Matthew 22
December 22, 2022
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come… 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…Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’” (v2-3, 5-6, 8-9)
The Lord’s invitation to be part of His Kingdom goes out far and wide. But there are many who will decline the invitation. Some will decline it because they hate the Lord and “kill His servants” (v6). But there are others who will miss out on the Kingdom simply because of their “busy-ness” (v5a) and their “business” (v5b). Yes, murdering God’s servants is worse than being spiritually distracted or building our own little kingdom. But in all three cases, the result is the same: missing out on the Kingdom.
Lord. Jesus, I praise You that Your invitation to be part of the Kingdom reaches even to me. I confess my tendency to be distracted, at times, pursuing my own little agenda. Forgive me, and guard me from ever putting You and Your Kingdom on the back burner. May I hear Your invitation to seek first You and Your Kingdom and Your purposes for my life, and joyfully respond with a ‘yes,’ ready to receive from You all that You have for me.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
