Die gas sonder 'n bruilofskleed het gedink hy kan aan die huweliksbanket deelneem, Maar hy was verkeerd, soos ons lees in die gelykenis van die bruilofsfees. In die gelykenis van die bruilofsfees in Matteus 22:1-14, Jesus compared the Kingdom of heaven to a king, who made a marriage for his son. The invited guests put on their wedding garment, behalwe een. One guest came without a wedding garment and took place at the table. He assumed he could partake of the marriage banquet, which the king had prepared for his son. Maar ongelukkig, the royal dinner ended not the way the guest without a wedding garment expected. What is the meaning of the parable of the wedding feast?
The parable of the wedding feast
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, en gesê, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden (invited) to the wedding: and they would not come. Weereens, he sent forth other servants, sê, Tell them which are bidden, Sien, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden (invited) were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Vriend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; daar sal geween wees en gekners van die tande. Want baie word geroep, maar min word gekies (Matteus 22:1-14)
The invitation to the wedding feast
In this parable of the wedding feast, the Kingdom of heaven is compared to a king (God), who had made a marriage for his son (Jesus). The first group of people, wat genooi is, but wouldn’t come, were those who by natural birth and the carnal besnydenis belonged to the carnal people of Israel. They treated the invitation of the king with indifference and went off.
They had other things to do, which were more important to them than attending the wedding. So they went their own ways.
One went to his farm, another to his trading, and the rest seized the slaves of the king, who brought them the good news, and mistreated and killed them. Their behavior provoked the king to anger. Daarom, the king sent his soldiers and killed the murderers, and burned the city.
Since the king considered the guests, who were invited to the wedding, not worthy, the king called his servants and commanded them to go out into the highways and invite as many people as they would find to the marriage feast.
The servants obeyed the king and went into the main streets and gathered together as many people as they found, both bad and good.
The time of the wedding and the entering of the king
Then the time of the wedding arrived. The wedding was full of people, who were invited by the servants. But when the king entered to see the guests, he saw one guest without a wedding garment.
Why was the guest without a wedding garment?
The guest without a wedding garment was invited because he knew about the wedding and entered. Egter, he had not put on his wedding garment. The guest without a wedding garment came in his own garment. He assumed he was allowed to attend the wedding on his own conditions and partake of the wedding banquet in his own garment.
What a prideful and haughty man, who thought that he was an exception. The guest without a wedding garment thought that he was an exception to the rule, as so many Christians in this age also believe in this lie of the devil, that they are special and have a special position.
They believe that they are the exception to the rule and are allowed to do everything they want to do and live according to their own will, even if it goes against the Word of God and His will. They think that they can do whatever they want, sonder enige gevolge.
The guest without a wedding garment was speechless
Nou weet ons dat alles wat die wet sê, dit sê vir die wat onder die wet is: sodat elke mond gestop kan word, en die hele wêreld kan skuldig word voor God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: want deur die wet is die kennis van sonde (Romeine 3:19-20)
The king didn’t leave the guest without a wedding garment alone. But the king confronted the guest without the wedding garment and said, “Vriend, how did you came in, while you didn’t have a wedding garment?” The guest without the wedding garment was speechless and didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t answer the question of the king.
The guest without the wedding garment, who was called friend, knew that there was no excuse he could use, that would justify his ongehoorsaamheid. Daarom, he didn’t answer the king.
He knew that he didn’t do what he should have done and that he had no right to be at the wedding.
Did the king allow the person to stay at the wedding feast? Geen, the king didn’t show any mercy to the guest, who entered without a wedding garment.
The king commanded his servants to bind the hand and foot of the guest without a wedding garment and to take him away and cast him into outer darkness, waar geween en gekners van die tande sal wees.
Jesus finished the parable of the wedding banquet by saying, that many are called, maar min word gekies (Lees ook: ‘once saved always saved?)
What an unloving man!
In hierdie ouderdom, the majority of Christians would say: “What does it matter, how someone dresses. Let everyone come and let them decide for themselves what to wear. What legalistic! You may not judge. What an unfriendly and harsh man! You should love your neighbor. This is not a Christian, because this is not an act of love!”
These Christians may find it hard and disagree, but that’s because they are carnal and are led by their opinions, perspectives of things, gevoelens, and emotions instead of the Word and the Spirit.
But God and Jesus; the Word shall have no mercy and show no more grace, when the appointed time has come.
What is the way to eternal life?
God het gemaak Sy wil en die Weg na die ewige lewe known to mankind. First to His own carnal people of the house Israel, second to the Gentiles. He has given everything to mankind to enter the Kingdom of God and become a son of God and be a partaker of His Kingdom and eternal life and walk in His will.
God has given His Son Jesus Christ as a Plaasvervanger for the old carnal man, to make in Him a new creation; 'N Nuwe man, and restore the relationship between God and man.
Jesus endured rejections, mental struggles, physical torture, whippings, and bleeding.
He took the punishment for sin upon Him and was crucified and entered Hades, in order to give His holy garment to those, who would accept the invitation of the King and believe in Jesus Christ and be gedoop in Him and become a nuwe skepping.
God not only gave His Son Jesus, but God also gave His Holy Spirit.
Through regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the new man has received God’s nature and has been given the ability and power to spiritually mature as a son of God into the image of Jesus Christ and walk after the will of God in Sy gebooie.
He has invited everyone to come, but people decide if they want to accept the invitation or not. If people don’t accept the invitation and don’t want to come, then they are the ones to blame, en nie God nie.
You must be clothed with the garment of Christ
Want julle is almal kinders van God deur die geloof in Christus Jesus. Want almal van julle wat in Christus gedoop is, het hulle met Christus beklede (Galasiërs 3:26-27)
No one can enter the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life on the basis of his own works and by keeping the law, whether you belong to the carnal people of Israel or not. God is geen Aanbieder van persone nie (Handelinge 15:9, Romeine 2:11; 3:22-26; 10:11-13, Efesiërs 6:9, Kolossense 3:25, 1 Petrus 1:17), which is clearly visible in the parable of the wedding banquet. The man who came in his own garment assumed he could enter on the basis of his own works.
But there is only Een manier to enter and stay in the Kingdom of God and that’s through Jesus Christ. Only by Sy verlossingswerk and regeneration in Him, you will be clothed with Him and when you keep Sy gebooie en wandel volgens Sy wil, jy sal in Hom bly.
Die nag is ver spandeer, Die dag is byderhand: Laat ons dus die werke van die duisternis afneem, En laat ons die Armor of Light aantrek. Laat ons eerlik loop, Soos in die dag; Nie in onluste en dronkenskap nie, Nie in kamering en gebrek nie, Nie in twis en beny nie. Maar plaas julle op die Here Jesus Christus, en maak nie voorsiening vir die vlees nie, om die begeerlikhede daarvan te vervul (Romeine 13:12-14)
Die nuwe man, who is born of God and has put on Christ, put off the garment of the old carnal man through the process of sanctification. This means that (s)he put off the works of the old carnal man (Sondaar) and shall no longer habitually walk in sins, which are made known by the law (Galasiërs 3:19).
The new man shall put on the garment of the new man and shall do the righteous works of the new man, because the man is no longer 'n sondaar, but has become righteous in Christ (Lees ook: ‘Put on the new man').
Therefore the new man, who has put on Christ shall walk in obedience to the Word and the Spirit.
But if a person remains rebellious and refuses to put off the old garment; the flesh and put on the new garment of Christ, then that person shall have no excuse on the Day of the Lord
Because the time of grace, which is the time that God gives to mankind to bekeer and enter the Kingdom of God through wedergeboorte, will be over.
Just like the king, God and Jesus shall have no mercy for those, who have chosen to keep their own carnal garment.
If you don’t put on Christ and don’t put on the new man, Wie word geskep na die beeld van God, but instead stay the old carnal man and keep living after the flesh, doen die werke van die duisternis, then your final destination shall be the same as the guest without a wedding garment, who thought he could enter the wedding feast and partake of the wedding banquet without a wedding garment, but in the end found out, that he was wrong.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
