Staying Inside Matters

Recently I got a closer peek of Indian weddings while interacting with a wedding filmmaker.

From what I can remember, Indian weddings have become larger and have gone grander.  Extensive decorations, colour, music, dance, costumes, and rituals. Added to it is the pomp, choicest food, lavish clothing and it’s become a rich and elaborate extravaganza.

One thing that stands out is the focus on the invitees.

If you are invited you are supposed to be aware of a few standard, unspoken instructions.

1. Don’t bring food or drinks, you will be provided a sumptuous wedding feast.
2. Relax and just come prepared to enjoy. Everything is taken care of by the host.
3. Don’t be seen  in ordinary clothes. After all, you are a special invitee!

Jesus tells a story of a wedding where a king has a feast prepared for his son. He has invited many guests but when he asks them to come on the day, they all refuse and insult him. He then instructed his servants to invite anyone they found, so that both good and bad people filled the hall at the wedding feast. He also gives them wedding clothes to wear. The invitees were to follow one instruction – stick to the dress code, just wear the wedding clothes. It was a grand celebration. Anyone could participate in the lavish banquet. The King covered all expenses.   

However, during the celebration, the King was suddenly upset. Why?

Because he found a man unsuitably dressed, without the wedding attire. The man was thrown out for not following the protocol and staying inside the setting.

In our group Bible study on the book of Joshua, I asked a question after we read Chapter 2 ‘What was the instruction given to Rahab by Joshua’s spies?’

I was particularly impressed with one of the answers ‘She was to mark her house by hanging a red cord out of the window, bring her entire family into the house and every member of the family who needed to be safe had to strictly stay inside. Put simply: Stay inside to stay safe.’

I liked the term ‘STAYING INSIDE’

Scarlet Cord

Let me quickly recap this fascinating story found in Joshua Chapter 2.

God promised to give the land of Jericho to His people, the Israelites. Before God’s people could acquire the land, Joshua sent spies to scout the land. Rahab was a resident of Jericho who didn’t have a good reputation.

Joshua’s spies hid in  Rahab’s house and though Rahab didn’t belong to God’s side of people, she was wise in taking the risk of hiding the spies from getting caught by the King of Jericho. The residents of Jericho, including Rahab, feared Joshua’s God and knew that they were all going to be destroyed.

After helping the spies to hide and escape she struck a deal with Joshua’s men, saying ‘when the Lord gives you this land, promise me that you will save me and my family’.

No time for rituals. No time to kill a lamb as a sacrificial offering for cleansing to include Rahab and her family among God’s people. No time to apply the blood of a blemishless lamb over the house like it was done during the Passover.

Things were happening with speed. Joshua’s men would launch an attack to possess Jericho. Before leaving, Joshua’s men gave strict instructions to the woman.

‘Rahab, we are going to make it easy on you. Simply tie a red cord on the window of your house. We will see the red cord and know this is your house. Any of your family or loved ones who do not stay inside the house can die, we are not taking responsibility for anyone outside the house with the red cord.’

The mandate to follow when Joshua’s men storm Jericho was simple– stay inside the setting. That was a story from the Old Testament.

Jesus went a step ahead and made it easier in the New Testament.

He became the Passover lamb and made a covenant  with His own blood shed on the cross of Calvary.

The outcome, anyone who sticks to STAYING INSIDE this blood covenant is saved.

Saved from Fear. Oppression. Defeat. Death. Loss and so much more.

Like the King who threw a lavish wedding banquet, Jesus too set the prerequisite, ‘You must stay inside the setting of the covenant’.

Inside the blood covenant, you and your family  will be taken care of.

That’s a big deal!

STAYING INSIDE the covenant matters.

Some may wonder, ‘with so much going on, with so much temptation around, how can one stay inside such a holy agreement with Jesus?’

You can, because everything is prepared, and you are specially invited to be a part of this big deal.

Just pray this simple prayer:

‘Jesus, I want to accept your invitation, but I don’t know how I can stay inside the setting of this great covenant’

If you said that prayer with an expectant heart, Jesus will answer you. He will show you the way. Trust me.

Bible Verse:

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:4

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