Matthew 22:1-14 NKJV

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 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.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 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.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 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.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Jews were the first to be offered salvation from sin and eternal life with God based off genuine biblical faith in Jesus Christ who is the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For Jesus was and is their promised Messiah. He was and is not only the only begotten son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and birthed by his mother Mary, but he was and is God. And he always existed with God. And when he lived on the earth he was both man and God (God incarnate) who lived among the people. And he was and is our Savior God. And he never sinned against God the Father.

[Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; John 1:1-36; John 8:24,58; John 10:30-33; John 20:28-29; Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 1:1]

But the Jews at large (with few exceptions) rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah, the Christ who was to come. Many of them mocked him and called him names and tried to trip him up with his words so they would have cause to accuse him of wrongdoing. Some even accused him of being of Satan. And even though the crowds followed him for a while because of the miracles he performed, most all deserted him because they said his words were too hard to accept. And eventually those who hated him had him beaten and hung on a cross to die, for they wanted to put an end to him.

So God the Father now offered his salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jews), which was in God’s plan all along. And many believed in Jesus Christ and followed him with their lives, as well as did some Jews. Those Jews who had rejected Jesus as their Messiah were now cut out of Israel, and the Gentiles who believed in Jesus were grafted into Israel, the Israel of God, not to be confused with the worldly and political nation calling itself “Israel” which is not of God. For the majority of them still reject Jesus as their Messiah, and so many of them are following after the gods of this world, instead.

But then there was the wedding guest, the man without a wedding garment. And what does that wedding garment represent? I believe it represents being clothed with righteousness by genuine biblical faith in Jesus Christ. And the man is the flesh, representing all who make verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ but who have not died to sin and who are not obeying God in practice, but who are still walking in sin, still living to please the flesh. They may give off the appearance of being “in Christ,” but their hearts are far from God. For they do not obey God, but they obey the flesh.

And the message for us here is clear. A verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ does not guarantee us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. If our Christianity is in outward appearance only, but has done nothing to change the heart, mind, and behavior, then it is not genuine. For Jesus said that to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience to his commands. For not all who call him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the ones doing (obeying) the will of God the Father who is in heaven.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

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Without a Wedding Garment
An Original Work / May 6, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love