Matthew 22:1-10
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again 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.” 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
BLOG DISCUSSION QUESTION: Since this is what the kingdom of heaven is like, is the church meant to be a "hotel for the holy"?
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4 comments:
Two segments of this parable stand out to me.....those were not worthy (the ones that gave excuses and didn't come) and the last--slaves found the "good and the bad" and the hall was full. How are the not worthy ones different than the "bad" that the slaves gathered later? As I've read this before, these segments haven't seemed to "register" with me.
Let's hear all of YOUR insights! These parables are beginning to grow on us, aren't they? When most people think of parables, they think of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan....guess our horizon has been widely broadened already! Have a great day!
There are a lot of discussion topics in this one. It may take cup of coffee cover some of these, but down to your "hotel for the holy" question. My answer is no....and yes. I have heard the church is not a "hotel for the holy" but a "hospital for the hurting". You do not have to be perfect to enter or belong, nor have I ever felt that way about church. But now my yes part... and I am being especially reminded of this during Lent. Soon we will hear again the story of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Hebrews 10:14 "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." I know of no better place to go for an undeserved transformation.
Thanks rjq for your yes and no....hopefully as a hospital for the hurting, we experience healing and bring that healing into the world...so in that way, I should think that it is a place for a great transformation.
As for the discussion question, I asked it because it occurred to me in reading this parable that those who were gathered in were "good and bad"....not just good. So, it seems that the criteria for being at the wedding feast isn't who you are, good or bad...but who has invited you.
super pastor jerry
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