Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Matthew 22:3, 5-6 

3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 

This is the part of the parable that makes our jaws drop! Who would refuse to come to the party of the century? What kind of doofus would “make light” of an invitation like that, saying to themselves: I have more important things to do. And then there are the others who declared open war against the king by mistreating and even killing his messengers. 

Both groups, by their actions, declare they want nothing to do with the king or his kingdom. In essence, they are saying we take our orders from someone else, not you. From their point of view, their refusal seemed like a logical choice, a natural expression of their values. 

Jesus once said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Their hearts were far away from the king because they treasured other kings far more. The first group perhaps treasured their own life pursuits more than anything. The second group treasured the power to call their own shots. Both groups wanted to live life on their terms, not the king’s terms. 

– Pr. Paul  

Lord Jesus, when we step back, we can see the folly of trying to live life without you at the center. But it is so easy to get distracted by our own pursuits; it is so easy to imagine we have the power to make our own rules and impose them upon others. Forgive our foolishness. Teach us humility in the presence of your amazing love. Amen.