October 25th~The Called Out Ones

October 25

Matthew 21:28-32

Mark 12:1-12

Matthew 21:33-46

Luke 20:9-19

Matthew 22:1-14

Mark 12:13-17

Matthew 22:15-22

Luke 20:20-26

Mark 12:18-27

Matthew 22:23-33

Luke 20:27-40

Jesus is in Jerusalem; He has reached the final days of His ministry and life on earth. He knows that the time has come for Him to be arrested and killed. His enemies, who are the religious leaders of the day, attempted to trap Him in any way possible, so they bombarded Him with tricky questions. Here are a few of them:

“By whose authority do you drive out the mer- chants from the Temple?” Jesus asked them a question, “Did John [the Baptist’s] baptism come from heaven or was it merely human?” They did not know the answer, so Jesus re- sponded that He would not answer their ques- tion either (Mark 11:27-33).

“Tell us, Jesus. Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?” After Jesus called for a coin, He said, “Give to Caesar what be- longs to Him, but everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” This reply com- pletely amazed them. They were silenced and went away (Mark 12:13-17).

“Whose wife would a woman be in the resur- rection, if she were married to seven men?” Jesus told them that “marriage was only for people on earth; marriage would not be the way in the age to come. In this respect, they will be like the angels.” When the people heard Him, they were impressed with His teaching (Matthew 22:23-33).

Jesus fired back at these tricksters with two powerful stories, that of the evil farmers and the great feast. In the story of the evil farmers, Jesus revealed His enemies’ plot to kill Him, as well as their coming judgment by God. In the story of the great feast, Jesus described them as ungrateful wedding guests who refused to at- tend the feast. As a result, God would “go out into the street and invite everyone else.”

At the end of the story of the wedding feast, Jesus made a very important statement. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (22:14). He said this in response to a man who had come to the wedding feast without the proper clothes. Here is a picture of someone attempting to get to heaven in his own way, without being dressed in the righteousness of Christ. We cannot earn our salvation or force our way into heaven, and, thus, the King said, “Bind this man and throw him out into the darkness” (22:13).

Daily Reflection

The truth here is clear and pointed — few people will follow Jesus although many will be invited. Those who refuse the invitation to follow Christ do so because of their rebellious heart; those who respond to the invitation to follow Christ do so, not because their heart was somehow inclined to do so, but because they were chosen by God and drawn to Him by His Spirit (John 6:44; Romans 3:1-19; 8:30; Ephesians 1:9-11; 2:1-3). Their rebellion was overcome by His grace. These “called out ones” comprise His Church.

How can you know if you are one of the “called out ones”? You will know by your response to His gospel invitation. Have you responded to or rejected the call of Christ?

Will you have the right clothes on at the wedding feast? Or are you trying to save yourself?

BiAY.org | Day 298 — 67 Days to Go