Words of Hope Daily Devotional
The Feast of Heaven and Earth
Read: Matthew 22:1-14
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast. (v. 2)
Several New Testament passages make little sense until we understand what Jesus means by “heaven.” If we think heaven is “the place good people go when they die,” what do we make of today’s Bible reading? In it, undeserving guests are offered a place at a heavenly banquet. So far so good. Then, to our shock, the host expels a guest for wearing the wrong outfit. Wait, what? You can get kicked out of heaven?
This would be profoundly distressing if Jesus was talking about the afterlife. However, Jesus teaches about heaven not as a future reality, but an inbreaking, current reality. Life with Jesus occurs at the intersection of heaven and earth, and the “wedding feast” of the parable is not the afterlife. It’s the church! The church is the earthly expression of the feast of heaven. Jesus continually invites more and more undeserving guests. Anyone can experience the goodness of heaven in the life of the church. However, there is a dress code—the way of Jesus. As Paul explains in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
What does this mean for us? First, our place at the banquet is secure—it was bought by the blood of Jesus. Second, we who are already “seated” in the church must make space for more. Third, we must continually “put on Christ,” the only appropriate outfit for sharing in the celebration.
As you pray, ask for appropriate dress, and more guests, at the feast.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon
Ben Van Arragon is a preacher and writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
Heaven Is at Hand
Read: Matthew 4:12-17; 11:1-6 Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (4:17) One of my earliest memories was opening my first Christmas gifts. My parents gathered my older sister and me in front
The Heavens Were Opened
Read: Ezekiel 1:1-9; 25-28 The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (v. 1) Once when I was young, my parents announced that we were going to Baskin Robbins. I’d never heard of it, and I was distrustful
Woe is Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips. (v. 5) When I was growing up, my family attended an annual Christmas St. Nicholas party with a group of friends. It
At the Lord’s Table
Read: Exodus 24:9-18 They beheld God, and ate and drank. (v. 11) I tend to be restless in worship. My mind wanders. I check my watch. After an hour, I look for the exit. But I once attended a revival
Separated from Heaven
Read: Genesis 3:8-24 The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden. (v. 23) A common disciplinary technique used by parents and teachers is the “time-out,” in which a disobedient child is temporarily separated from the rest of
In the Beginning
Read: Genesis 2:1-9 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. (v. 1) One of the Bible’s best-known sentences is, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Biblical language scholars point out that the Hebrew