Sometimes the Lord uses other approaches to move us. He does not always stop after our first unreasonable response. God calls us in various ways to leave the life of sin. Some may have heard the gospel and not responded. Perhaps a friend or family member is converted and we see the change at first hand. Maybe God brings trouble into our lives to get us to think more seriously. Maybe he sends illness, or unemployment or other difficulties to shake our self-confidence. We learn of the death of someone we know and it shakes us. We consider again, ‘Am I ready for the end of life?’
We have a king in heaven, who is extraordinarily patient. We get away with great sin, and yet he does not immediately shoot out thunderbolts from heaven. We trade on his patience. Who is it that we turn down when we say, ‘I want no God. I just want to do everything my way’? We turn down the sin bearer. He must one day be our judge. We say, ‘Why should I want to go to heaven? I should think being a Christian is a pretty miserable existence.’ We insult the Lord, but we speak in absolute ignorance. Do we know what it is to taste the King of heaven’s feast?
Think of the patience of the king in the parable – God has sent messenger after messenger, showing kindness after kindness. There is one God, in three persons, all equally holy, equally powerful. Christ had to come and suffer and die in agony on the cross. God is so holy that he must punish sin. The work of redemption is finished. There is provision waiting for all who will respond to Christ’s invitation. If you come to him, you will find all prepared, and blessing that you have not conceived.
‘Tell them’ – that is the preacher’s task. Tell them what lengths Christ has gone to. Tell them of his humiliation and the pain of the cross, the price and his unfathomable love, and the people who have come to him and found him. Come into the marriage feast – it is very strong. It is a command as well as an invitation. Come and think of the suffering of Christ for sinners. First call, second call – how many calls have you had? How many times has God pleaded with you? Maybe once, twice, or three times? Here it is only twice. Happily this is a parable and not an exact statement of the case; Saul had many goads. Don’t despair if you have been called and not responded, but neither should you presume upon the continuing patience of God towards you.