Successful people from all walks of life tend to be adept communicators.  The best of these learn to stir the emotions as well as the intellect.  They become skillful at simplifying complex ideas through storytelling.  These stories tap into common experiences from everyday life that establish instantaneous connection with others and serve to highlight or illustrate main ideas.  

Abraham Lincoln is an acknowledged past master, as was humorist Will Rogers.  Examples abound among prominent writers, politicians, entertainers, and teachers—especially teachers.  In this category, none is so world-renowned as Jesus Christ, a storyteller truly beyond compare.

This is not hyperbole or bias.  Jesus’ task was complicated by the fact that He had to convey spiritual truth in terms clear and compelling enough to engage both the intelligentsia and the mentally challenged.  He had to describe heavenly existence and activity for which there was no earthly analog.  He also had to use the same stories to reach both those for whom His message was intended and those from whom His meaning was intentionally veiled.  He did this by means of parables—simple stories with deep moral significance, more or less readily grasped by the discerning, but missed by the hard-hearted and unbelieving.

When in public settings, Jesus taught exclusively in parables: “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them” (Matthew 13:34).  Let’s look at just one of these, in which Jesus tells the story of a royal ‘invitation only’ wedding banquet that goes horribly wrong (Matthew 22:1-14).

Problem #1: Invited Guests Who, At The Appointed Time, Refuse To Come

“And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.”  

[The king is God the Father.  The king’s son is Jesus Christ.  The occasion is the arrival of the Messiah to usher in the kingdom long promised to Israel.  The servants are the prophets and other men of God whom the Lord used to foretell the event.  The invited guests are the House of Israel, worldly minded and strangely indifferent to the King’s invitation.]

Problem #2: A King Spurned—The Host’s Urgent Pleas Are Treated As A Joke 

“Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise…”

[The “other servants” are in addition to those initially sent.  The substance of their message is the same, but the tone has changed.  The would-be host implores His guests to come now, before the ideal moment passes and the banquet goes to waste.  Some of the guests “make light” of the situation, including their host’s distress, while turning back to business as usual.]

Problem #3: The Monarch’s Emissaries Are Murdered, Triggering Retribution

“And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”

[The remainder of the guests, not content to ignore or mock, are aggressive and malicious.  They actually attack and kill the king’s messengers (many of God’s spokesmen were martyred in real life, for preaching repentance and the need to turn back to Him).  His outrage is justified.

With benefit of hindsight, we may surmise that the “armies” that the king sends forth in his righteous indignation, are those of Rome.  Titus and the Roman legions destroyed “their city” (Jerusalem) and burnt it with fire, in 70 A.D.  Jesus Himself predicted the sack of Jerusalem, including the Jewish temple (Matthew 24:1-2), as did the great Hebrew Prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:26).] 

Problem #4: A Very Special Wedding And A Lavish Reception—But No Guests

“Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.”

[The guests for whom the reception was reserved, rejected their opportunity.  Yet it is the king’s desire to have no empty seats at the party.  So, the guest list is broadened to include any and all who are willing to come, both Jews and Gentiles.  The festivities are effectively postponed while replacement guests are found, invited and ushered in.]

Problem #5: Many Replacements Are Dodgy Or Disreputable

^“So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

[Pedigree and social status were not scrutinized.  Many a dubious character who responded positively to the invitation was welcomed to the feast, until the hall was filled with guests.  Left outside by their own choice, were many of those for whom the banquet had been prepared.]

Problem #6: A Wedding Crasher Adds Insult To Injury

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.”

[in those days, it was customary in some circles, to furnish a robe or tunic to each wedding guest (sort of like the matching dresses worn by modern bridesmaids).  This protected the guest’s clothing, lent a fresh and festive ‘out of the ordinary’ air to the proceedings and helped to identify who was authorized to take part in the celebration, and who was not.  

The fellow without a wedding garment is representative of those who prefer to live by their own devices and desires.  He rudely ignored his host’s courtesy and refused to don the garment provided.  When challenged by the host, he could make no excuse.]

Problem #7: Expelling The Intruder Without An Ugly Scene

“Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For many are called, but few are chosen.”

[The king acts without hesitation, curtly issuing the necessary orders to have the one who did not belong there removed.   There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth where he is going, because the interloper (and those like him) could easily have rightfully attended, had he humbled himself and come on his host’s terms.  But he refused to honor and obey the king, opting instead to stubbornly deny his authority and defy his will.]

The moral of the story is that God calls all people everywhere to repent and believe the gospel—the good news of salvation through His Son, Jesus, who suffered and died on the cross to ransom sinners with His own precious blood.  Those prodigal sons and daughters who do, have their sins forgiven, sin’s awful penalty paid in full.  Then the risen Christ goes a step further, spreading over them the spotless robe of His own righteousness.

Are you wearing the festival garment provided by the King?  Have you “put on Christ?”  

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”  (Galatians 3:26-28)

If not, my friend, I urge you to stop and think about the choice you are making—between the endless celebration of the goodness and grace of God, and an eternity of “outer darkness,” wet with tears of shame and regret, gnashing of teeth in frustration at what you could have had, but forfeited for the sake of pride and the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Put on the royal robe of Christ’s righteousness, so that when a holy God looks at you, He sees His Son’s sinless perfection, not our filthy rags of self-righteousness.  Don’t get caught without the wedding garment that God, in His infinite love and fathomless mercy holds out to you.  Step inside.  Let Christ wrap it around you.  Savor its warmth and protection.  Don’t be underdressed for your appearance before the King.  It may come sooner than you ever imagined!     

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words, and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams, and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)