PrayerBits
A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church
Sunday
Scripture lesson: Matthew 22:1-14 Taking God's offer seriously
Time to reflect: The “bad guys” here are of two types: those who couldn't be bothered to attend the Kings banquet, and the one who didn't respect it properly. The first set were “too busy.” The last guy was there, but not willing to make an effort to be appropriate.
Moving through the day: God has called us to come and be a part of the great banquet – do we give God excuses? Or do we take God for granted and treat God with disrespect?
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
"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.'
"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 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.
"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
"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.'
"For many are invited, but few are chosen."
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