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Well, its Thanksgiving! I hope we didn't eat too much. Between now and Christmas there will be a lot of feasting in celebration of the holidays. We tend to celebrate almost everything with a meal, whether it is a birthday, anniversary, 4th of July and so on. It seems this is a tradition that is as old as humanity. In some cultures it is insulting to refuse an invitation to a meal. It appears meals together signify a relationship that is friendly. To refuse to eat with someone would be considered a declaration of hostility in some cultures.
Within the Bible there are many recorded feasts. When the prodigal son returned it was celebrated by killing, cooking and eating the fatted calf with friends. Banquets and feasts have for as long as we know been celebrations. The most prominant one in the Bible might be the wedding feast. It was important enough to suspend a fast to celebrate it.
The wedding feast of the Lamb is one place the image of the wedding feast is used to describe our holy communion with Christ at his coming. We the church are his bride, and he is the groom. When Christ comes and receives us into his everlasting kingdom there will be a great feast. At the moment we are betrothed to him, but when he comes the union will be completed and we will be with him forever.
Matthew 22:1-14, And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."
What does this parable mean? The Jews rejected God's Son and all that was promised through him. They made light of God's messengers and mistreated them. The nation of Israel was destroyed in 70 AD along with God's temple and it wasn't until 1948 they were permitted to return and form a new Israel. After the destruction the apostles began their work of calling all people to come to the feast prepared. We must be careful to have on us the wedding garment or we shall be removed and cast out. And what is that garment? I believe it is the image of Christ. What do you think?
I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I wish you a Merry Christmas. When we feast upon our food may we feast upon Christ in our heart that we may become like him and know the glory of his grace.
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