Who On Earth Is That At The Prince's Wedding?

Imagine if you were looking at a family wedding photo, and you ask "Who on earth is that at the wedding? How did he get in there?". And the reply you get is "I don't know. I've never seen him in my life before." The guests at the wedding banquet in Jesus's story were not the kind of people you would expect at a royal occasion such as a wedding. These were people 'just off the street', all sorts of people, whoever happened to be out and about on the roads. The invited guests had turned up their noses at the invitation and didn't show up.

Now there are many different themes in this story told by Jesus but there is just one that I want to stress here. God invites us to come and enjoy the Good News of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many hear the invitation - perhaps you have heard it very often — but they refuse to come. How about you? Will you be in the "photo" of the crowd at the wedding feast? It is not just rude to reject God's invitation to come to Christ, it is absolutely disastrous. In very strong words Jesus tells about the sad end of those who had been invited but had refused the invitation. How terrible it will be for us if at the end of our lives Jesus were to say to us "Depart from me for I never knew you".

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the Gospel invitation to come to you. Just as I am, I come. Amen.