Sermon Tone Analysis

Every human being has 3 needs at the soul level that are crucial to their existence,

First is for them to truly be accepted, 2nd is to feel significant, and the 3rd is to know they are secure.

These are soul level needs; some would say love, but love communicates meeting these three needs.

Todays parable reminds me of a story.

I think everyone likes being invited to a party, one you have to get dressed up for, one that is being catered and maybe even has an open bar.

It makes you feel liked and wanted, included and even special for a little while.

How about if the party is being thrown for you?

How much more special would you feel as a guest of honor?

Years ago my wife and I became friends with this couple who lived up the street in the neighborhood we had recently moved into.

They were awesome and knowing we didn’t know anyone in our new neighborhood, they would invite us and bring us to other peoples houses for parties.

It was very cool to be included, but also awkward as we would just walk or it even felt like we were sneaking into other people’s homes, uninvited and not knowing anyone else but our two friends.

When we were separated from our friends we always feared someone calling us out for not being invited and ask how we got in.

Well, this story in the Gospel according to Matthew in chapter 22 makes me think about those times, but also communicates acceptance, significance and security.

Let’s look at verses 1-14

Matthew 22:1-14

At this point in Jesus’ ministry, days away from His betrayal, His arrest, His bogus trial and conviction, being sentenced to death, days away from His beatings, whippings, and His crucifixion, Jesus is pointing out to the people who His true followers are and who they are not in parable form.

What the kingdom of heaven will look like when it fully comes and in fact this parable is about the celebration of when heaven and earth are finally united.

So we break down the parable first starting with the characters in the order they were mentioned.

The king—here this would be God

His Son—this is Jesus

So God is throwing a party, a wedding feast for His Son Jesus and His bride

Matthew 22:3

His servants—these are the workers, the prophets over the years who have been doing the kings business for Him

Those invited—those are all to who the call to come has been given, first to the Jews

Matthew 22:4

Other servants—more workers sent with the same message, come to God and to His wedding feast in His Son and brides honor

Other servants—more workers sent with the same message, come to God and to His wedding feast in His Son and brides honor

Matthew 22:5

But they paid no attention—to those that the call has gone out to, those invited, the belief here is this is the Jews, paid no attention to the call

But they paid no attention—to those that the call has gone out to, those invited, the belief here is this is the Jews

These people were more interested in their farms or their businesses.

These people did shameful things, rejecting the invitation, seizing the servants and killing them.

This is the history of the Jewish nation and their prophets, when the preaching was not what the people wanted to hear, what the religious leadership wanted to hear, they would turn on the prophets and beat and kill them.

Matthew 22:7

This makes God understandably angry.

The Jewish religious leadership is once again repeating history.

They are rejecting God chosen spokesman, but more than a prophet, it’s His Son.

They are rejecting Jesus and are going to kill Him as well.

So here Jesus is predicting the destruction of the Holy City, which happens 37 years after His murder.

Matthew 22:810

But this doesn’t change anything.

The Jews rejection of Jesus doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is God’s Son and that God is going to through a huge party for Him.

Those that the initial invitation goes out to, the Jews for the most part, are not worthy because of their rejection, their refusal to recognize Jesus and to go to the party.

So what is God to do? Invite others.

This is a common theme in scripture, God’s invitation was first for the Jews and the religious establishment, Jesus came first for them, but with their rejection came the opening up of the invitation to the outcasts and outsiders, the sinners and the non-Jews or the Gentiles.

So the servants will go to the roads and streets to invite any that will come, the so-called “bad” and the so-called “good”.

You see entrance into the kingdom of God is not based on our goodness or our badness, but on whether or not we respond to the call.

The Kingdom of God is not something we can earn our way into by our good works and it’s not something that our bad deeds can keep us out of, that is unless we reject the invitation by God to enter and celebrate the Son and His work for us on our behalf.

You see

The main message here is that Jesus is the celebrated Son of God, He is reining in Heaven and one day His Kingdom will come in all its fullness and there will be a huge celebration.

The invitation goes out to all, and all are welcome if they respond.

In the acceptance and heeding of the call you are allowed admittance into the wedding feast, you are an accepted guest and you have significance because you are a member and participant of the celebration.

Matthew 22:11

The King comes in to look at the guests, to examine who is there.

But how do we know who truly is a follower of Jesus and who is not?

But how do we know who truly is a follower of Jesus and who is not?

In this parable it is represented by wedding clothes, wearing the right uniform.

It’s one thing to say you’re on the team, but a whole other thing to actually be on it.

If someone is truly on the team then he gets a uni, but if someone says they are on the team, they may be able to drive to the ballpark, they may even be able to con their way into the clubhouse, but they for sure won’t have a locker and won’t have a uniform.

The King sees this, “How did you get in here without a wedding garment,” how did you make it to the dugout without a uniform.

You see at the true guests at the wedding will have to clothes to prove it, this man clearly has no business being there.

That person will have no answer, they clearly know they are not on the team, but just tried to sneak in, and that’s not how it works.

You have to come in to the celebration the way God tells you to, accepting His Son, you cannot create your own way into heaven.

This man will be kicked out, right security will be called and this man might even be prosecuted.

But this is not laughing matter.

This man is thrown into outer darkness, symbolic of an existence outside the presence of God, and because he knows the truth now, he will live out eternity in utter anguish over his rejection of the Son and the invitation to celebrate with the Son.

And so will be all who reject Jesus.

How can they possibly think they will be admitted to heaven?

It’s not good works but belief and trust in Jesus, in the Kings Son.

You see many are called, but only a few are chosen, or respond, or are accepted but that few who did respond, who did answer the call to follow Jesus will celebrate with Him in Heaven!!

At the beginning I spoke about acceptance, significance, and security, these can only and permanently be found in accepting the invitation to follow Jesus and go to the wedding feast.

At the beginning I spoke about acceptance, significance, and security, these can only and permanently be found in accepting the invitation to follow Jesus and go to the wedding feast.

His perfect life and sacrificial death are the invitation and by belief you are accepted and admitted.

It immediately gives you significance because the Bible says you are now God’s child and we bear the name Christian and called to love God and love others, to know God more and more and to make Him known to others, our lives now have true and lasting purpose, we are significant.

And as seen in the parable, the true followers of Jesus will not be cast out into outer darkness, separation from God for all of eternity, but will be in His presence and celebrate the Son, we are secure in this.

Our deepest soul needs of acceptance, significance and security can only be found in becoming a follower of Jesus.

Let’s pray.