Transcript

Matthew 21:46 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: The Gospel of Matthew chapter twenty one forty six And Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits, and the one who falls on this stone will be broken into pieces. And when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. The Gospel of the Lord. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard this parable, they rightly perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were s seeking to arrest Jesus, they really feared the crowds because they held Jesus to be a prophet and a great teacher. Jesus has told the parable of the wicked tenets, and the religious leaders understood that he was speaking against them. Matthew notes their response, and although they were seeking to arrest him, They feared the crowds because they held him to be a prophet. The religious leaders want Jesus arrested, but public opinion restrains their actions. The crowds consider Jesus a prophet and moving against him openly would only promote anger and backlash. So they wait. They watch for a safer, more politically convenient opportunity to exact their move against Jesus. This is the political calculation of religious leadership. Not is he right? Or are the words that this teacher is saying true? But rather what can we get away with? Their opposition was real, and their timing was strategic. Jesus continues his teaching with another parable, and again Jesus spoke to them in parables saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a great wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast. But they would not come. A king prepares a wedding banquet for his son, the ultimate celebration of one of life's great milestones. The invitations had already gone out. Now servants are sent to summon the guests, but the guests refuse to come. And again, the king sends out other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, see, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, the other to his business. So a second invitation, a more detailed one, is sent out. The feast is ready, the oxen slaughtered, everything's prepared, the table is set, food is hot, come on down. And still the invited guests refuse to come. Some ignore the invitation entirely, returning to their farms and businesses. Ordinary concerns override the request of the king. The insult, it's profound. The king has prepared lavishly on his guests. But the guests prefer their daily routines. They treat the royal invitation as less important than everyday common commerce. This parable explains Israel's rejection of Jesus. God had prepared the Messianic banquet, the invited guests the religious establishment, they refused to come. They were too occupied with their own affairs to recognize the king's invitation laid out before them. How does this passage challenge us today? First, the leader's calculation warns against strategic religion. They opposed Jesus but feared the crowds. The religious decisions could be based on truth, not our own popularity or political safety. Well, sometimes we may be forced to make difficult decisions. Do we act in a spirit of Faith and commitment or do we let fear get the better of us? Second, the wedding invitation represents God's generous welcome made freely available to whoever will receive it. He's prepared the feast, and we're all invited. The question is, will we accept it? Third, farms and businesses' ordinary responsibilities can also become excuses for ignoring God's call and command. Good things can sometimes become obstacles when they displace the best thing in our life, and that is our journey with Jesus. This week, consider what might be causing you to pay no attention to God's invitation in your life. Is there anything that you may be prioritizing over dining at His table? Beloved, the banquet is ready, and we're all invited.