Jesus is my friend and homeboy. God is my bald-headed grandfather who secretly gives me jelly beans whenever I come over to the house (ok…so that was my Grandpa Lash). Though such comments seem like overstatements, they are not too far from the truth. In the process, we run the great risk of trivializing our great and mighty God. Realizing God’s transcendence along with his immanence gives us a greater confidence in the God who has created the entire universe, revealed himself to humanity, and authored our salvation. As Conyers says:

Nevertheless, this very realization of God’s transcendence and his incomprehensibility is also the ground of the confidence with which we respond to God’s revelation. The hiddenness of God, once we acknowledge that fact, “is the confession of God’s revelation as the beginning of our cognizance of God.” Therefore, we stand in our confession of faith, not on the fallible and uncertain strength of human intellect and imagination, but upon the certainty that if God is made known to us at all, it is from God’s side that this becomes possible.

A transcendent God has seen fit to reveal himself to us. He pursues us by revealing himself. Thanks be to God.

What I find most interesting is verses 11-14. The invitation is given and many are gathered to the hall, “both bad and good.” The king looks at the guests and notices a man who is not wearing the wedding garments. This man is thrown out of the hall where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And this statement wraps up this section: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” It was peculiarly left out of the discussion on this passage. I would invite correction if I am wrong, but it seems to me that this final sentence is crucial to understanding the parable. Many are called by virtue of this invitation that has now been extended to Jew and Gentile alike. However, only a few are chosen from among those whom are called. A person cannot choose and also be chosen. The passage does not present such a scenario. The idea of being chosen must come from outside of ourselves. So the invitation is given to all but only some are actually chosen or predestined to eternal life. In my estimation, this passage is actually a greater support to the doctrine of predestination than the belief in the free will of man as it relates to salvation.

What do you think? Does Matthew 22:1-14 better support predestination or free will in regards to salvation?

Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV)

22:1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants [1] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Al Mohler – The Annual Summer Reading List
Carl Trueman – Summer Reading
Next – Recommended Summer Reading List
Phil Ryken – Summer Reading (So Far)

I grant that some of these lists won’t be light reading for most of us. However, at least this gives you some ideas on how you might fill your moments of relaxation. As for me, I have a small stack of books sitting on my nightstand that should keep me busy for the next month or so. I’m currently reading The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Steven Lawson and The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (the Justin Taylor/Kelly Kapic edition). I am about to begin a study reading through A Basic Christian Theology by A.J. Conyers with some fellas from church. Also, I have Douglas Wilson’s book To A Thousand Generations on my radar for the very near future. So that’s the here and now for my reading endeavors. What’s everybody else reading this summer?

And one more thing…just in case you were wondering…I am accepting housewarming gifts of all kinds.

Justin Taylor has put together a nice summary of the manifesto. Justin also posted an interview with Os Guiness, who was on the Steering Committee for this document. Dan Wallace had a few words about the manifesto just prior to its release. I’m sure we’ll see many more posts and comments to come in the next few days.

As you get a chance to read it, I would love to hear what you think. I’ll share some more thoughts on this manifesto soon…so stay tuned.

Here are a few places you can view pictures of the damage on campus.

• Jackson Sun Gallery 1
• Jackson Sun Gallery 2
• Jackson Sun Gallery 3
• UU Emergency