The teachings of Jesus were punctuated with parables. The only time that Jesus paused to speak with clarity was when speaking to the disciples, who formed the foundation of Christianity. The mystery of God’s Kingdom was a guarded secret. But it was revealed to the simple, expected to pursue their lives differently from garden variety matters of survival. Is accessing God’s Kingdom secrets, ahead of others, a privilege or a disadvantage?
And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding, and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”
’But they 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. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.
’So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:1-14 NKJV).
There are several questions, naturally appealing for answers. Why did the first invitees not take the King’s invitation, seriously? A King owns everything in his kingdom, including human beings. This shows the utmost carelessness by those disregarding the King’s invitation. But the most serious error was murdering the King’s servants. What could have caused those subjects to ignore the King’s invitation, let alone murdering His servants?
The wedding preparations could not just go to waste. The King eventually extended his invitation, to whoever would be willing to attend. The most important thing became the willingness to attend, by those invited. This idea was successful, serving to replace those having spurned the King’s invitation. The King would treat those guests, similarly to how he would have treated the originally preferred invitees. But a mysterious development evoked an unexpected oddity, within the attendees:
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:1-14 NKJV).
The fate of those having killed the King’s servants was justified. The fellow who would be violently ejected out of the party had not spurned the King’s invitation. He was among the invited guests, having, at least, commendably respected the King’s invitation. The only problem was ignoring the special dress for the invitees.
Nevertheless, the underlying reason for his carelessness differed from those who snubbed the invitation. His behaviour was peculiar, though. Imagine proposing love to a woman who then pretends to accept your proposal, but is uninterested. Common sense appeals to respecting those snubbing rather than the pretenders. Who can be comfortable with pretenders?
A pretender is the most dangerous, as susceptible to stabbing you from behind. Except for murdering the King’s messengers, those who spurned the King’s invitation ought to be respected for their stand. Dishonouring the King was repulsive, but not necessarily treasonous, except murdering the King’s servants. The person without a wedding garment is most unacceptable.
The focus should be on the one having accepted, but being found without the wedding garment. Why was he speechless, when found to be without the wedding garment? This suggests that he treacherously became part of the invited guests for different reasons. He had not gate-crushed but accepted without the moral fibre of being principled.
Such characters are aplenty, but commonly impossible to pinpoint, except by estimating according to observations, but people change from time to time. A good person can, surprisingly change and become worse and a bad person can change and become better. Jesus advised His disciples to allow the weeds and wheat to grow together.
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:24-13 NKJV)
As stated earlier, no one can dogmatically conclude on matters of qualification. Humans are limited to appearance, rather than substance. One person can appear as representing the devil, only to repent at the last minute. Another can work so hard for God’s Kingdom and convince most people that he truly stands for God’s Kingdom, only to be rejected.
There is no truth in that any person can be certain on the question of who qualifies for God’s Kingdom and who doesn’t. Although, of course, there is no denying that, as humans, we will always make judgments, based on what we observe. As a Christian, I continue to grant people the benefit of the doubt, as long as they display not being hostile against me. I keep my mind open to God’s truth, using my intellectual judgment, but open to anything reasonable, coming from others. I only avoid those projecting covert hostility, in agreement with what Jesus recommended to His disciples:
“But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city” (Luke 10:10-12 NKJV).
However, I leave everything in God’s judgment, concerning those showing hostility against me. Unlike the disciples whom Jesus directly sent, I would be telling a lie that God also directly communicated to me to write, thereby granting me the power to judge other people. Readers are granted the freedom to accept or reject my articles, although objectively committed to writing what I consider to be truthful.
The embracement of theory is out of the question. What I write comes from conviction, yet remaining open to anyone proving, without any shadow of doubt, any possible error. My initial reason for engaging myself in writing was to expose my possible ignorance. While keeping myself open to correction, I do not keep myself imprisoned in fear of being possibly erroneous.
My joy is derived from being honest about what I write, but feeling sorry for those, noticing errors, but avoiding correcting me. I suppose each human carries something to tell, before dying. But what value remains without saying it? No one has a monopoly on wisdom and knowledge. We are all God’s children, able to share whatever we consider beneficial to others. That is the principle I consider to be altruistic.
This is opposed to introversion, considering benefits to self, without considering other people’s challenges. A person is as dead as unable to help others, but alive when benefitting others, through whatever capabilities. God loves everybody; including those considered as worst sinners. Jesus left a specific instruction to love enemies and also pray for them. That statement does not sell to the carnally-minded people of this world.
Most people assume they will be saved by being loyal to Jesus. This is what sustains Christianity. Loyalty is considered to be virtuous, especially when accorded to the Spiritual leader of that group. Peter displayed being loyal to Jesus. But that is what almost cost Peter’s ejection from the rest of the disciples:
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:31-33 NKJV).
Peter was at pains, trying to display his loyalty to Jesus. One could say Peter insisted on wearing a different wedding garment, from the one prescribed by Jesus. The sifting would inevitably affect many Christians. Human reasoning appears as being the only condition that would cause disqualification:
From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:21-25 NKJV).
Here, then, comes the gigantic question of all time: Is it worth it to be a dedicated Christian, in our time? This question comes in light of the possible violent ejection of those found without the wedding garment. The teachings of Jesus show nothing else, except that God does not tolerate pretenders. Peter willingly accepted being a follower of Jesus. He was willing to die for Jesus.
But that is what almost cost Simon Peter’s ejection from the group. It isn’t a question of loyalty that counts, but the wedding garment provided to the guests at the wedding banquet. The most difficult question that each person should pause for him/herself is the one on whether necessary to be involved with Christianity.
I would be lying to my teeth when encouraging people to commit themselves to Christianity because there would be peace in Christianity. The author of Christianity never said there would be peace in Christianity. This is why we should always consider truth as what will set people free:
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:31-33 NKJV)
The mindset of humanity is diametrically the opposite of God’s mind. The idea of loyalty falls out. The subject of Christianity should not be taken casually when engaging in it for what one gets from it. Being found not wearing the wedding garment sounds grim, according to Jesus. I would rather risk discouraging people from adopting Christianity, rather than encourage them to be part of it without counting the costs (Luke 14:31-35).
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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