"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. " -Matthew 22:2-3

In the Bible (Matthew 22), we can read Jesus' "Parable of the Wedding Banquet." In it, he tells of a king who invites friends to a wedding banquet, but they make ridiculous excuses for why they cannot come. Eventually the king invites everyone in the kingdom, not just the chosen few.

The question we're supposed to ask when we're reading this text is why would somebody not go to that wedding? Why would someone make an excuse not to attend the most fun, exciting, interesting, joy-filled, expensive celebration ever? How would anyone make an excuse not to attend?

Do you know what Jesus is saying in that parable? He's saying that this banquet is going on right now. This festival is going on right now. It's the kingdom of God. It's the fullness, the joy, the life, the flourishing of the ongoing pervasive presence of God all around us that is available right now in Him, Jesus Christ.

I think that what he's saying is that many of us, especially those who have grown up religious, are refusing to attend even through we're invited every single day. That, like the Pharisees, it is so easy to get caught up in the monotonous humdrum, busy, day-in-and-day-out things of life that we forget completely that today is important and special and valuable - an extraordinary gift from God.

It's so easy to be caught up in paying bills and driving through traffic and checking our e-mails that we forget that today is a special, wonderful gift from God. We forget that the festival, the banquet of the kingdom of God is happening right now and we're invited. We are!

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your kingdom here on earth. Help me to remember each day as I rise that I'm invited to your banquet of life. Amen.

Devotion: What do you do each morning as you arise? How might you better greet the day as one might enter an exciting event hosted by the Lord, himself?

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Prayer:

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Reflection:

"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. "

-Matthew 22:2-3