#DailyDevotion Are You An Hetairos Or A Philos Friend of Jesus?

Matt. 22:8-14 ⁸“Then he said to his slaves: ‘The wedding is ready, but the people who were invited didn’t deserve the honor. ⁹Now go where the roads leave the city, and call everyone you find there to the wedding.’ ¹⁰Those slaves went out on the roads and brought in all the people they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹When the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man without a wedding garment. ¹²‘Friend,’ he asked him, ‘how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ The man couldn’t say a thing. ¹³Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him out into the dark. There he will cry and grind his teeth.’ ¹⁴Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

So, the king in this parable wants lots of guests for his son’s wedding. Those whom he had chosen to be there were not. They were not worthy of the honor. So the kings sends out his servants to gather anyone and everyone. His servants were to shake the bushes. So the servants did as they were told and the place was now full.

So it happened in history. While many of the Jews did convert and have faith in Christ there were those who did not. Paul was one of the first servants of Christ Jesus sent to beat the bushes to invite the Gentiles (Non-Jews) to the wedding feasts of the Lamb. There has been a long succession of men being sent into the world to gather guests who weren’t on the original guests’ list. You are one of them. You have been invited to be one with the people of God, Abraham’s descendants through baptism into Christ. When you were baptized you were clothed with Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Your faith in Jesus and his invitation makes you pleasing to God the Father.

So now this is where Jesus humbles all of us theologians. The king comes and takes a look at the wedding guests. He sees one without a wedding garment. He asks the fellow, “Friend how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” Now it is interesting the king addresses the man this way. The Greek word for friend here is “hetairos” and seems to be more of a comrade than a close friend. The Greek word for friend mostly used is philos, from which the city Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love) is named after. It is also interesting that this word is only used by Jesus three times and only in the Gospel of Matthew. It is used by the vineyard owner in the previous chapter with the workers who complained when they got what they deserved for their work when the owner was generous to the other workers. It is used here. Finally, it is what Jesus calls Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. Dr. James Voelz once said it might be used more of a “Hey pal” in a disdainful way. So the question is, why doesn’t their fellow have a wedding garment? Is it because he wasn’t baptized? Is it because he had no faith? Well the text isn’t explicit. My guess is either like the workers who grumbled and worked for a certain amount (while the others worked on a promise) and Judas, who betrays Jesus, they did not have faith, the one thing necessary to please God, faith in Jesus. Many were called to the wedding banquet, some were not chosen. They are rejected by their lack of faith, i.e. no faith at all. I don’t believe this is the eternal chosen but rather the separation of the good fish from the bad. Put your faith in Jesus’ invitation and in his promise of forgiveness and eternal life.

Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit so on the day of the wedding feast of the Lamb, we may be found clothed with faith and be able to remain as your guests forevermore. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.