Pastor John,
Are the tares and the one at the marriage supper the same class of people? I thought that the tares were born again folks who didn’t choose to grow in God but rather remained carnal in how they walked. The one found at the marriage supper was a person without the spirit (holy ghost). Is that right or not? Just got me thinking after I read your blog today.
tm
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In Jesus’ parable, the man at the Marriage Supper did not have a wedding garment, and according to Revelation 19:8, the wedding garment is “the righteousness of the saints” (Rev. 19:8). That man may have received the Spirit at some point in the past, but he had never attained to the righteousness, peace, and joy that is in it. The tares in Jesus’ other parable are sons of the devil that are planted among the saints. The devil plants them with seeds of discord; that is, with slander. They, too, may have received the Spirit in the past, but they did not pursue the knowledge of God or attained to His righteousness. They are what Jesus called “foolish virgins”, who will not be allowed into the Marriage Supper when the bridegroom returns.
The remarkable thing about the man at the wedding feast is that he got into the wedding feast at all, for the wedding feast is the feast that the Bride of Christ will enjoy with Jesus the Bridegroom after the “rapture”! How did someone without the righteousness of God get into the marriage feast at all? But then, it isn’t wise to push Jesus’ parables beyond their intended point; so, we probably shouldn’t make too much of that man being there. Still, his presence does make me wonder if some will be cast out of the kingdom of God even after the rapture.
Anyway, the overarching point of both parables is that being born of the Spirit is only the beginning. We must endure to the end in order to be saved.
Pastor John