Please Respond!

The wedding preparations were a ray of light during the dark days of the Great Depression. Most Americans spent their time trying to keep food on their tables and heat in their homes. The young bride-to-be had worked as a maid after high school graduation, earning enough money to help pay for her own wedding.  The young woman’s father was a poor farmer who had sacrificed to send her to the city to earn her high school diploma. There was precious little money left to contribute to his daughter’s wedding.

In her coveted free time, she fashioned her wedding gown without using a pattern that would have cost precious money she did not have. The silk fabric she used had been carefully folded away in a hope chest, safe from sunlight, for many years.

The young couple’s happy day finally came, but not everyone who received an invitation could attend. For some, the journey was a far distance, others were away from home looking for employment, and a few were facing family illness and could not venture to the celebration. All had received a beautiful, handmade invitation, but not all had joined in on that day. Those unable to attend would only read the newspaper’s announcement about the bride’s lovely dress and floor-length veil, and the fine reception held at her family’s farm, where tables of delicious foods had been prepared and a lovely white cake with iced roses was shared by all.

We have all received an invitation to a wedding, graduation, or birthday party that we regretted being unable to attend. Not every celebration can be added to our calendar, and none of us receive an invitation to every party given. But the bible has an open invitation to all, an invitation to attend the marriage supper of our Savior, Jesus:

Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself.” She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers]. Then the angel said to me, “Write, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me [further], “These are the true and exact words of God.” Revelation 19:7-9

Redemption is our invitation in, and each of us must decide for ourselves whether we will accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. He simply asks us to respond to Him. The marriage supper of the Lamb will be a celebration we cannot even imagine now. The weddings of royals, the inaugurations of presidents, and the grand affairs of Hollywood will pale in comparison. Each of us is blessed to be invited…Please respond!