The invitation to a wedding (3) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

They (the guests invited to the wedding) made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Matthew 22:5-7.

The invitation to a wedding (3)
The drama with those rebellious guests continued. First, they said, "No!" The second time they contemptuously gave no reply. They were simply not interested: they went about their normal business. Some even responded with violence and murder. Would the king do nothing, when his kindness was trodden underfoot? Certainly not! He mobilised his army, had the murderers killed, and their city burnt down. Such was the consequence of their stubbornness.

To interpret the parable we need only to consider how the Messiah's people reacted to the preaching of the riches of God's grace by the apostles. The majority kept up their religious traditions and interests unwaveringly. Some of God's messengers were even killed. Before the apostle Paul was converted, he, too, had been persecuting them, as he later admitted: "I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them" (Acts 26:11). In the year 70 A.D. Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled: "The faithful city was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers" (ch. 1:21): the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. There was not one stone left on another (cf. Matthew 24:2).

God be thanked that history (and the parable) doesn't end there, but takes a particularly favourable turning!

(to be continued on Thursday)

Today's reading: Job 24:13-26:14 · Acts 13:23-31