Daily Writing

Monday, 17 August 2026

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Matthew 22:8

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then, he says to ‘servants, his’, ‘The, indeed, nuptial, ready, it is. Those, also, having been invited, not they were worthy.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, the king heard of what transpired, and, being angered, he sent his troops, killed the murderers, and destroyed the city. Remembering that, it next says, “Then, he says to ‘servants, his’, ‘The, indeed, nuptial, ready, it is.’”

The invitations had been sent to those in the city, representing Jerusalem, the seat of power and religious authority in Israel. Hence, it extends to the people of Israel who are under the authority of the leaders. Together, they are bound under the Law of Moses and its consequences, having rejected the offer of the New Covenant. The wedding, however, will still take place, despite the fact that “Those, also, having been invited, not they were worthy.”

Israel (those not worthy) rejecting Christ does not stop the redemptive process. It will just continue without them. Their unworthiness is based on their rejection of Christ. This is something anticipated in their time in the wilderness, as seen in Hebrews 3 –

“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ¹⁷ Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:16-19

The author of Hebrews directly ties “obey” to “belief.” Israel rejected Christ, typologically seen at the times the spies entered Canaan, followed by their rejection of the Lord’s offer because of the bad report that was given. As such, they went into forty years of wandering in the wilderness, a type of their current state in the world for the past two thousand years.

Israel is unworthy of salvation in Christ because they rejected Christ and wanted to turn back to the world of sin (Egypt). This is their state at this time.

Life application: Despite being found not worthy, it does not, however, mean that Jews cannot be saved. Nor does it mean that they are saved in a different way than Gentiles (the heresy taught by hyperdispensationalism). Rather, they must do as stated in the Book of Hebrews –

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³ Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:10-13

The camp signifies the religious expression of the Law of Moses. Certain sacrifices were made, and then the bodies of those animals were burned outside of the camp, signifying sin’s removal from the person or people for whom the atonement was being made. Those sacrifices being taken outside the camp typified Christ, who was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem.

In other words, a person bound by the law today, meaning a Jew who has not received Christ, must put aside Moses as their religious identity and come to Christ (through His sacrifice), entering the New Covenant.

Further, their rejection of Jesus as a nation does not mean that they are permanently rejected by God and will never come to a national reconciliation with Him, another false teaching known as replacement theology, where the church is said to replace Israel.

What happened to Israel after the years of wilderness wandering? Moses died outside of Canaan, a picture of the law ending. From there, Israel, the nation, was brought through the Jordan (Christ, the Descender), they were brought to Gilgal, the Liberty – freedom in Christ, and they were circumcised as a nation, picturing the circumcision of the heart promised to the nation.

Everything has its place in God’s economy. Unfortunately, people run with a particular doctrine because of failing to understand the larger picture of what God is doing in redemptive history. A lot of this is also based on a lack of trust in a literal reading of God’s word from Old Testament passages.

God made promises to Israel that were never fulfilled at Christ’s coming. Because of this, people have spiritually applied them to the church, robbing what belongs to Israel and taking it for themselves. Rather, those promises do belong to Israel, and they will be fulfilled when Israel calls on Jesus. May that day be soon.

Lord God, help us to rightly pursue Your word by keeping things in their intended context. Give us wisdom in how to evaluate Your word so that things will fall into their proper place, so that our doctrine will be correct. We pray that we will never mishandle or misrepresent Your intent for what is given in this sacred word. Amen.

Sunday, 16 August 2026

But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Matthew 22:7

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Having heard, also, the king, he angered, and having sent the ‘troops, his’ he destroyed the ‘murderers, those’, and the ‘city, theirs’ he burned.” (CG)

In the previous verse, the parable continued, noting that others among the kings’ servants seized his servants and mistreated and killed them. Because of this, it next says, “Having heard, also, the king, he angered.”

Newer versions use a text that leaves off the verb “having heard” –

Having heard, also, the king, he angered. (CG)
And the king was enraged. (BSB)

Either way, the king’s fury was aroused. To reject his offer of attending the wedding was the greatest of offenses. It showed total disrespect to reject this. Notice how in this parable, the son is not killed. This is a post-resurrection parable directed at the rejection of the living Christ.

As noted, the servants picture those apostles and converts who were calling Israel to come to Christ, their recognized Messiah. The nation, following the leaders’ rejection of Jesus, eventually turned away from any possibility of calling on Him, instead mistreating and killing those who believed. Therefore, the parable continues, saying, “and having sent the ‘troops, his’ he destroyed the ‘murderers, those’.”

This is not specifically recorded in Scripture, even if it is alluded to in various ways. However, it is a well-known part of Jewish history. The troubles that came upon Israel are detailed in the writings of Josephus in The Jewish War. Tacitus (AD 105-110) gives descriptions of the event, as does Suetonius (around AD 120).

Other later writers include references to this, including Cassius Dio (AD 220), the Babylonian Talmud, and others. Josephus is particularly important concerning the last words of the verse, “and the ‘city, theirs’ he burned.”

In Josephus, Books 5–7, it describes the factions within Jerusalem, Titus’s siege, terrible famine and cannibalism, the burning of the Temple, the capture and destruction of the city, and finally, it details the events of prisoners, executions, and Roman triumph.

All these were first hinted at in Scripture as far back as Moses. It continued in types and shadows in the writings, prophets made proclamations, and Jesus affirmed that this was coming upon the people. His words tie it all up in the rejection of God’s offer, which is their uniting with His Son.

Life application: To this day, Israel continues to claim that they are God’s people, rejecting the clear and precise wording found in Scripture that at this time, they are not. They will be God’s people again someday because God is faithful to His covenant. But for now, they are Lo Ammi, Not My People.

This is confirmed in the Old Testament. It is found in Moses’ writings, the types and shadows of the historical writings, and in the words of the prophets. From there, it is directly alluded to by Jesus and then confirmed as such by Paul and the other New Testament writers.

But there is a sense of boastful pride, even in many Jewish Christians today, along with the naivete of people who fail to consider the context of Scripture. Churches and even denominations continue to proclaim that the Jews are God’s people, in the sense that He currently favors them. This damages any chance of them realizing their guilt and coming to Christ. Thus, it is a harmful doctrine that needs to be shelved.

Israel needs to know that they, as a people, are currently not what God is doing. They are still under the curses of the law, and they – as a nation – will continue in this state until they call out for Jesus to rescue them. Jesus said this with His own mouth –

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹ for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:31-39

Yes, Israel is doing great things in the world, but greatness in finances, military prowess, medical innovation, and other leading technologies and disciplines does not equate to being right with God. Until they realize this, they will continue in their national self-delusion, and they will continue to reject Jesus.

Pray for Israel. They need Jesus. Without Him, there is no salvation.

Lord God, open the eyes of more and more Jewish people to their need for Jesus. May that continue to expand within their society so that many will be saved before the day of wrath comes. And help us to get this message out to all other nations as well. The world needs Jesus. Amen.

Saturday, 15 August 2026

And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. Matthew 22:6

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘also rest’, having seized the ‘servants, his’, they mistreated, and they killed.” (CG)

In the previous verse, those who were uncaring about the call of the king were said to have departed to their fields and emporiums. Next, Jesus says, “The ‘also rest’.”

A new word is seen here, loipos, signifying the remainder or rest of a unit, group, etc. It is derived from leipó, to fail or be absent, and thus what is lacking. In 1 Corinthians 7:12, while writing about marital issues, Paul says, “But to the rest [leipos], I not the Lord, say…”

These then are the rest of those who had been invited by the king. There are those who simply ignored his call, but then there are these. Of them, Jesus says, “having seized the ‘servants, his’, they mistreated.”

Another new word is seen, hubrizó, to exercise violence, including verbally. It is derived from hubris, insolence, the obvious etymological ancestor of our modern word hubris, which signifies excessive pride, arrogance, overconfidence, etc. Of the treatment rendered to these servants, Jesus continues, saying, “and they killed.”

History bears out the words of the parable. In Acts, it says –

“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” Acts 8:1-3

Again, later in Acts, Paul says –

“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Acts 26:9-11

Life application: Paul, a Pharisee, was an enemy of the gospel. He fought against the name of Jesus and did his utmost to stamp out this new faith in Christ. But by God’s grace, he was called, despite his enmity. If his calling was of grace, there is no merit on his part. He did nothing to deserve it. He, of all people, understood that salvation is totally of God. It has nothing to do with our efforts.

Paul, attempting to get people to understand this, says –

“Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Romans 11:5, 6

Again, in 1 Corinthians, he says –

“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7

Time and again, Paul speaks of that which is given by grace. If it is by grace, then there is no merit in it. No payment or repayment is expected. It is the nature of God to extend grace to those who need it. Understanding this, it is contrary to the nature of God to ignore or to set aside grace in order to merit what God has given by grace.

How is it that we cannot remember this? When we turn to law observance, we do exactly what is offensive to the gospel. We reject grace and essentially proclaim, “Good job God, You did just fine, but I know I can add to it to improve on what You have done.”

Is that the type of attitude God will be pleased with? Indeed not! Let us receive God’s grace, and then let us rest in God’s grace, forever showing thankfulness for what He has done for us. May God be glorified through our acceptance in what He alone has done.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:1

Lord God, may we put aside our arrogance and boasting concerning law observance. May we be pleasing to You through the acceptance of what You have done through Jesus Christ, our Lord, knowing that His works alone are needed for our salvation and restoration with You. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Friday, 14 August 2026

But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. Matthew 22:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘also having been uncaring’, they departed, the, indeed, to the ‘his field’, the also to the ‘emporium, his’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, the king sent out other servants to tell those who had been called that the brunch was prepared, the oxen and fatlings were killed, and all things were ready. He then emphatically implored them to come to the nuptials. However, Jesus continues, saying, “The ‘also having been uncaring’.”

A new word, ameleó, is used. It is from the negative particle a and meló, to be of interest or concern. Thus, it signifies to be uncaring. The use of the word in the parable is exactingly described in Hebrews 2 –

“For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect [ameleó] so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, ⁴ God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” Hebrews 2:2-4

These people received the invitation and “neglected” or were uncaring about such a great salvation, as Jesus continues to indicate, saying, “they departed.”

Instead of heading to the nuptials, they took off in another direction. For those who have witnessed to others, the attitude has probably been seen. Jesus continues with, “the, indeed, to the ‘his field’, the also to the ‘emporium, his’.”

Both are looking for worldly gain. One sees his field as being more necessary to attend to than receiving the invitation to true riches. Labor itself can be its own replacement of God. Working hard, whether honestly or dishonestly, has the attraction of being a sign that the person is capable of earning his way in this world. The mental connection then says, “If I am productive here, surely I will be productive in the next world.”

The other sees buying and selling as the better path. This is borne out in an almost unlimited number of ways, be it buying and selling cars, stocks, real estate, etc. It is assumed that if one is successful through exceptional business acumen, he will be successful in a like manner in the next life, never thinking that the next life will be expressed in a completely disparate paradigm.

Life application: People in general look at the way they conduct their lives and assume that by doing what they are doing, they will somehow “get ahead,” as if their affairs in this life are a logical steppingstone to the next life.

It is true that what we do here will determine what happens to us in the next life, but not in the sense that most people think. God sets the parameters for entering His kingdom, not us. When we confuse this with our own plans, we make an eternity-changing error.

The gospel of Jesus is laid out in a simple formula: accept that what God has done is sufficient, receive what He has done through belief, and then rest in that faith throughout your earthly existence.

This is pleasing to God. But we might confuse this plan by saying we believe in Jesus while rejecting the premise that we don’t need to do anything else. Law observance becomes an addiction. With each new precept that we add to our arsenal of “works”, we further distance ourselves from any hope of reconciliation with God.

Simply being uncaring about the gospel means we are more caring about whatever else we are engaged in. Life becomes a me-centered existence where we are sure that God will accept us for the path we have chosen. This is the “all paths lead to God” mentality.

Others know that the path they have chosen is wrong, but they suppress the knowledge of God to the point where He is never even considered, as they wallow in all sorts of depravity. It doesn’t matter which expression of life we choose. If it is not a gospel-centered choice, it will lead to the same state of condemnation.

Really “decent” people who intend well in all manner of life are no closer to God than Adolph Hitler. Sin is the problem. The gospel is the only answer to the issue of sin. Until that is dealt with, there is no reconciliation with God and no hope for the pitiful lost soul.

God has done it all. Trust this and be saved.

Lord God, give us wisdom to set ourselves and our thoughts of self-sufficiency aside. Grant us the right mindset to hear the gospel, accept its truth, and to then live out our lives ever trusting that our faith in it was sufficient to continue to bring us to You. May it be so to Your glory. Amen.

Thursday, 13 August 2026

Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ Matthew 22:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Again, he sent other servants, saying, ‘You say to those ‘having been called’, “You behold, the ‘brunch, mine’ I prepared, the ‘oxen, mine’ and the fatted have been sacrificed, and all – readied. You come to the nuptials!”’” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus continued the parable of the wedding feast, saying that the servants were sent out to those who had been called, but that none were willing to come. He continues now, saying, “Again, he sent other servants, saying.”

The word allos is used. It signifies others of the same kind. They were different servants, but they possessed the same characteristics as the first. Their instructions begin with, “You say to those ‘having been called’.”

As in the previous verse, the perfect participle is used, indicating those of Israel. They had been called previously, and that calling continued until that day. When they go to these people, they are to say, “You behold, the ‘brunch, mine’ I prepared.”

This is a new word, ariston. It will be seen a total of three times, once here and twice in Luke. Its meaning is debated. Strong says, “the best meal (or breakfast; perhaps from eri (‘early’)), i.e. Luncheon — dinner.” HELPS Word Studies says, “…(literally, ‘without boundary, designation’) – properly, ‘undetermined,’ referring to the meal eaten anytime before the main meal (i.e. ‘supper,’).”

A word that will adequately convey any of the meanings is brunch. Along with that, they are to proclaim, “the ‘oxen, mine’ and the fatted have been sacrificed.”

Three more new words are seen. The first is tauros, a bull or ox. This is probably etymologically connected to the Aramaic word tor, a bull. That, in turn, is connected to the Hebrew shor, a bullock. One can see the Greek root of Ford’s Taraus model car, most of which have been turned into paper clips and razor blades at this point.

The second word is sitistos, a fatling. It is derived from sitos, grain. Thus, it is a grain-fed animal purposely raised for such feasts. This is its only use in the New Testament. The third new word is thuó, to kill as a sacrifice. HELPS Word Studies says, “…to kill as a sacrifice and offer on an altar. 2380 /thýō (‘sacrifice’) means more than ‘kill’ as it also suggests offering something as a spiritual sacrifice.” Along with these things, a note of urgency is given, “and all – readied.”

A final new word is seen, hetoimos, adjusted, ready, prepared, etc. It signifies that the necessary preparations are complete to meet an intended purpose. With that noted, imperative words of petition are laid forth, “You come to the nuptials!”

One can hear the plea, almost of desperation. “I have done everything for you to join me to share in this marvelous celebration. You gotta come, you just gotta!”

Life application: The words of Isaiah 65:2 come directly into focus –

“I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in a way that is not good.”

It is as if the Lord is standing there, pleading with the people with His arms and hands extended. This continued for generation after generation. When Jesus came, the appeal continued to be made. At some point, anyone would say, “This simply isn’t working.”

This is a truth that has to be considered in the world at large. The Lord, through the gospel, has been pleading with the people of the world to come to Him. But there is one point to consider that cannot be overlooked. In the parable, God sent out servants.

This was once active. Jesus commissioned disciples and apostles to go out and spread the word. Now, though active in the sense that we are instructed in the word to send out the message (as in Romans 10), it is also something that is only hoped for in the sense that God doesn’t come into our house and say, “Ok, John, you need to go to Papua New Guinea and share the gospel.”

Rather, He relies on us to accept that His word is directive in this manner and that we will comply with what it says. It doesn’t take any effort to hand out a gospel tract, open your mouth at work to tell associates about your faith, or to live responsibly as a Christian, filled with the joy of the Lord, so that others will see and want to know about what you possess.

If you are a saved believer in Jesus, God desires to make His appeal to the people of the world through you. Are you willing to comply with His will? If not, you will stand before Him and give a reckoning of your life. There will be loss in such matters. Don’t suffer loss. Be one who is rewarded richly for complying with the will of God by sharing your faith with others.

Lord God, help us in the duty we are called to perform in conveying the good news of Jesus to others. May we be diligent in our efforts, carefully and meticulously finding others who need to hear this good news. Help us in this, O God. Amen.