Matthew 22:1-14
22: And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Reflection
Jesus continues to teach us that his people are those who respond to him in repentance and faith. The warning in the final paragraph of this section (Matt. 22:11–14) is a sobering reminder that this parable is still valid for the people of God today. Many are attracted to the church for a variety of reasons: it offers a place to socialize, opportunities to meet others of one’s own age and interests, and organizational structures for helping the needy. As a result, people whose hearts have never been transformed by God can find themselves associating with the church. The wedding guest who does not have a “wedding garment” (vv. 11–13) is a reference to those who are in the church but have never had a true heart-change. Jesus tells this parable to stir our desire to trust in him, so that we don’t find ourselves in this man’s shoes someday.
1 Corinthians 3:5-23
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Reflection
The Corinthians were associating themselves with remarkable and skillful church leaders, perhaps in order to feel superior to other believers. By contrast, Paul reminds the Corinthians that even the greatest leader is only a servant of the Lord Jesus, and human labor is fruitful only because God “gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5–7). Because our gifts and service are given “according to the grace of God” (v. 10), we cannot take credit for the work accomplished through us. God gives the grace, so God gets the glory.
One day, God will evaluate the ways in which we used his gifts (vv. 10–17; 4:5). Anything that is built by mere human strength and wisdom will be exposed and destroyed, though true believers will still be saved by Christ’s finished work on their behalf (3:15; cf. 5:5). Amid this serious warning, Paul has shown us some aspects of God’s grace: (1) God reveals not only the threat of “loss” (3:15) but also a way to avoid such loss by turning from sin (v. 18); (2) whatever “reward” (v. 14) we receive in the end will honor “the grace of God” (v. 10), which strengthened us to work in the first place.
Psalm 44:6-8
6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. 7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. 8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
Our strength to follow Christ is the result of God’s grace in our lives (Rom. 3:10), and therefore he should be praised even for our obedience. Be sure to give God the glory for the work he is doing in and through you.