PRODIGAL SUN
October 2022
Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
A friend of mine recently asked if I had
been invited to the wedding. After considering for a moment I gave up and
asked, “what wedding?” For the answer to what he meant we need to turn to
Matthew 22:1-10. 1.And
Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
2.3.“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.
We know this parable was spoken by Jesus
addressing the Jewish people as a nation, and their rejection of Him as
their Messiah/husband/groom. An earlier reference to this I chose is found
in Jeremiah 3:14 which reads, “Return, O backsliding children,” says the
Lord, “for I am married to you. I will take you one from a city and two from
a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” We know, because we have the rest
of the Book (Bible) that God’s promises, His commitment to Israel as a
faithful husband has not wavered. Although many reject throughout all of
history and perish, there are those recognizing Jesus as the Messiah today
and returning to the family. Many more will, in the season(s) to come, turn
to Him also.
Meanwhile, we Gentiles have been grafted
into the family. Paul speaking to we Gentiles in Romans 11:11-12 writes, “I
say then, have they (speaking of Israel) have they stumbled that they should
fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy,
salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now, if their fall is riches for the
world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their
fullness!
We may say pridefully that we Gentiles were
grafted in, but Paul warns against this attitude in Romans 11:19-23 which
reads, 19
You will say then, “Branches were broken off
that I may be grafted in.” 20Well
said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do
not be haughty, but fear. 21
For if God did not spare the natural
branches, He may not spare you either.
22Therefore
consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but
toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also
will be cut off. 23
And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for
God is able to graft them in again.
Back to that great question that is central
to this Prodigal, “Have you been invited to the wedding?” It is a safe
assumption to say, Yes. All are invited. John 3:17 says, “For God did not
send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved.” The only lacking ingredient I can think of can be found
in Romans 10:14. “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how shall they hear without a preacher.” Universally the
message of the Cross must be proclaimed. There is no other way except
through the blood stained hill of Golgatha.
As we know, Marriage Feasts follow the
ceremony. Returning to chapter 22 of Matthew we find a very sobering
message. Starting with verse 11, “But when the king came in to see the
guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.” 12 So he
said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”
And he was speechless. The custom of the times would have dictated that the
king would have supplied the wedding garments as the people attending were
gathered up by the king’s servants without prior notification. For some
reason he refused the wedding garment. That is a striking parallel to what
goes on today. So many, in and out of churches, are seeking their own way to
God if they are seeking Him at all. When Jesus said that He was the Way, the
Truth, and the Life in John 14:6 he made it abundantly clear no one can come
to the Father any other way. Without us being clothed in the righteousness
only Christ can provide we will
be as the guest at the wedding feast. In verse 13 we read the outcome. Then
the king said to his servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and
cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
That is the eternal future of all who do
not, by faith, accept Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as payment
for their sin, and the only way to have the relationship with God restored
that was lost by mankind in the Garden of Eden so long ago. God desires to
show all of us His loving nature as a Father. For many of us that is hard to
identify with because of issues with our earthly fathers, but we must give
Him a chance. He is incapable of failing us.
If we seek our righteousness by anything
other than a simple belief in Jesus work on the cross being sufficient we
are on thin ice. Ask Him to save you, restore a right relationship with the
Godhead, and direct your path from this day onward. Above all (?) ask for a
heart of thankfulness for all He has done and desires to do with you.
There are some of you who have never truly
submitted to Jesus as Lord but been content with some aspect of Him as
Savior. Ask to go deeper in a relationship with him, just as what should be
in our earthly marriages.
Blessings to All,
kenhayesfleming9@gmail.com
Kenneth H. Fleming
w.w.w. wbcis.com
502 Market Street
(814) 687-3707
Fallentimber, Pa. 16639