Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves ... the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance ..grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate ... Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.  Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.  It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.–Dieterich Bonhoeffer

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel 36:23-28

Psalm 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

M atthew 22:1-14 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, (2) "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, (3) and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. (4) Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' (5) But they made light of it 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 is ready, but those invited were not worthy. (9) Go, therefore, to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' (10) And those servants went out into the streets 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; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' (14) For many are called, but few are chosen."

Meditation by Don Schwager

W hat can a royal wedding party tell us about God's kingdom? One of the most beautiful images used in the scriptures to depict what heaven is like is the wedding celebration and royal feast given by the King for his newly-wed son and bride. Whatever grand feast we can imagine on earth, heaven is the feast of all feasts because the Lord of heaven and earth invites us to the most important banquet of all – not simply as bystanders or guests – but as members of Christ's own body, his bride the church! The last book in the bible ends with an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb – the Lord Jesus who offered his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and who now reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! (Revelations 22:17).  The Lord Jesus invites us to be united with himself in his heavenly kingdom of peace and righteousness.

Why does Jesus' parable of the marriage feast seem to focus on an angry king who ends up punishing those who refused his invitation and who mistreated his servants? Jesus' parable contains two stories. The first has to do with the original guests invited to the marriage feast. The king had sent out invitations well in advance to his subjects, so they would have plenty of time to prepare for coming to the feast. How insulting for the invited guests to then refuse when the time for celebrating came! They made light of the King's request because they put their own interests above his. They not only insulted the King but the heir to the throne as well. The king's anger is justified because they openly refused to give the king the honor he was due. Jesus directed this warning to the Jews of his day, both to convey how much God wanted them to share in the joy of his kingdom, but also to give a warning about the consequences of refusing his Son, their Messiah and Savior.

The second part of the story focuses on those who had no claim on the king and who would never have considered getting such an invitation. The "good and the bad" along the highways certainly referred to the Gentiles and to sinners. This is certainly an invitation of grace – undeserved, unmerited favor and kindness! But this invitation also contains a warning for those who refuse it or who approach the wedding feast unworthily. Grace is a free gift, but it is also an awesome responsibility.

Dieterich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian in Germany who died for his faith under Hitler's Nazi rule, contrasted "cheap grace" and "costly grace".

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves … the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance … grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate … Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."

God invites each of us as his friends to his heavenly banquet that we may celebrate with him and share in his joy. Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet table?

"Lord Jesus, may I always know the joy of living in your presence and grow in the hope of seeing you face to face in your everlasting kingdom."

Supplementary Reading

The Path of the Righteous

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day – Proverbs 4:18  

A re you facing a situation that seems dark today? As a believer, God promises that your path will shine brighter and brighter as you seek His truth and righteousness in every situation in your life.

How do you seek righteousness? Righteousness is simply being in right standing with God. When you submit your life to Him and choose to obey His commands, you are seeking His righteousness, and you are on the path of the righteous! Just like today's verse says, the light of God's Word will shine brighter and brighter and will guide you in every decision you have to make.

Today, take time to ask the Lord to shine His light on you. Ask Him to confirm His plan for you. When you make His Word a priority in your life, you will experience more of His blessings. You'll see those brighter days as you move forward in the good plan He has in store for you!

Father God, I know that You have a wonderful plan and purpose for me. I desire to be in right standing with You. Show me Your ways and teach me to walk righteously before You. Shine Your light in my heart and give me strength to pursue the path You have in store for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen. - Joel & Victoria Osteen

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

For past gospel meditations, you may visit the following:

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http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com