I would imagine many of us have lived a life filled with lessons, whether learned from others or through our experiences. But, our memories are fickle—I can’t tell you what my mom taught me when I was seven years old or the major lesson I learned after getting grounded when I was twelve.
Perhaps it’s not the worst thing that I can’t recall those specific details. Perhaps, when put together, our life lessons create grounded values for us that we would carry the rest of our days.
The Old Testament is much longer and has extensive histories and lists of laws compared to the New Testament. In Matthew 22:27, Jesus quotes the book of Deuteronomy, a book where we continuously see God telling Israel to be very careful to not forget everything God has taught them. Yet, in Matthew 22, an “expert in the law”—someone who knew the Old Testament well—asks Jesus: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” (v.36).
Now, supposedly these guys knew the Old Testament scriptures, particularly the law, word for word. Some have interpreted this as the ‘expert in the law’ testing Jesus. Regardless of what He’s trying to do, Jesus communicates that every lesson they’ve ever been taught all comes together in one message: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (v.37).
The greatest commandment Jesus communicated in Matthew 22 remains true for the Christian today too. This is a message we are to receive, respond to, and live by, but it is also the message we get to carry in everything we do, say, and think.
The message of loving God is a culmination of the teachings God has been giving since the beginning. To live according to this teaching, we get to choose things like memorizing Scripture to internalize God’s truth in our hearts rather than just knowing it, or to know God through our evangelism, finances, parenting, communication, obedience, and service. How we live is how we will abide by Jesus’s greatest commandment. Even on days when we forget, it’s the message that will keep us grounded for the rest of our days.
Jesus confirms that in Matthew 22, when one of the Jewish experts in the Law asked Him: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And Jesus answered him by quoting THIS verse: “You shall love the Lord your God …”. Loving God is the Greatest Commandment; loving God is literally the most important thing.
In the new realm of God, security is to be found in God. alone, and not in one’s mate, or in one’s progeny, or even in the ownership of people. People in the time to come will neither marry, nor allow themselves to be given in. marriage. Rather their security will be founded instead in their relationship to God.
See Luke 20:36
Matthew 22:29-30 — Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”
Matthew 33:31-32 – “But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Because the Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch as God’s inspired Word, Jesus answered them from the book of Exodus (3:6). God would not have said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” if he had thought of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as dead (he would have said, “I was their God”).
“Many are invited, but few are chosen. “
In response to their rejection, the king extends the invitation to others—those from the streets and corners, both good and bad. This shift emphasizes the inclusivity of God’s salvation, breaking down the barriers that may have separated people based on their perceived righteousness. It is a reminder that God’s grace is offered to all, irrespective of past deeds or social standing.
As we reflect on this parable, we are called to examine our own hearts. Are we actively responding to God’s invitation, or are we preoccupied with the concerns of this world? Are we embracing the inclusivity of God’s love, welcoming both the good and the seemingly unworthy? And crucially, are we adorning ourselves with the wedding garment of righteousness, showing a sincere and transformed heart?
The parable concludes with a sobering truth: many are invited, but few are chosen. May this reflection inspire a deeper commitment to respond wholeheartedly to God’s call, embracing His grace, and adorning ourselves with the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. In doing so, we position ourselves as chosen guests at the eternal banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Oops hit post too soon. Katherine Wornock said on the podcast “we have permission to be in process. Be committed to being made more and more in the image of Jesus”. God knows we aren’t and can never be perfect but we are invited to take part in the banquet anyway. All we need to bring is an open heart. I’m praying for those who feel their faith doesn’t matter, or that they will never be “chosen”. You are already chosen. Just keep showing up and allowing the process to happen.
I’m praying for all requests ladies. The podcast was great!