OUR FATHER WHO ARRANGED A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON

Continuing to speak to the people in the temple, the Lord Jesus told the people a parable that indicted the religious establishment for their opposition to the One who was sent from God. The parable, in Matthew chapter 22 verses 1 - 10 reads this way;

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables aod said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

The King in the parable is God the Father. The kingˋs son is the Lord Jesus Himself.

The wedding feast is the celebration of the reconciliation between God and mankind.

The servants who were sent out to the people to gather people for the feast are the prophets of God.

The people who were invited but refused to come to the wedding feast of the kingˋs son are the religious leaders who had priorities above the honoring of God.

The people who were gathered from the highways and byways were the castaways and gentiles who were being brought into the economy of salvation and reconciliation with God after the subjects of the king rejected the invitation to come to the celebrate the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This parable was marking the change from the Mosaic dispensation to the dispensation of grace and the Lord was telling this parable to the religious leaders of Israel at the very time that they were in the process of rejecting Him and seeking His death.

The death that the religious leaders were plotted for Him turned out to be the very sacrifice that was planned by God from the begining of the world that would pay for the sins of world and thus reconcile our fallen race of men back to our God for those who voluntarily chose to believe and accept the provision that was made for them.

This concept is parallel to what Jesus conveyed in Matthew chapter 21 verses 42 - 43 where He said;

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Have mercy on us O God.

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