Last week, I watched a drama about the young Queen Victoria. She was being courted by Prince Albert and had invited him to come visit her at Windsor Castle. When he arrived, a special suit prepared for him was delivered to his room, compliments of the Queen. The gift of the magnificent suit was a great honor; it was the dress of the House of Windsor and to be worn at the formal dinner and party. To wear the suit was to be welcomed into the Queen’s home and family.
That got me thinking about today’s parable:
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:2-14
Thanks to BBC, I have a deeper understanding of what Jesus has offered me: new clothing for his kingdom’s party. Why haven’t I marveled more at the wonder of what he has presented me? He offers to clothe me with his perfect righteousness. Why haven’t I allowed myself to bask in the luxuriousness and grandeur of this gift I have done nothing to deserve and perhaps taken a spin or two to rejoice in the splendor of it all? When have I declined his gift and stubbornly clung to my old rags before him and insisted that I was “good enough?” Why don’t I let my heart swell up inside of me and burst out in song at the beauty of it all?
The remnant of Israel understood godly joy when God called them back to Jerusalem and they rebuilt the wall. Their joy seemed to know no bounds:
They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. Nehemiah 9:43
Lord, I know myself in this: I hold back both emotionally and physically in responding to the goodness of what you have done for me. You welcome me into your kingdom and dress me with your righteousness at the cost of your son, Jesus who died for me, and yet I hold back in thanking you and singing your praises. Help me respond to your love with great joy and singing today. Amen
Kathy
Sixty-six books in a year 