Invited

"Many people are invited but only a few are chosen," Matthew 22:14.

That's what the sky kingdom is like. Jesus said it was like a king who made everything ready for his son's royal wedding banquet. Everybody that was anybody got special invitations. But nobody came! They didn't care. The king re-sent royal messengers back with personal invitations, but the guests beat them and killed them. (How more absurd can this get? well, there's more.) So, the king dispatched his army, slaughtered the guests, burned their city down. Then he invited all sorts of riff-raff and filled the wedding hall with them. One didn't bother to put on the provided regalia, so the king dumped him. That's how Jesus explains who gets chosen for heaven. Whoever refuses to answer the call, doesn't get chosen. (There's a lot of these folks.) Those who show up, and get dressed for it, get chosen. Pretty straight forward.

We marvel with a brother or sister today that God's grace includes a personal invitation for us to his son's wedding feast. And we put on the regalia of love for each other and of thanksgivings to him for his mercy and love to us in Christ.