February 25
Does God Still Save?
“The wedding is ready…” —Matthew 22:8
Read Matthew 22:1-10
What would your reaction be if people replied to your wedding invitation with all kinds of excuses? Suppose they indicated that they had no desire to come or that they had more important things to do. If no guests accepted your invitation, wouldn’t you be furious and cancel the whole banquet? I doubt you would send a second invitation or try to reach them by phone.
The king of our text takes a different approach. He sends out his servants a second time to invite the guests. He does this out of love for his son; he wants to supply a splendid wedding for him with many guests present. And so he takes every measure to invite guests again.
Our Scripture passage tells us that of the invited guests, one was too busy, another had to sell his cattle, a third was working in his field, and a fourth had another flimsy excuse.
Today it is the same. The Lord invites you every time you read the Word or hear it preached. Many stubborn church people, however, do not want to listen to the invitation. The one blatantly declares that he has no interest, while another is more diplomatic and tries to provide a legitimate excuse. Others claim they have no time at the moment and will consider coming another time. Some even try to use a biblical excuse by saying that they cannot go to the Lord of themselves. In reality, they have no esteem for God’s servants and hold them in contempt.
But then the king of our text invites the poor, the crippled, and the blind, technically the lower class of society, and they go to the wed-ding. Why? Well, they do not esteem themselves better than the king and believe his word. When they received the invitation they respond positively. The Lord also invites you and me, saying “Come to the wedding.”
Why do we often resist the Lord’s invitation?
This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Educational Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: bookorders@frcna.org.