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With all our holiday plans, and all our preparations, it can be
very easy to become distracted and lose sight of Whom we are giving thanks to. We think of
turkey, and pie and other delights. We think about family and friends. And many of us
think about the Thanksgiving day football games or parades. These things are nice to
experience and are favorite parts of the holiday, yet they are not the main part. It is a
time set aside to honor God--a time to worship the Provider, not the provision.
Thanksgiving Feast
The word was sent throughout the land,
“Come one and all alike,
the King requests your presence
to share in His delight.
A feast unlike all others,
just one week from today,
in honor of His only Son,
upon Thanksgiving Day.”
But many made excuses,
why they could not attend,
“Busy with the relatives,”
or “Visiting a friend.”
And so the King sent out for those,
who had no place to be,
extending invitations ,
to whomever would be free.
Reports came back much like the first,
The people could not come,
But sent regards and grateful words
in honor of His Son.
They said, “Dear King, we’re honored
to live within your land,
But, you see we are quite busy
and we’ve made Thanksgiving plans.”
And so the feast was given,
there were a few who came,
to give thanksgiving to the Son,
and magnify His Name.
As for the rest who were content
to dwell within His land...
They settled for their turkey.
when they could have chose the Lamb.
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 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.' "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field,
another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their
city. "Then he said to his servants, `The wedding banquet is ready, but those I
invited did not deserve to come. 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, both good and bad, and the 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. `Friend,' he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' 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 22:1-14).
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