God’s mercy and grace is our unwrapped free gift. Life is hard alone, therefore God gifted us with a family of God and friends. As we plan our holiday feasts, let us remember those who have lost a loved one, and those who live alone. Many are coping with infirmities, loss, and recovering from hard rejections. Plan to extend an invite to the lonely, the outcast, the depressed and those fearful about the future. All travelers on the highways need our kindness. Gift bags of gloves, a scripture, bagged leftovers, anything  demonstrates God’s care for those in poverty or despair.

There is nothing more healing than an open compassionate listening ear. We don’t have to give advice, just eye contact.  A soul to soul understanding that we need each other. Humbly submit to one another.  Encourage the family of God. As His Body the church needs every toe, hand, mouth, and face to exhibit strength to all those who are in a fiery trial. Our Father wants His banquet full of people. Think about inviting the forgotten to a place at your turkey dinner. Love is kind, patient, forgiving, and all inclusive. Even a beggar or prostitute.

Stirring things up! What was Jesus doing among all the judges? He bent over, and with His finger, He stirred the dirt as an angry crowd watched. We ask what did He write? Although Scripture does not say — what made the angry crowd drop their killing stones?

A thought to consider. When Jesus, who formed man from the dust of the earth, stirred the dirt, perhaps He shook their very souls in fear! In their trembling, they chose not to judge the forgiven prostitute and dropped their stones. Hmmmm! LESSON? Judge not, for the King of kings is man’s only judge. We are to pray for our enemies and agree with God who will have His way.

God will show mercy on whomever He chooses. Scripted by God, He tells the story. Matthew 22:1-14 “Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then the king 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.’ But the invited guests made busy excuses —one to his field, another to his business. The invited guests chose to seize the king’s servants, mistreat and kill them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

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

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “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.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict folks, God’s job to judge all, and our job to love everyone. Commentary on Matthew 22:14 A sense of tension between two God breathed ideas. 2 IDEAS overlap in complex ways, but do not contradict. #1 is God’s choice of those who will enter the kingdom of heaven. Some accept the invite without confessing all sins. They expect to enter with a few stains on their garments. (small gate, few find it) #2 God’s mandate for people to accept and receive the gift of God’s grace by faith in Christ. IN THIS PARABLE, some willingly refuse the invitation. Some accept and fully engage. Was it just for a no cost meal? Jesus knows our motives “a free meal” or “to be transparent, to come as we are, but confess our sins, and His is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The parable concludes: “many are called to come and PARTICIPATE, but FEW are chosen to STAY.”

In a later passage, Jesus will refer several times to a chosen group called “the elect” (Matthew 24:22, 24, 31). It is clear from the gospel that everyone included in the elect—Jew or Gentile, man or women, all those who are chosen—received the gift of God’s eternal grace after trusting in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9). God calls to everyone to come to Him through faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). This demonstrates the limits of human ability to pay our own sin debt. (Isaiah 55:8–9). Mysteriously, and in some interrelated way, only those elected by God will believe and receive, as humble recipients of His undeserved grace. Only those who truly believe (John 3:16–18), and are motivated because of His great mercy and love actually obey, set aside their excuses and plans and submit to God, accept His invitation. Be His chosen one and receive varied rewards, or Crowns based on your obedience. Keep seeking God with a fire that burns away all the dross.

Store up treasures in heaven. Think of a safety box in heaven with your name on it. Each kindness, each word of mercy, each selfless act extended is placed in a treasury box. At the BEEMA seat, your crown or rewards will depend on whatever good you did over an entire lifespan on earth. Be happy with your position in the family of God. Your name is in the Lambs book of life. So rejoice.

Every minute, someone leaves this world behind. We are all in “the line” of departure, we know not when. We never will know who depart before us. We also cannot change portions as we wait in line.
We can not step out of the line. We can not avoid the line.So while we wait in line,
Make your words count.
Make Jesus a priority.
Take the time to examine your heart and forgive self and others. Use your gifts while you can. Make a nobody feel like a somebody. Make God’s grace the most treasured gift to pass along. Be kind. Be comfortable outside of your personal comfort zone as you expand your faith and trust in God.
Receive love, to give love. Wake up and make peace. Be ready to depart without regrets. Make sure you are ready to face God, the Holy, Righteous, Just Judge of all.

❤️ Mark 11:25 “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” ❤️ Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” ❤️ Luke 11:4 “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” ❤️ A sorcerer named Simon gets baptized. Acts 8:13-25 “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.” Simon offered to pay for the power of the Holy Spirit. Philip rebuked Simon. “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that He may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Simon asked for prayer. Jesus did not say that His Father’s place was a house of worship, He said it is a house of prayer.