馬太福音22:1-14

 

22:1 耶穌又用比喻對他們說：
22:2 「天國好比一個王為他兒子擺設娶親的筵席，
22:3 就打發僕人去，請那些被召的人來赴席，他們卻不肯來。
22:4 王又打發別的僕人，說：『你們告訴那被召的人，我的筵席已經預備好了，牛和肥畜已經宰了，各樣都齊備，請你們來赴席。』
22:5 那些人不理就走了；一個到自己田裡去；一個做買賣去；
22:6 其餘的拿住僕人，凌辱他們，把他們殺了。
22:7 王就大怒，發兵除滅那些兇手，燒燬他們的城。
22:8 於是對僕人說：『喜筵已經齊備，只是所召的人不配。
22:9 所以你們要往岔路口上去，凡遇見的，都召來赴席。』
22:10 那些僕人就出去，到大路上，凡遇見的，不論善惡都召聚了來，筵席上就坐滿了客。
22:11 王進來觀看賓客，見那裡有一個沒有穿禮服的，
22:12 就對他說：『朋友，你到這裡來怎麼不穿禮服呢？』那人無言可答。
22:13 於是王對使喚的人說：『捆起他的手腳來，把他丟在外邊的黑暗裡；在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。』
22:14 因為被召的人多，選上的人少。」

 

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 

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    你看重主耶穌的福音嗎？福音就像這個比喻所說的，是王子的婚禮。雖然國王很熱心地為王子辦婚，也邀請許多人來參加，但是被邀請的人不看重，他們的反應是：「那些人不理就走了；一個到自己田裡去；一個做買賣去；其餘的拿住僕人，凌辱他們，把他們殺了。」

 

    這是多麼不尊重的行為啊！以致國王發怒了，於是有所作為，就像聖經所說：「王就大怒，發兵除滅那些兇手，燒燬他們的城。」

 

    然而宴席都準備好，卻不能沒有客人，主人還是要僕人去邀請人來參加宴席。但是差強人意的是，是有人沒有穿禮服，被趕出宴席之外。

 

    所以，一個人要能享受福音的好處，首先需要有上帝的呼召，其次要準備好自己。當然上帝的呼召是出於上帝的恩典與憐憫；而準備好的人，是有聖靈的啟示，知道一定要信靠主耶穌，尊主為大，看耶穌基督為至寶！

 

    也因此，一個蒙上帝揀選的人，必定是被上帝呼召與聖靈動工的人！