Two workmen take a job in hell: they are laying paving stones made entirely of good intentions, and the boss keeps demanding a few more. That satirical scene opens a reflection on the parable of the king’s wedding feast (Matthew 22), about guests who had ample time to prepare and simply did not want to come. The message leads to the startling question of the man without a wedding garment, and why God’s kingdom cannot be entered on one’s own terms. Listen if you want to know what the invitation lying on your table has really been asking of you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 the first guests refuse, and then the servants call people from the crossroads, both bad and good. What was this parable saying to the chief priests and Pharisees who heard it?
- Where did the guests brought straight in from the street get their wedding clothes, and why did the king treat the man without one so harshly? What does the garment represent in the sermon?
- The first guests went off, one to his field and another to his business. What ordinary, even good, things most often lead you to tell Jesus "no" or "later"?
- The speaker pointed out that the man without the garment accepted the invitation but not the host's terms. In which areas of life do you want to be with God, but on your own terms?
- The story of George Wilson shows that a pardon only takes effect once it is accepted. What does it mean for you to actually receive the grace of Jesus, not just know about it?
- The sermon ends with two questions: do you want to come to the feast, and are you being made ready by Jesus? What one step in your relationship with Jesus can you take this week in response to His invitation?
