Great excitement and lots of buzzing activity when a wedding is in the 'being arranged' stage.
So many things to attend to : the date to be decided, the blessing of the parents to be obtained, the antenuptial contract to be drafted and signed, the reservations for the hall, the church, the minister, the organist, deciding how big a following the bride and groom will have, who will participate in the procession, the cake to be ordered... the photographer to be chosen, the disc jockey or band to be reserved... the list of possible guests to be drawn up... the invitations to be designed...and mailed...all things to be coordinated.
Don't forget the dresses for the bride and bridesmaids, the flower girls, pageboys, the groom's suit, the outfits for the bestman, the mothers of the bride and groom...all very important. The floral arrangements in the church and reception locale, the bouquets, the program in the church... the rings to be decided on and purchased! Don't forget the caterer's and the menu's!
But a feast is not a feast without guests. Guests are what make a feast spectacular. Guests arriving in their splendid wedding outfits bearing gifts and good wishes. Guests sitting in the pews admiring the beauty and splendor of the bridal procession being witnesses to the sacred event when vows are being exchanged, dreams are realised and the union of two people are solemnised. Guests who will form part of the memories of this beautiful day. Guests who will participate in the feast that follows.
How sad it is when we cannot invite everyone that we would want to due to financial constraints. How disappointing when those who were invited do not accept... And if in your mind and heart you have accepted, but you have not taken the trouble to properly RSVP you will find that when you arrive at the reception, no seat will have been reserved for you; no placement or seating card will bear your name!
The Bible tells the parable of a wedding feast:
"And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: "The kingdom
of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out
his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing
to come. Again, he sent out his servants, saying: "Tell those who are invited, 'See, I
have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatted catlle are killed, and all things are
ready. Come to the wedding.' " But they made light of it and went their ways, one to
his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his serants, treated them
spitefully, and killed them... Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but
those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways and as many
as you find, invite to the wedding. So the servants went out into hte highways and
gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall
was filled with guests."
Jesus, becoming flesh, dying on the cross of Calvary and being risen from the dead, was and is our
own personal invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb in the kingdom of God.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him
might be saved." John 3:16
Have you decided yet?
Have you RSVP'd?
Is your wedding garment ready?
When you RSVP you are not doing it for anybody's else's benefit but your own... to reserve your place at the wedding. Remember, the bridal couple can always invite someone in your place... and God certainly does not need your RSVP, although He is longing to have you at the feast. He, however, knows the end from the beginning, already knows who will be there and already has a place prepared for each and every guest.
Thank You, Lord, that we are all invited to the wedding feast in Heaven, the invitations have been sent and that the decision whether to accept and RSVP is a personal choice.
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