Sad Parables

In the Gospel of Luke 14:16-24, there is a parable about a Man who made a great supper and invited many. And in the Gospel of Matthew 22:1-14, we read a similar parable about a King who arranged a wedding feast for His Son. Both these parables are told differently, but about the same thing, and end with the words: "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Studying the message to Laodicea and the parable of the ten virgins, I decided to combine all these prophecies and allegories into one picture.

From the history of God's people, we know that the predictions about the last time were partially fulfilled during the destruction of Jerusalem, when Roman troops under the command of Titus besieged the city, took it, and completely destroyed it. In our days, all prophecies about the end of time will find their repeated fulfillment in all details before our eyes.

The Lord sends His servants to invite the called to His celebration. God has a Salvation plan for the last time, which He wishes to reveal to His people. And in addressing Laodicea, the Faithful Witness reveals this plan. He speaks about the sad state of God's children, not rejecting anyone, but inviting everyone to Him. And an amazing event happens: "And they all with one accord began to make excuses" and "were not willing to come." A strange attitude towards God's invitation. When I read these parables and apply them to the spiritual elite of Christ's time, then, knowing their end, I condemn these religious leaders, considering them foolish. They had such a great advantage of meeting the Savior Himself and receiving special blessings and consciously refused it. But when I apply these parables to our time, I see that something similar is happening. Those who, by their spiritual calling, should be the first to respond to this call and fill their vessel with oil, inviting others to do so, for some reason unanimously refuse, as if conspiring among themselves. And such a refusal does not sound in a specific word: "No," but very politely an explanation is given that there is no time to study all this. It seems that people simply do not hear either you or Jesus. Therefore, the Lord specifies that he who has ears, let him hear. To all the sad characteristics of the Laodiceans, deafness is also added. They do not hear Jesus, although He very clearly and loudly advises something, speaks and even knocks. Asking to enter my house, He comes with His feast and great supper. He has something to treat me with and talk to me about. And this is such an important event that the Lord promises to seat everyone who hears and responds on His throne. An amazing offer that speaks of the special authority of the chosen ones and the special attitude of God towards those who respond.

I think that wise girls are those people who heard Christ and prepared for the coming events, buying everything that was offered to them.

But God has a message for the rest of the world. For those who love Him but have no light, who are lost in their problems. And the Lord instructs the wise girls to go again along "all the roads and hedges" and invite all the "poor, maimed, lame, and blind," convincing them to come so that His house would be filled. And this will be a special message of Heavenly origin, which in the power of three angels and the Holy Spirit will be proclaimed once again throughout the Earth. And when the house is filled, there will still be room. Then the Lord will offer His servants to go again and already in the power of only the third angel to make a special call for those who are still in the fallen church: "...Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues."

The Lord is good and very longsuffering. He gathers His people for a very long time into one special group that will participate in His final celebration. These people will be alive to meet the One who will come to our planet for the Second time.

The Lord in His parables specifies that His mercy and longsuffering will be replaced by a fair manifestation of a special side of His love: anger and punishment of those whom He initially chose and invited to His celebration. This punishment is partially described in Ezekiel 9:1-11 and in Revelation 16:1-21 as God's judgments and the last plagues.

If these images are presented like this: "Come to Me for a feast, or I will kill you," then one can distort Christ's character and present God in a false light.

But the Lord addresses as follows: "I have decided to put an end to the history of sin, and I will soon come to destroy all evil and all who have clung to it with all their heart. And so that you do not perish in this number, I offer you My Salvation plan, My mercy and protection for this time, and My personal presence in your life. If you accept my offer, devote your time to studying this plan, if you cling to Me with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, then I will preserve you during My judgments, and nothing will harm you!"

What more can God do for those He loves and has chosen for salvation? What other message should He devise for this world? How much longer will this sinful world mock God's love and longsuffering? If the Lord prolongs these days, then no flesh will be saved. The temptations of the last time are very strong, and they will deceive many, and even many of the called.

But having called everyone to His feast and seeing those who filled God's house, the King will go to carefully examine all those present. All the chosen ones managed to buy white clothes for this celebration, and their shame was covered. Heavenly gold enriched them, and eye salve made them seeing, and they joyfully look at their Lord, patiently waiting for what He will do next. What we were unable to do, the Holy Spirit accomplished. He convinced many to come, and they responded, and filled the house. But it is impossible to hide anything from the Lord, and He saw among those reclining one who, bypassing God's plan, did not want to acquire a wedding garment and decided to come to the feast with his own righteousness. "The king said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless."

What will those be able to say to the Lord to whom He stretched out His pierced hands from morning till evening, begged to come, sending His servants, convincing in truth, giving the Holy Spirit, and they refused, justifying themselves by lack of time and interest? What can love do in the heart of one who firmly closed his doors and invents his own ways of salvation? Who will be to blame for the fact that I reject God's clothes and put on my own? I will be declared wicked. I will be thrown into darkness, and the doors of God's grace will be closed to me forever. And this will happen to everyone who now finds justification and excuse for their ignorance and indifference. And how much longer will the Lord call us to His feast?

Now the good news is sounding. The Lord invites us to buy from Him everything with which we can come to His celebration. In these goods, He offers Himself with all the ensuing consequences. He strongly desires to participate with me in this joyful event. What will I decide? Will I hear? Will I go to consult with the world and look for justification in my busyness? It's up to me to decide. I choose Jesus, and guided by His advice, I go shopping. And there's already a queue of 143,999 people who were also waiting for my decision.

Questions for reflection on this chapter:

1. Please read 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 17:14; Psalm 105:6; Isaiah 10:21-22; Luke 14:16-24; Matthew 22:1-14; 20:16; 24:22,31; Ezekiel 9:1-11; Luke 18:7; Romans 8:31-34; 9:27-28; 11:5,7-8; Colossians 3:12-17; Matthew 7:13-14 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. Are you sad from understanding the meaning of the proposed parables?

4. Why does the Lord not give any chances to those who reject His invitation?

5. How long does God's invitation to His feast at His table last? And how long will it still sound?

6. Why does the Lord turn away from those who reject His invitation, and does not come up with a more interesting advertising campaign to convince the called people to come to Him?

7. How does this call sound in real life, and how not to confuse it with false calls?

8. Does the Holy Spirit participate in convincing people to respond to God's invitation?

9. Is 144,000 a lot or a little? How large will the faithful remnant be?

10. What to do to be among the chosen and faithful?

11. How can I understand in what status I am now in God's eyes? Am I not the one who rejected His invitation?

12. How does God's invitation sound personally for me? What is this message? How not to confuse it with bad news?

13. Is the invitation to study at the Agape Love School part of God's plan for the last time?

14. Why can't the Lord leave the door of His grace open until the very Second Coming of Christ and save those who did not have time to repent during the Coming?

15. In which group of people would you like to be? What are you doing to get there?