Understanding the Invitation - Matthew

This is the third of three parables that Jesus teaches on His second day in Jerusalem. The first two very clearly confront the religious leaders of Israel (God’s mob) with this question: ‘What have you done with the beautiful thing that the Lord has done?’ (Matt.21:42). And the religious leaders are condemned by Jesus’ words – they have rejected Jesus, and they are judged. This third parable makes the same point – but then turns to God’s mob (the disciples and those they will bring in), and warns them from the example of the religious leadership: to be in the kingdom of God, to be dependent, is to live as someone in the kingdom of God, dependent upon Jesus. To be in the kingdom is to live in the kingdom! This is a very serious, but encouraging, warning to God’s mob. Anyone can be welcomed into the kingdom of God, through Jesus – but this will not, and should not, leave you unchanged!