Thursday: 20^th Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: Ezekiel 36:23-28: I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you.

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14: Invite everyone you can find to the wedding.

The Parable of the Marriage Feast:

Israel’s Rejection of God’s Great Invitation

This parable deals with the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable tells how God dealt with Israel and turned from Israel, its major point is God’s dealings with His new people, the church (the new nation, Mt 21:43; Pet 6).

The meaning of the parable is: the King is God, the Son is Jesus Christ himself (Mt 21:37-39), the great marriage feast is the glorious day of redemption (1Thes 4:13-18), those who have been invited to the marriage refers to Israel- they were called by God from the very first and beginning with Abraham, those on the street corners are the Gentiles, people from all other nations who are ready to accept God’s invitation to His Son’s wedding, the wedding clothes represent righteousness  (dikaios=one who totally depends upon God, trust in God, does the will of God, walks in the way of God), which means repentance and change of life (shub=U turning); turning to God from all evil. The parable has both an historical and personal meaning. That is, we can apply to anyone of us.

1. Jesus again shared a parable (v.1-2)

a. Of the Kingdom of Heaven

b. Of a marriage prepared by God for His Son

2. God’s invitation to Israel (v.3-7)

a. God invited Israel, but they rejected

b. God showed great mercy

          1) Extended a second invitation

          2) Prepared an abundance

c. God saw His great invitation rejected

          1) by a busy farmer

          2) by a busy businessman

          3) by a religionists and worldly: who denied, scoffed, abused and persecuted

d. God judged Israel for rejecting His invitation: destroyed the abusers and murderers; rejected the rejecters

3. God’s invitation to any and all (v.8-10)

a. God then invited all

          1) Those who were out on the street corners

          2) Those who were both good and bad

b. God’s invitation was accepted

4. God’s confrontation with the guests (v.11-14)

a. God entered to see the guests

          1) He saw a man without wedding clothes

          2) He asked only one question

          3) The man was speechless

b. God judged the man who was not clothed properly

          1) was bound

          2) was taken away

          3) was cast into the darkness

c. God calls and invites many, but few are chosen

Thought: The wedding clothes which the man lacked represented righteousness. The man did not possess the righteousness of Jesus Christ nor did he live righteously (Mt 5:6; Rom 5:1; 10:3-4; 2Cor 5:21;Lk 9:23).

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