The Gospel of Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again, he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Let us Pray:
Holy One, We are grateful for your daily presence in our lives. Lord, we thank you for your love that lasts forever. Remember us O God when you consider all your people. Bring us all into your arms of salvation. Lord, we are all in our own exile away from you. We have chosen to sin against you and your children. Forgive us, save us, bring us back to you. Amen
The parable of the wedding feast is a parable about diversity. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone, not only Jews. This parable is told using the familiar setting of a wedding feast. As Gospel readings go, this one is tough for many people. It starts off easily enough, with the Kingdom of Heaven being compared to a king giving a wedding party for his son. But from there things get strangely out of hand. The invited guests murder the servants who ask them to come. That’s extremely unexpected. Then, after the king offers an open-door policy for the party, he becomes enraged with the guy who comes in and isn’t dressed for the occasion. So that guy gets cast out into the outer darkness to suffer for all time. For a wedding reception, this event sounds like a pretty rough night. If we look at this parable from a more symbolic standpoint, those seemingly violent events really represent the shift in the human relationship with God that the coming of Jesus brings. Today that shift in people’s relationship with God is slipping further from the teaching of Jesus. Ultimately, we are all eligible for salvation, especially if we come to the feast of God properly attired with hearts of faith open to God’s Word The original guests invited were the Jews. The Jews believed that because they were God’s chosen people that was all that was required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Jews who ignored the servants were those who ignored the prophets who came to deliver the message of God, and perhaps those who refused to believe in Jesus. The Jews who reacted violently could be a reference to those who mistreated and murdered the prophets and messengers of God, and perhaps foretold of the rejection of Jesus. But the king isn’t about to give up. He continues to send more servants out, this time detailing how incredible the party will be. By repeating his invitation, the king is showing his grace and compassion towards those who had initially refused. And again, things start escalating quickly. As the servants are off telling the guests about this party some ignored, the invited are simply too busy. But others are angry and mistreat and kill the servants. The king is furious. After all he was offering the opportunity of a lifetime to come to this party. And how did the guests repay this offer? They killed his servants. So he sends out his army to destroy the murderous villages.
Now the king has a problem, He has an incredible party but no guests. The solution? Everyone is invited. The servants go back out inviting everyone, even the bad people, the street people, are welcome. Someone that initially declines the invitation realizes his mistake and sneaks in. But he is not wearing the right clothes and stands out from the others and was kicked out. The message was clear to the religious there that day. Many of them had rejected the invitation. They were not worthy to attend this party because they had rejected God’s gracious offer through faith in his son. All were invited, but many have chosen to reject the invitation. This is a direct stab at the religious leaders of the day. It’s a story directed at the nation of Israel, particular its leaders.
They were invited to a wedding party. Not just any party, but the greatest party of ALL time. They should have been excited, ecstatic. But instead, they tore up the invitations, murdered the messengers, and went back to their lives. Jesus is illustrating how they’ve reacted to the good news. This is how offensive their rejection was in the eyes of God.
For us today: “For many are invited, but few are chosen…” This statement, directly following the scene of throwing a guest out into the darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth, might seem a little harsh and selective in terms of God’s love and acceptance. However, the parable of the marriage feast is not one of sadness or devastation, but an opportunity to highlight the loving King who welcomes all that are open to His invitation. Just as the guests at the wedding feast had only to put on a garment, we have only to believe and put our faith in Jesus. Some will refuse this free gift, but it is available to all who accept God’s calling. So, if we look at the wedding feast as the Kingdom of God that we all have been invited to, how will you respond to God’s Invitation to His Kingdom? He is inviting you to be a part of his kingdom. Isn’t that the main idea of this parable,
Let us Pray: Lord of the feast, you have prepared a table before all peoples and poured out life with such abundance that death cannot claim the triumph over your universe. Call us again to your banquet where we may receive your holy food, and strengthened by what is honorable, just, and pure, be transformed into a people of righteousness and peace. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 