Transformed – teen devotion – October 15, 2023
One truth shared: Jesus invites you and clothes you for his eternal party in heaven.
For many are invited, but few are chosen.
Matthew 22:14
A Story of Insane Rejection
Are there some invitations you would prefer to ignore? You might not want to accept the invitation to your great aunt’s birthday party when your friends are planning to hang out that night. You might not want to accept the invitation to the wedding where you’ll hardly know anyone.
On the other hand, there are some invitations you’d never reject: an invitation to meet your favorite band backstage or an invitation to the Super Bowl. There are some invitations we accept and some we reject.
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a story about a king who threw a big wedding reception for his son. He invited all the people you would expect, but all of them rejected the invitation. In fact, they even killed the servants who brought them the invitations. It was an insane rejection!
Naturally, the king was enraged and sent his army to deliver justice and put those men to death. Then the king had his servants go out into the street and invite anyone and everyone into the wedding reception. They invited those you’d expect to be at a royal wedding and those you wouldn’t expect to be there in a million years.
Jesus says this story illustrates the kingdom of heaven. He has sent out invitations far and wide through the message of the gospel for people to trust in him as their Savior. This trust in Jesus, worked in us by the Holy Spirit, serves as one’s ticket into the heavenly banquet that he has prepared for us. It would be insane to reject this invitation, but some people do. Don’t reject Jesus’ invitation.
There’s one more wrinkle to Jesus’ story about the wedding banquet. After all the guests came in from the street, a man was found who wasn’t wearing any wedding clothes. He hadn’t come prepared for the wedding, so he was thrown out.
You, too, need to make sure you have the right clothes to get into the heavenly banquet. Thankfully, Jesus gives you the clothes you need. He has clothed you in his robes of righteousness. He has made you perfect through his death on the cross. Should anything happen to you today, know that you have everything you need to join in the heavenly party!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to cherish the invitation to your heavenly banquet which you have extended to me through the message of the gospel. Thank you for clothing me in Jesus’ righteousness that I might be worthy to enter heaven. Amen.
