything is ready!
We should consider ourselves like those servants, whose joyful job it is to invite people to the celebration. May the Spirit help us to take God's invitation with us and give it away today!
