Viewpoint from Izabela Clarry for 25th March 2011

Izabela Clarry
Member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Royal Wedding

It has been recently reported that a 19-year old woman in Mexico decided to go on a hunger strike in an attempt to secure a ticket to the Royal Wedding in April. At the time of writing this article, this young woman has been camping for 9 days outside the British embassy, living just on water. She seems quite desperate to obtain the royal invitation, placing it as a top priority in her life. She says that ‘this is her only dream’ and that she is ‘willing to go to the end...there’s no turning back’. (AFP, 2011; The Telegraph, 2011)

I cannot help but think of a parable told by Jesus about another Royal Wedding. The king sent out an invitation to the wedding banquet for His Son. However, those invited did not regard the invitation very highly. They preferred to attend to their business instead and even went as far as killing the servants who gave them the invitation. Then the king ordered his servants to go to the street corners and invite anyone they could find. Soon the royal hall was filed with guests. (Matthew 22: 1-10)

This invitation is extended to us as well. We are all invited by God to attend the Wedding Feast for His Son. Jesus says in Revelation 3: 20:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (NIV)

Jesus is soon coming back on Earth to receive His bride – those who by faith accepted His sacrifice on the cross and its power to wash away sins. He loves us more than any human being will ever love us and wants us to have a close and fulfilling relationship with him here on Earth and eternal life in the world to come.

What place does this royal invitation have on our list of priorities?

Here is the good news: we don’t need to go on a hunger strike to get this invitation, nor are we required to pay a huge amount of money for it. However, the quotation above regarding Jesus knocking at the door of our hearts starts with a call in verse 19:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
(NIV)

In the parable in Matthew 22, we read about a man who failed to wear the wedding robe provided by the king, which resulted in him being thrown out. Likewise, we need to wear the robe the King has provided. Let us then accept the invitation and put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness, make Him the Lord of our lives, submit to His will and His leading (Rev 3:18).

References

AFP (2011) Mexican Woman on Hunger Strike for British Wedding. Available at: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20110218/tod-mexican-woman-on-hunger-strike-for-b-6058bda.html (Accessed: 20 February 2011).

The Telegraph (2011) Mexico Teen on Hunger Strike over a Royal Wedding. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8332429/Mexico-teen-on-hunger-strike-over-royal-wedding.html (Accessed: 20 February 2011).