A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON

It is a tremendous privilege to be invited to a wedding celebra­tion. It is an immeasurably greater blessing to be a participant in the marriage! This truth helps us interpret today’s parable.

In this parable we have the Lord portraying three distinct offers made by His Father. Those summoned initially had been invited previously. When the time came for them to enter in to enjoy the king’s hospitality, ‘they would not’ come. Doesn’t this remind us of the Lord’s lament caused by the nation’s refusal of Him, despite the Old Testament prophets’ prior notice of His coming? When he would have gathered them, they ‘would not’ come, Matt. 23. 37.

Upon this rebuttal, the king graciously sends ‘other ser­vants’, not now to ‘call’ but to ‘tell’ those bidden that ‘all things are ready… come’. This forthright command would be the hall­mark of the apostles’ preaching. They were to declare that preparation had been made for the nation to enjoy the ‘times of refreshing’, Acts 3. 19. The nation’s aggressive refusal would give God cause to move against them in judgement. This would be seen by God’s sovereign employment of the dominant world power of the day. In 70 AD, the Romans literally ‘burned up their city’ as the parable predicted.

The activity to which the third invitation relates has not taken place in this present age, nor will it. Rather, it relates to a time yet future when the ‘gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations’, Matt. 24. 14. The indiscriminate ingathering of ‘as many as they found, both bad and good’ is consistent with the Lord’s teaching in those other parables where He spoke of wheat and tares, Matt. 13. 24, and good and bad fish, Matt. 13. 48, which, whilst col­lected together, had to be distinguished. This gathering and separating will take place at the Lord’s return to the earth and precursory to His millennial reign.

If this final offer does not have its fulfilment in this church age, what then of those who are currently being saved? Our prospect is to be joined in union with the Son; we are not to be mere invited guests at the marriage celebration.