Matthew 22:1-14
Matt I have a question for you. In Matthew 22:1-14 it states: 1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, `Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' 5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 "Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 `Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' 10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, `Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."Now we know this has application spiritually to Jesus being sent by the Father and that this has application to spreading the gospel. In the bold spots I note the following questions? 1. Why or how did the invited ones not come, how were they unwilling if they were invited. How could the invitation be sent out to whoever they come in contact with if that was not so? 3. How can the called not be chosen?KP
6 comments:
The Gospel of Luke records a similar wedding feast parable as told by Jesus. I would like to discuss this account:
1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey F105 or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things. 7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" 16 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' 22 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
1. Why or how did the invited ones not come, how were they unwilling if they were invited?
MATTS RESPONSE: Of course, the ones invited were the Jews. They rejected the Messiah and they will never enter into God's rest because of their unbelief, (Heb. 3:19).
2. How could the invitation be sent out to whoever they come in contact with if that was not so?
MATT'S RESPONSE: Actually, the original invitation was only to the Jews. Now that invitation extends to the lame and the blind of the world (Luke 14:21) and that group would be the elect from among the Gentiles.
3. How can the called not be chosen?
MATT'S RESPONSE: It is possible to be called and not be chosen. I think many unsaved people in the Old Testament were called but not chosen. Judas is one example of a person who was called but not chosen. He was destined to betray Christ to fulfill the scriptures, (John 17:12).
It is interesting that Matthew 22 parable says this: "Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 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."
Kelly believes this to be a universal invitation to all "bad and good." That would seem to be the case, however, as with most scriptures, there are parallel stories with more important information. Luke gives more details about those who are invited to Wedding Feast. In the Luke account it says, "'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind." The new invitation extends to the lame and the blind of the world (Luke 14:21). The lame and blind would be the elect. Moreover, the Luke account give this admonition to come to the Wedding Feast: "'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled," (Luke 14:23). Where is the free will decision to the world? A conversion method by compulsion does not agree with Arminianism. The invitation to the Wedding is resting upon a "free will" decision. It takes a substancial complusion and intervention by God to get people to believe. Surely, compulsion is violation of free will but it is required because the ungenerate heart of man is totally depraved (Gen 6:5, John 3:19). Thus, salvation is a miracle of God without a human decision (John 1:13).
I hope that this helps.
Blessings!
Matt
Matt has given a good example of how God will get His house filled without the prideful free will of Man. Jesus will accomplish his work by getting all he paid for and not one less or one more. I would ask KP, did Jesus get all he paid for? ...You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price.1 Cor.6:19-20
Matt has given a good example of how God will get His house filled without the prideful free will of Man. Jesus will accomplish his work by getting all he paid for and not one less or one more. I would ask KP, did Jesus get all he paid for? ...You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price.1 Cor.6:19-20
Matt has given a good example of how God will fill His house and reject whom he pleases. the reason the invited will not come is because Jesus chooses not to give them mercy i.e. 25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.Matt.11:25-27
I would like to ask KP how the exercise of his free will fits with these verses Matt. 25-27???
MG
Sorry, I am learning how this works I am new at this; sorry for the confusion...
MG
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