When was the last formal invitation you received in the mail? Perhaps it was for a wedding or a work party. Jesus tells us in this Sunday's passage that the greatest invitation we will ever receive is a call into his kingdom. Why is it so crucial that we RSVP, and, as this parable tells us, make sure we're dressed appropriately for the occasion?
We've been reminded vividly this week about the reality of evil in our world, even in the church. In God's providence, our passage for this Sunday--the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds--addresses this very reality: If Christ's kingdom has come then why is there still so much evil in the world? And what should we as the church do about it?
Do you have family or friends who don't believe the gospel? I'm sure you do. Or perhaps you're seeking but struggling to believe the gospel yourself. Have you ever wondered, if the Good News is so "good" then why do so many people reject it? Why does it seem so hard to believe? Well we come to the teaching portion ("discourse") in Part 3 of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains why so many people aren't seeing the "good" in his good news. From his famous parable of the soils, we'll hear Christ's defense of his message and see both the root and the fruit of true belief in him.
