Religion: Are you for real?

This is part 7of a series based upon the Parable of the Marriage Feast in Matthew 22:1-14. Each part stands alone with the other parts supplementing and adding to the whole.

Just like so many other Scriptures that we have looked at in the past, this Passage is so incredibly rich. It just seems like almost every word is oozing with rich, deep meaning. And so to clarify what is being said, we’ll be looking at various Scriptures, concepts, and precepts that are expressed throughout all of the Bible, but primarily throughout the renewed covenant (N/T).

I hope that you’ve been able to follow along in our series. If not, I would encourage you to check out the archives.

Both bad and good
Today I would like to address a very short phrase in Matthew 22:10. That phrase, really it’s just a few words, is: “Both the bad and the good”.

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. 

Mat 22:10 

Invitations sent to the religious but they were not interested
The King sent out the invitations to those you would think would be interested in coming. When the time came for the wedding feast he sent out his messengers to tell them that it was time to come and join in the festivities.

The first time his messengers were sent out the recipients were just not interested.

Religious murderers
The king sent his messengers to the same group again. Again they were not interested except this time they violently abused and even murdered the messengers.

It’s important to note that all of these people were from the same group. It was a subset who abused and murdered the messengers but all of them were from the same group. What application can you think of about this in regards to today’s religious people?

New invitations to the “unknown”
After dealing with that the king sent more messengers out to the hinterlands to invite others. The King James Version reads that he sent his messengers to both the “bad and the good”.

But what does that mean? Would the king want “bad” people at his son’s wedding feast? The context clearly indicates that he does not.

So what does it mean then? Rather than the “bad and good” one Aramaic version of the Bible reads that the king told his servants to invite both the “known or unknown”.

The Messiah is available to the known and the unknown; those who appear to be good and those who appear to be bad. Those who appear to be religious, and those who don’t.

I haven’t watched TV for decades now but I do watch DVD’s. One program I have shows a father talking with his daughter. While they are talking a friend of the father walks up to them, chats for a bit and then leaves. After the visitor leaves the daughter asks her father if that man was a good man or a bad man. The father’s answer was “there is no such thing”.

Religious people would definitely disagree with that statement. If asked, most “religious” people would say that they are “good” people. They will often strive to be “known” for their “goodness” so that they appear to be “good”.

So then what you have is some who are “known” to be “good” people, and others who are “unknown”, and therefore “bad” (in the eyes of the religious).

Ancient prophecies prophecy of gathering up “non-religious” people
However, prophecies of the regathering of the “non-religious” dates back to Abraham and beyond:

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Gen 22:18 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 

Mat 13:47 

It’s about God and His Son Yeshua
God is saying here that it is not about people groups, denominations, skin color or nations. Rather it is about humbling yourself before Him in genuine authenticity.

Yeshua said, My sheep will hear my voice. And so he is available for you. He wants to speak to you. He wants to reveal himself to you. He wants you to hear his voice.

He wants you to be one of His guests at the wedding feast. He is looking for humility: Those who will come to the marriage dinner, appreciate the invitation and spend time with Him.

I pray you do that today. What a blessing it is to be chosen of him.

Blessings in Yeshua, 
Parson Rayphe
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