Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.
3 sermons cite this verse
… They said they lay hold of his servants, mistreated them and killed them. I've never been invited to a wedding and then killed the messenger. But the thing I have done is very just, it's subtly in Jesus' parable. Here's the king. wedding feast for his son. He's invited many, many people. Again, some have this overreaction, but it says others ignored the invitation. One went to his farm, other to his business. Our ability to ignore things we'd rather not deal with is remarkable. And I think our blind spot, maybe the number one blind spot that we can be facing is our ability to ignore God. Like the reality say, I like doing what I'm currently doing and I do not want to be bothered at this moment. I don't want to be bothered. You know, years ago, I came across this article about the population crisis in Asia, specifically the population crisis in Japan, that the projection was by 2060, Japan's population would fall by a third, which is the point in the article pointed out, which is the same percentage as the Black Death in the 14th century. …
Thanks be to God. See, there are some Sundays when you say that robustly, and there are some Sundays you're like, ah. This past Wednesday, needing some divine inspiration, I picked up the phone in my office, hit speed dial button number one. A tired sounding voice answered, yes. Um, God? Yes. Scott Black Johnston here, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City. I know. We've got caller ID here. Listen, I hate to bother you, God, but I've been working on this parable, the wedding banquet, Matthew 22. And to tell you the truth, I'm having a bit of trouble with it. I was wondering if you could help me out. Sure. Let's do lunch. You do lunch? Of course. Tell you what, meet me tomorrow on the Upper West Side, Jacob's Pickles, 12 noon. I've been wanting to try their cheese grits. Grits? Absolutely. Grace on a plate, my friend. Grace on a plate. I heard a low chuckle, and the line went dead. So on Thursday, I took the Crosstown bus to the west side. …
"Then said He to His servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were invited were not worthy Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests." Matthew 22:8-10. IN the previous verses of this striking parable, we see that the Great King had been ungraciously treated by his subjects, and had in his wrath swept the rebels away. But there was the feast still waiting for guests and the time had arrived to celebrate the nuptials of his son. The terror of the royal power had been proven, but it still remained to display the splendor of the imperial hospitality. Therefore, while yet the clash of arms is in our ears, we hear the voice of royal clemency! The din of war and the tramp of warriors have not caused the wedding or its feast to be forgotten, neither has wrath obliterated mercy! We read that "he sent forth his armies, and slew those murderers, and burned up their city," but in the next line we find the record, "then said he to his servants, go you into the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite to the marriage." In wrath he remembers mercy. On the heels of his men at arms he dispatches the ambassadors of peace. His power went forth to destroy his enemies, but it also went with his messengers to gather the needy from the streets. Judgment is the Lord's strange work, but He delights in mercy! Once He smites, but not till He has thrice invited the rebels come to Him. And when at last He overthrows the incorrigible, He takes occasion from it to extend His bounty to many others. Truly, God is Love! …