The Banquet is Ready, Are You?

Dan Doriani provides the context of Matt. 22:1-14:

“When Jesus enters Jerusalem with public acclaim and follows this with a

symbolic judgment of the temple and its leaders, the leaders challenge

him in return. They tell him to silence the children who praise him and ask

by what authority he acts. Jesus, recognizing these as signs of a broader

rejection of his mission, replies with three parables.” Matt. 22:1-14 is the

third parable. Read it.

Read the previous parable (Matt. 21:33-44). Compare and contrast with the

wedding banquet parable (Matt. 22:1-14). How are these parables different?

How are they similar? What is Jesus saying about the religious rulers?

Read v. 5. They reject the king because of indifference. Douglas

O’Donnell warns us: “Don’t let your occupation preoccupy your soul. Don’t

lose your life by making a living.” How might our work distract us from

the Kingdom of God?

Read v. 6. Dan Doriani says: “The disinterested guests portray the

many Israelites who ignore Jesus and his announcement of the

kingdom. The hostile invitees signify the Jewish leaders who hate Jesus

and plot his death. So the parable depicts the rejection of Jesus, a

rejection that is disappointing in some ways and outrageous in others.”

In what ways have you been indifferent or hostile toward God?

Read v. 7. Is this troubling to you? Why? Dan Doriani says: “Without

repentance, sinners taste God’s wrath.” Go deeper by reading

Ex. 32:11; 2 Chron. 24:18; Ezra 8:22;  Pss. 59:13 ; 78:59; Jer.

7:20; Rom. 1:18; 12:19; Eph. 5:6; Rev. 14:10.

Verse 7 foretells the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Throughout the

Bible we see God use foreign armies as His instruments of judgment (see

Prov. 21:1; Isa. 10:5-11; 44:28-45; 45:1; Jer. 25:9; Dan. 4:17).

Douglas O’Donnell: “We live in a culture that gets so angry with the notion

of an angry God, who thinks a God of justice to be unjust, who hates the

idea of a loving God being wrathful. Our kinder, gentler culture thinks

they want, as C. S. Lewis put it, ‘not so much a father in Heaven as a

grandfather in Heaven—a senile benevolence.’” Do you agree? Why or

why not? Is a God of wrath troubling to you?

Read v. 8-10. What does the king do? R. T. France says:

“[This parable] speaks of people who do not live up to expectation and so

lose their place of privilege, to be replaced by a more surprising group; the

first are last and the last first.”

Dan Doriani says: “If God calls ‘both bad and good,’ his invitation has no

terms or preconditions. There is nothing one can do in order to obtain an

invitation to the feast.” How is this good news?

As believers in Christ we are to put on the new self. Read Colossians

3:12-14. What are we instructed to put on? How will you apply this today?

Read Matt. 25:31-46 Parable of sheep and goats. How does this parable

relate to Matt. 22:11-13?

Craig Keener says: “Professing Christians who insult God’s grace by

presuming on it, failing to honor his Son, will be banished to outer darkness

and weeping with gnashing of teeth (Matt 8:12; 13:42; 24:51; 25:30).”

John Calvin says: “There is no point in arguing about the marriage

garment, whether it is faith or a holy and godly life; for faith cannot be

separated from good works and good works proceed only from faith.”

Frederick Bruner says: “True faith in God’s imputed righteousness

moves believers to want to be righteous personally—not as a basis for

standing before God (only Christ can give that), but as an evidence of

wanting to please the Father who was gracious enough to invite. The gift

of the Holy Spirit, given with faith, moves believers to want to be holy.”

Do you want to be holy? How is that desire applied in your life?

Douglas O’Donnell says: “Every disciple who openly professes Jesus as

Lord (“Lord, Lord”) will stand before the King and Judge. Jesus Christ will

have judicial robes on. The question is, will you have the proper attire?”

Do you have the righteousness of Jesus? If you have never received Jesus

as Savior and Lord you can pray right now and ask Him to forgive you,

come into your life and save you for eternity!