The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, [b]take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
We see that the king invites all of us. No matter our background or lifestyle, His doors are always open. However, we see a contradiction in the above parable. God, the king, chases out one of his guests! Moreover, he orders for him to be tied up and thrown into utter darkness.
The door into the feast of salvation is open to anyone, but he who enters ought to change his garments to make himself at least presentable before the king. That is repentance from the sinful life into righteousness through Christ.
If you are saved, that is good, but you have a lot more to conquer than just confessing Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. In fact, it’s better that you remain unsaved than get saved and fail to adhere to Christ. For what good is salvation if you have failed to turn away from sin?
The price of salvation
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
There is a price for salvation, one more than just confessing faith but living out the faith. Are you defined by what you say or what you do?
Do not be fooled; you may lie to the whole world, but God cannot be mocked! You are only lying to yourself.
The Parable of the dragging Net
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
When fishing, they sometimes use a dragnet to collect whatever is under the water in that very area (covered by this dragnet), sometimes capturing snakes, fish, stones, water plants, etc. And so if disciples are the main targets of the fisherman—that is, fish—then whatever comes within the dragnet that is not fish is eventually thrown away as it is deemed useless. And so will many Christians be on that day of judgment, claiming they knew him but He never knew them!
Many Christians get saved with strong convictions and pure intentions. Although as time passes by and dilemmas keep changing, some are caught up with life, others are consumed by the world, and so forth. Only a few really hold onto Christ to the very end. Shall I compare you to the parable of the sower? Mark 4:1-20
What will happen to a fallen Christian?
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food [i]in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying [j]his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus solemnly warns any Christian from getting too comfortable in the world. For the king comes at an unexpected hour to check on his house. And what will happen if He finds that servant has already neglected his post and is now like the world?
‘There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ If you are vigilant enough, you would have realized all the above parables ended with this line! Why would Jesus repeat this same statement almost every time, yet He had a lot more things to teach about?
Was He trying to scare us, or was He resounding a warning?
Parable of the Ten virgins…
Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Not everyone called shall be saved. Not everyone saved shall make it to heaven. Watch therefore, for you do not know the day the Lord will visit to collect His beloved.
Some may wonder why I say a saved Christian may not make it to heaven. Here is the reason
