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Reverting to the parables in Matthew and Luke it may be noted that the ones who did not come to the feast / supper were those who had been invited; those who did come were those who were brought in at the last minute, so to speak, without any previous invitation. Being the lower orders of society they were no doubt only too pleased to get a free meal. They were, we may say, those who had a felt need; not those who thought they could do without the meal that had been provided for them. This should be a lesson to those who are self righteous and feel that they have no need of God's grace towards sinful man. However, the parable in Matthew goes on to speak of the man who had got into the feast without having on a wedding garment. One might say that perhaps he could not afford one and it was not therefore his fault that he had not on a wedding garment. However, in the days in which Christ was speaking the wedding garment was provided by the host so we are told (rather like what we get in Revelation 6:11) and therefore there was no excuse for the man not to be wearing a wedding garment. As a Gospel preacher might say: "He had come into the presence of the king (God) in his own righteousnesses which were filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Until his condition was pointed out to him he was apparently oblivious to it, but when it was he was speechless as man will be in a coming day of judgement (Romans 3:19). Being sent into the outer darkness was in a way the best place for him. Being sent into darkness is no doubt a mercy for the sinner, for the alternative of being for ever in the light of God's presence in a completely exposed condition would be too awful to contemplate. The time to get right with God is now before it is too late (Revelation 3:15-20) and one's state becomes fixed (Revelation 22:11). The two things condemned by Christ are (1) overtly refusing the Gospel call, and (2) taking on the profession of Christianity, but not being genuine. |
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July 2001 |
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