Matthew 22

It’s Christmas Eve and I wonder how many of us truly comprehend the significance of celebrating the birth of Jesus? Christmas is a time when many get caught up in the festivities and sadly even the commercialism of this annual celebration. But do we really prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the true miracle of Christmas: do we really marvel at the amazing love shown by Our Lord that He would come to us in such a fragile form? 

In our reading today there is a parable told by Jesus of another important event, the wedding of a King’s son which symbolizes the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In this parable the initial ones invited are not interested in responding to their invitations. In fact, some violently reject the honor which means they ultimately reject the King.  ““But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.” (5-6). This is symbolic of the brutal and violent rejection of Christ as King of the Jews by the very ones who should have honored Him. 

This king decides to extend his invitation to those who would not typically expect to receive an invitation. “So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (v10) This symbolizes the gospel being taken to not just the Jews but the Gentiles as well. It’s amazing how far reaching His invitation is throughout the world and it all started with a baby in a manger on a special night. 

In the parable there are many who attend the grand event. At weddings of that day, the bridegroom would host the celebration and provide the wedding garments. But in this story, there is one in attendance who just doesn’t belong. He is running around in disrespect and not properly dressed. The king recognizes the intruder and has him thrown out. This signifies those who may be participating in religious capacity but they lack the wedding garments that only Christ can provide.   “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”(Isaiah‬ ‭61:10‬ ) This signifies that only those clothed in Christ and His righteousness will be accepted as legitimate wedding guests by God at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Many take interest in the appeal of the Christian life.  They may call themselves Christians. They may attend church and perhaps even teach or hold a religious office but they lack true spiritual transformation. They have not fully grasped their radical need for what only the Christ child could offer to a fallen world. They have to humbly recognize that their personal righteousness is never enough : “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah‬ ‭64:6‬)

We must humbly recognize the significance of Christmas. Christ, God incarnate, came in human form to bring to a fallen, sinful world the only means of gaining righteousness. He invites us, as unworthy as we are, and He clothes us with His righteousness so that we can have the hope of a glorious eternity with the One who loves with a perfect, amazing, unfathomable love. 

Now that is the amazing miracle of Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all!