Matthew 22:1-7 Are you coming to the wedding feast?
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: July 16, 2019 Matthew 22:1-7
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
(Understanding the Text) This seems to be still about the confrontation with the leaders of the temple on the day after Jesus threw out the money changers and sellers. Jesus is making a comparison here, but it is not totally equal. The kingdom of heaven is like a situation where messengers were sent out to personally tell people that they were invited to the wedding feast. This is an exciting event with a happy purpose and wonderful food. It should be desirable, but the people refused to go. However, they didn’t just ignore the invitation; instead, many of them took the messengers and treated them horribly and even killed the messengers. Thus, the king was justified when he returned the attack back on the people and killed the murderers and burned their homes.
There seem to be two reactions to the message that the king sends out. One is to simply ignore it and get on with the normal rhythms of life. The other is to actively work against it, hurting people who remind the listeners that they should obey the king. This is not just a normal invitation. This is an invitation from the king to His subjects to join in with Him in His happiness. Thus, the ones who ignore the message are displaying just as much contempt for their ruler as the ones who actively hurt His messengers. We are the messengers. Right now, we are living in a time when the majority of the people just ignore us, but the prophecy says that the time is coming when first, the majority and then, all of the people will fall into the second group of persecutors and killers.
(Revelation of God) It’s interesting that it is not the King getting married; it is His Son. The Son is not the one who destroys the murderers. It is the Father. I am not drawing the conclusion of Jesus not destroying versus the Father destroying. Instead, I am drawing the conclusion that the King is not asking for Himself. He is asking for another. This is about unselfish love. This is not the story about an angry God whose ego is insulted by being ignored. The King is not punishing the invited guests because they disrespected Him, but because they are murderers.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I am invited to the wedding feast, and I need to go there rather than fixating on the routine of normal life. Nothing is more important than going to that party. Business and farm are minor details compared to the importance of attending the King’s wedding feast for His Son. It is vitally important that I get there. It is not enough to respect the messengers. It is crucial to respond to the message and come to the King. Heavenly Father, I want to be at the wedding supper of the Lamb. Help me to listen to Your invitations and to invite others to Your Son’s wedding.