EVERY DAY WITH JESUS
Followers (Disciples) of Jesus
A devotional consideration of the Gospel of Saint Matthew
(This is also found on line at Saintlucas.org)
This week of Christmas we shall continue our daily devotions from Saint Matthew’s gospel. It all relates to Christmas doesn’t it?! Our focus will be on Matthew 22:1-14. The theme for the week is Christmas - God’s Wedding Invitation to the Whole World.
Here’s the story from Matthew 22:1-14: “Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
MONDAY, December 26, 2011 Matthew 22:1-4 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
A Gracious Invitation No one tells a king to whom he should send an invitation to his son’s wedding. There might be political or social or family reasons why the king’s advissors make suggestions to the guest list; but, finally, “his grace” invites whom he pleases.
How much more so with the King pictured in this story told by Jesus. This King is God. The reception hall is in heaven. There the King will graciously provide for the perfect well-being of all the guests forever! The honor of being on that guest list is unspeakably great.
The LORD has provided us with THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS. That feast today is not leftover ham or turkey and pie. The FEAST OF CHRISTMAS is soul food - it is Jesus. It is “eaten” through faith in Him. The LORD desires and invites all sinners - no exceptions - to come and taste this feast. A gracious honor. An undeserved gift. Yet, genuine and real. In essence God’s table prayer for this feast is: Come, all people, be My guest, taste this food, be forever blest!
PRAYER: Dear LORD Jesus, I am feasting on You and Your grace forever! Thank you! Thank you forever! AMEN
TUESDAY, December 27, 2011 Matthew 22:5,6 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ‘“
A Despised Invitation You would think an invitation from a king would prompt some sort of positive response or, at the very least, a perfunctory acceptance and appearance at the banquet (even if you skipped the wedding ceremony itself).
There were many responses in this story. None of them were positive. For most it wasn’t important enough. Toss the invitation in the wastebasket. Don’t bother to put it on your calendar. Others felt contempt for the king and showed it by “shooting the messenger”.
Told by Jesus during the week of His betrayal, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection - the point of the story is certainly crystal clear. The Savior born to Mary was sent for the world; but, Israel had the first and best opportunity to receive Him. He was born “king of the Jews” right there in Bethlehem as long foretold. The primary response of His own is sadly summarized by John: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:10)
What a humbling warning to you and me! Like I, perhaps you have known Jesus for a long time. Our appreciation of His awesome grace needs to keep going and glowing. Having been led by His Spirit to accept the invitation of the King, let’s not get so busy we forget to “attend the banquet”.
PRAYER: Father, by the same Spirit Who brought Christ to me, keep me close to Christ so that I do nor devalue or despise Your gracious invitation to the CHRISTMAS FEAST of eternal life.
WEDNESDAY, December 28, 2011 Matthew 22:8-10 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.’”
A Persistent Host The king will not suffer His Son to be hurt nor will he waste the provisions he has provided. The reception hall will be filled with guests. So, some devalued the invitation and others despised it and destroyed those who delivered it - he sends again, to others. The first groups were undeserving so were the second. But, the invitation was genuine and sincere. It would continue to be offered until the banquet hall was filled with guests.
In the course of history the promise of salvation - fulfilled in Jesus and offered first to God’s people Israel - has been announced not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. The “good news of great joy is for all the people”. No exclusions. No exceptions. ALL.
The FEAST OF CHRISTMAS has soul food for all souls. It has the perfect nutrition for each soul. Enjoy!
PRAYER: LORD, You wanted me to belong to You and be with You. Let me feast on Your love for me in Jesus and, with such nourishment, give me zeal and strength to serve You alone. AMEN
THURSDAY, December 29, 2011 Matthew 22:11-13 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Can I bring anything? Often times when we are invited to a special gathering where there is food, we ask if we are expected to bring anything or if we can bring anything. Not so with the feast served by this king. He supplies everything from his bountiful grace. He even supplies special personal wedding clothes for each of the guests. You can remain at the reception without the proper clothes; but, the proper clothes are provided for everyone. Despising that clothing and refusing to wear it because you prefer your own and think they are good enough will subject you to being thrown out of the banquet hall.
Entrance into the eternal banquet hall for the FEAST OF CHRISTMAS is granted only to those who are properly dressed. The approved garments are not something that you can sew for yourself. The clothing needs to be perfect. Such perfect clothing is provided by the Tailor, Jesus Christ. Mom taught me this truth with a hymn verse that she made a part of my bedtime prayers: “Jesus, Your blood and righteousness, my beauty are my glorious dress. In these before my God I’ll stand when I shall reach the heavenly land.”
We have no robe of righteousness for ourselves through our own efforts before or after we became Christians. The blood of Christ has washed away our sins. We were clothed with His perfect righteousness when we were baptized. With sins washed away and righteousness put on we can stand accepted before God and will be welcomed home to heaven.
PRAYER: “Jesus, Your blood and righteousness, my beauty are my glorious dress. In these before my God I’ll stand when I shall reach the heavenly land.” AMEN
FRIDAY, December 30, 2011 Matthew 22:4b “‘Come to the wedding banquet.””
A lasting invitation The FEAST OF CHRISTMAS to which we have been invited lasts forever. The fellowship with God which was destroyed in Eden is restored through the Child of Bethlehem. Those who believe in Him receive reconciliation with God. We are invited to live with Him forever in heaven.
This week’s picture of a wedding feast is supplemented elsewhere in Scripture where we are taught that we are more than just another guest at a banquet. We are not going to be seated at some table far away from the main table waiting for our table number to be called and arriving at the buffet line to find that the supplies have been depleted so that we have to fill our plate with potatoes and gravy. No. We are going to be at the wedding - along with the rest of the church - as the bride of the bridegroom Christ Jesus Himself! We will continue to be the objects of His eternal, perfect, providing love. And finally, yes finally, we will love Him back the way He has always loved us - perfectly!
PRAYER: Jesus, I can’t wait to see You and to enjoy Your perfect love and to perfectly respond to it. AMEN
SATURDAY, December 31, 2011 (Suggested reading for New Year’s Eve day: Psalm 90)
A prayer of Moses the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning—
6 though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span[a] is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of your anger?
For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.
17 May the favor[b] of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Good bye! Good bye to the grace of 2011. Another year of complete forgiveness. Another year of complete providing for all our needs. Another year to get to know Him better. Another year to serve Him more.
The KING has taken care of everything. We can close the book on all our failures - no doubt they were great and many; but, no doubt they have all been forgiven and forgotten by our gracious God. In God’s grace - no matter what the heartaches and challenges of the year now past - in God’s grace life is good because the Giver and Sustainer of Life is our gracious God.
PRAYER: Compose your own expression of thanks for the blessings of the year now past, the year of grace 2011.
SUNDAY, January 1, 2012 January 1, 2012 (Suggested reading for New Year’s Day: Psalm 121)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”
Hello! You’ve got to get used to something new today. A new number. It won’t be the last new thing this year. Some new things may bring delight. Some new things may bring tears.
One thing will be old and new. God’s compassion. We’ve experienced it in Christ’s love every day in the past year and in our entire life. In that sense it is old. But, as Jeremiah said, “Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)
PRAYER: LORD, thank You for Your grace in bringing me into this New Year. I am counting on You - Your compassion Your faithfulness Your love - in this New Year. I know that they will “...never fail”. AMEN
