2009-12-25
Good Morning God’s Treasures,
As you know, the Holy Spirit led me to write about MT 7: 13-14, a part of Christ’s words on making judgments found in the Sermon on the Mount. This passage deals with taking the narrow gate that leads to a hard path to eternal life. Today, I am directed to write about MT 22: 14 in view of what is said in the above passage. “And Jesus concluded, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’” This is the conclusion of Christ’s Parable of the Wedding Feast. The King is God and His Son is the Lord, Jesus Christ. The wedding feast is a description of the joy that exists in heaven. However, there are some complications with introducing the church as the bride of Christ. Some theologians wrongfully interpret that this is the time that Israel is rejected as God’s chosen people, due to her rejection of Jesus Christ. God then, turns to the believing Gentiles as a replacement for Israel. Let me state categorically, that this replacement theory is a heresy. Sadly, it appears in some theology textbooks being used in some seminaries. We should pray that this lie never becomes widely accepted.
Yes, God was angry with Israel for her lack of faith, but He never planned to turn away from her, only to punish her. That happened when in 70 AD, the Romans sacked the temple in Jerusalem, sent the Jews into their second dyaspora [loss of nationhood and scattering of the people]. This lasted until 1948 AD, when Israel’s nationhood was restored under President Chaim Weitzman. The basis for the change in focus away from the Jews to the Gentiles came with Israel’s rejection of the truth leading up to 70 AD. God has never given up on the Jews and has indeed been bringing some of them, myself included, to belief in Jesus Christ, and thus, our description, “Messianic Jews.” It is still a fact of life that “many are called, yet few are chosen.” There had been crowds of people filling the synagogue in Antioch in Pisdia to hear Paul and Barnabas preach the truth. AC 13: 45-46, “When the Jews saw the crowds , they were filled with jealousy; they disputed what Paul was saying and insulted him. But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: ‘It was necessary that the word God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.” AC 28: 28, “And Paul concluded: ‘Your are to know, then, that God’s message of salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen!’”
In the times of the early church, it was customary for the host at a wedding to provide a special wedding garment for a person who doesn’t have one. This practice is used by some theologians to symbolize the person who hears God’s call but isn’t ready or doesn’t want to accept it. The person without the wedding garment has come without accepting God’s provision. He may profess to be ready for the Kingdom, but has never been clothed in the righteousness of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 COR 5: 21, “Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we mighty share the righteousness of God.” Without Christ, he is speechless when challenged as to his right to enter God’s Kingdom [RO 3: 19]. He is relegated to being outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some interpret “gnashing of teeth” as continued hatred and rebellion against God and the “weeping” as suffering. Those who hear and accept the word of God about Jesus Christ are the “chosen.” MT 22: 14 refers not only to the man who comes to the wedding feast without a wedding garment, but it refers to the whole parable. As a Bible interpreter, Jennings, says, “All are called to enjoy the feast, but not all are willing to trust the Giver to provide the robe that fits for the feast.”
I have a mental picture of Christ holding a believer’s hand to steady him while walking the hard road that leads to eternal life, from reading MT 7: 13-14. When the going gets too tough, Christ might even pick Him up and carry Him until he is ready to be back on his feet once again. This is like the message of the famous story, “Footsteps in the Sand.” A person who steadfastly rejects Christ, also rejects the help He offers. All Messianic Jews and believing Christians have made the choice to accept Christ’s example and His help. In no way has God given up on traditional Jews, His originally chosen people. The work of such ministries as Jews For Jesus, Good News for Israel, Apple of His Eye Mission Society, and others demonstrates the heresy of replacement theology. We must remember IS 49: 6, 14-16, “The Lord said to me, ‘I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations-so that the world may be saved’…But the people of Jerusalem said, ‘The Lord has abandoned us! He has forgotten us.’ So the Lord answers, ‘Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of My hands.’” We also have the promise of RO 11: 25b, “It is that the stubbornness of the people of Israel is not permanent, but will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to God.” That should seal the truth that replacement theory is a lie, and that God loves His human creation!
PRAYER: O Lord, it is so important that we understand the words You have given us. Just as in early church times and before, there are still false prophets out there sent by the evil one to cause doubt and confusion with their lies. We have heard Your loving words from PS 50: 15, “Pray to Me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” The Psalmist, in PS 40: 1 has said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” You want us to know the truth and to value it. Your desire is for our hearts to come alive by the power of Your word. PS 119: 93, “I will never forget Thy precepts: for with them, Thou hast quickened me.” For this coming alive to happen, we must repent of our sins, and turn our lives over to Christ’s leadership. We join David, who said in PS 51: 2, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” We approach You in humility and reverence to ask You for Your intervention and perceivable presence in our lives. We ask Your for Your compassion, wisdom, and discernment in our lives. PS 119: 125, “I am your servant; give me understanding, so that I may know Your teachings.” Then, when false profits try to teach lies, we will recognize them for what they are and reject them. Dearest Abba, help us to follow Your example of being forgiving when others err and to pray for them, just as the Lord Jesus did in MT 5: 44-45a. We will never forget what He did on the cross, so that we might be eternally forgiven for our own sins. PS 32: 1, “Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” You are a generous and loving Lord, and we thank and praise You, in the holy and mighty name of Jesus Christ.
There is too much rich material on this comparison of MT 7: 13 -14 and MT 22: 14 to leave this subject just yet. So, the Holy Spirit has told me to continue writing about it next week. We’ll begin looking at LK 13: 22-31 about the “Narrow Door” for God’s wisdom and Biblical support too. Our lives have many narrow gates and doors in them, and our paths are often hard to traverse. I live in a home with very narrow doors, after having to leave one, for financial reasons, that was built to be wheelchair accessible. It’s given me some pause to think how close I became to being dependant on a wheelchair at all times when I was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease that killed all the sensory nerves on both of my feet. Had it been allowed to progress any further, the motor nerves would have been next. God’s response to my predicament was to place me where I am, but to stop me from becoming totally disabled. He is with me every day, urging me on to have deeper trust and faith in Him. Just as He is my Protector, He is also that for everyone who believes in Him. So, yes! We can turn to Him in times of trouble, and He will help us. NH 1: 7, “The Lord is good; He protects his people in times of trouble; He takes care of those who turn to Him” Believe it! His love for us is unparalleled by any other source, human or otherwise. It’s only one of many reasons we need to look for God-given opportunities to witness to others by word and example in a way that is gentle and sensitive to their needs. I know this kind of witnessing pleases God more than we can imagine. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn