They seek rather the transient things of this life. Although God offers the most priceless meal, a delicacy the earth cannot produce: free pardon of all sins, eternal life and friendship with God and although he charges nothing for this precious gift, but gives it away for free to be received by faith, people continue to refuse his offer. God continues to invite people to his banquet, and people continue to reject his invitation. Yet, the message of this parable endures even to our day. He sent his Apostles to all nations to baptize and proclaim the Gospel, so that his wedding hall might be filled (Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 18:6). And yet, God would not let this rejection leave his banquet empty. What’s more, they persecuted and killed God’s prophets, from Zechariah to John the Baptist. They went off to their own business, worrying about earthly things. For hundreds of years, God had sent his prophets to Israel, to invite them to be his people that he might be their God. When Jesus first told this parable, it would have been understood that he was preaching against Israel. Only God’s thoughts reveal the saving faith. Paul declares, “How can they believe in him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10). Not in a million years of pondering and meditating could your thoughts have revealed to you that God desires to save you by grace as a gift apart from your own works, and that your eternal life has been bought and paid for, unless God spoke by his holy prophets and apostles (Romans 3:23-30 Ephesians 3:8-9). The thought would have never crossed your mind that Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, after having fulfilled the Law in your place, who had no sin of his own, would take all your sin and die for it on the cross, unless God had told you (2 Cor. It would have never entered your thoughts that the eternal Son of God would become a man, born of woman, born under the law for your sake, unless God had revealed it to you through his word (Galatians 4:4-5). Yet, you cannot figure out the Gospel on your own. Although, it is certainly advantageous to have Christian rulers, even non-Christian governments pass laws against theft, murder, and slander. Even unbelievers agree that you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31). Some of what God teaches, you can figure out on your own. We must forsake our own thoughts, and run to God for his. The Proverb says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (18:1) Spending your time with your own thoughts is spending time with your most foolish advisor. That’s why everyone should come to church. And if your thoughts are unrighteous, then you aren’t going to make yourself righteous by means of your own thoughts! You must forsake your thoughts and listen to and believe God’s thoughts. So, if you are unrighteous, then your thoughts are unrighteous. Who are the unrighteous? Scripture says that we are all unrighteous! (Romans 3:10-23) And Jesus says that out of your heart come evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19). Others’ thoughts and opinions may be bad, but everyone thinks that his own thoughts are right.īut what does Scripture say? God says through Isaiah that the unrighteous should forsake his thoughts (Isaiah 55:7). Yet, everyone seems quite comfortable with their own thoughts. Wives don’t want their husbands to hang out with guys who get drunk and chase after women for the same reason. Husbands don’t want their wives hanging out with women who badmouth their husbands, because they fear their wives might learn to badmouth them. If their kids spend time with kids who cuss, talk back to their parents, steal, and commit other crimes, then they fear that their kids might do these same things. Parents don’t want their children to hang around kids who are trouble makers, because they might have a bad influence on their children. People should go to church, because they should forsake their own thoughts and listen to God’s thoughts, which are higher and better than theirs. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) People don’t go to church, because they think they don’t need it. The LORD God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. Why do so many people not go to church? For the same reason why they should go to church.
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