Matthew 22:1-14
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
With a third story, Jesus continues in today’s passage to illustrate the hardness of heart of those who should be most open to God. Read Matthew 22:1-14 keeping in mind that Jesus knows that his arrest is imminent.
The undercurrent in this parable not only illustrates the foolishness of the invited guests, it touches on a universal experience of rejection. We’ve all given our best efforts only to be disregarded by someone we care for - this is a common human experience. But however deep the wound for a mere human, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what God feels about the rejection of God’s own called and chosen people.
We cannot grasp the magnitude of God’s experience, but like the Apostle Paul, we can enter into some of the sufferings of Jesus. And it is good when we make space for this.
Take a moment to recall a time when you were rejected by someone for whom you cared deeply. Start from the emotions that arise as you remember and speak openly with God about what it is like to experience rejection. Let God take you wherever you need to go with this conversation.
Read Matthew 22:1-14 again with all of this in mind.
When the king sends his servants out to gather guests for the royal feast, he tells them to invite the good and the bad. The new guests are chosen not because they are deserving, but out of the pure grace of the king. Through grace, they are welcomed into his presence to experience the joy of his son and the abundance of the royal table. They joyfully cast aside their dirty clothes and put on garments fit for a celebration – except for one.
Following Jesus means letting go of our old ways of thinking and behaving and yielding daily to Jesus’ transforming grace. Our part is tiny – we show up and open up to Jesus and then allow him to empower us to follow through on what he says to us. And any discomfort or effort on our part is far outweighed by the feast he has prepared for us.
Contemplate these words written by Paul to the church at Philippi:
“… everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” – Philippians 3:7-11
For the last minutes of this time of reflection, consider the choice we all have every day to show up, open up and put on the garments of the Kingdom of God. Stay with this for a while.
What do you want to say to Jesus today?
What do you sense Jesus saying to you?
What will you do about that?
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