Our Ever Inviting King
Matthew 22: 1-13
The Ever-Inviting King
There are metaphors in the Bible that are utilized to explain to us the things of God. Some of them are found repeatedly so that they become themes stretching from the Old Testament right through to the New Testament. One for instance is clothing. Adam and Eve come by without clothes and only after they have sinned feels the need for clothing. God replaces their makeshift leave garb with one made of animal skin. Later we read about High Priests and how their clothing carried important symbolic reminders about identity, who they are. We have Joseph’s amazing technicolor dreamcoat. We have clothing imagery in the book Zacharia. We have David struggling to put on Saul’s armor. And then in the New Testament we have Jesus clothes that shines, a man stripped of clothing In the gospel of Mark, Paul’s armor of the Spirit and us all being clothed in front of the throne of the Lamb in Revelation. Even in this parable clothing is an important carrier of meaning.
Another one is that of a marriage or a wedding. The Bible begins with a wedding in Genesis and ends with a wedding in Revelation. Jesus doe his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. Whole books are devoted to marriages and in others they play a critical part in the plot. Think of Ruth, Esther, Hosea and King David’s marriage to Bathsheba.
Weddings really is an effective thing to communicate spiritual truths with. They excite us to this day and has done so throughout history. They have a sense of mystery and magic to them. They do tell us something about God, especially in this parable…
God doesn’t invite only once
I have never ever been invited twice to the same wedding? I have never been reminded that I should come on the day of the wedding (except by my wife that is). The more high-profile the couple is that is getting married, the less the chances are that you will be invited and reminded repeatedly. Who would forget to attend William and Kate’s marriage if they were lucky enough to receive an invitation to a fairy tale wedding that millions only get to watch on the television? One that is truly turned into himself and lost all sense of wonder and goodwill! So, imagine if even after you have been invited, the queen calls you up on the day of the wedding or sends a servant to remind you. What would that tell you? It will tell you that this Queen really values you and you being part of her life. It is almost unthinkable that a Queen would value anybody that much. That would be outrageously generous. It never happens except in this parable…which is about God, not an earthly King.
Whoever really wants you at a place, makes you feel special being there. Think how it feels when your grandchildren runs to you when you visit. Think how it feels when your wife and kids stand with a huge smile waiting for you on the airport. Think how it feels waves you over as you meet him at the bar. This parable told the Jewish people and tells us today that God really wants us to be a part of his Kingdom affairs. God doesn’t tolerate or even approve our presence. He finds joy in it. He relishes it.
And this God invites like no other. He extends the invitation repeatedly. He sends out reminders of it daily in our lives. How does He do it? In the parable there seem to be a few ways. Firstly, there seem to have been something sent out in writing. Then there were human beings, serving the king that went out in person. And also, there were stories told about this banquet. In similar ways there are invitations to enter God’s Kingdom in your own life. We have something in writing, God’s Word. We have people, not only preachers but people that inspire us by what they say and do, by what they overcome and by who they reach out to. We have stories, not only the beautiful stories in the Bible of God’s faithfulness but stories stretching from biblical times to current day testimonies of how God change lives for the better. How he frees people from hate and addiction. How he gave the homeless a sense of belonging, the hungry something to eat.
Paying attention makes all the Difference
How do I ensure that I accept the invitation and do not forget that I have been invited? Verse 5 gives the clue. Those who didn’t accept the invitation, didn’t pay attention. People are better at paying taxes than they are at paying attention nowadays! Pay attention to what is written in the Bible because if it inspired people throughout all ages, it surely would have something that inspires and helps you. Pay attention to the people God send into your life. They are not coincidental. They are sent. Pay attention to the stories of God’s grace and mercy especially in times of turmoil where many tell sad stories.
Simone Weil said the following about paying attention:
Even outside of any explicit religious belief, every time a human being accomplishes an effort of attention with the sole desire of becoming more capable of knowing the truth, they acquire a greater aptitude for it, even if their effort produces no visible fruit.
To her paying attention to God and the things important to God and the beauty that God created was the essence of faith and the goal of helpful religion. I agree with her. My religious engagement shouldn’t only divert my attention from my worries, it should direct it on God and His goodness for me and others. In verse 5 its not like those with fields and businesses are expected to not have or attend to them. They are just expected to pay attention to when and how God disrupt their fields and businesses with something important and beautiful.
Take an honest look at your life. I am not suggesting you become a monk that pray and meditate all day. But are our lives directed at God sufficiently that they can get interrupted and distracted by beautiful things God does? Or are they much more prone to be distracted by worries, newsflashes, and scary stories? Many people’s lives cannot even be distracted from staring self obsessed in the mirror. God offers a new adventure and a way different life in Jesus. He extended that offer unto us today, living here. Accept the invitation because as soon as you do, you then also become an invitation.
(Be) Dress(ed) right(ly)
What do we make of the fact that even though the people from the backstreets are invited, one without proper clothing is thrown out? A bit of cultural background is necessary to understand what is going on here. In our day and age almost all of us, even poor people have a stack of garments and when we attend a wedding, we wear the best. So, when we read this, we assume the one being thrown out wasn’t dressed in his Sunday best. But in ancient weddings, as a measure to unify the guests and not to divert attention from the bride and the groom, guests were given garments that ensured that one will not stand out in status from each other. So, this person not wanting to put on the garment supplied wanted to be seen and stand out. It was about himself.
When religion is about you and your needs, a way to be a virteous person or a way to attain power over others, things go haywire. A beautiful parable is told about the pope arriving in heaven. The first things he sees is huge crowds. He is no stranger to huge crowds, so he feels right at home but as he approaches, he sees that he finds himself at the back of this great crowd with them standing with their backs turned towards him. He taps one person on the shoulder and says: “Excuse me sir, but I am the Pope!” The person turns around, smiles welcoming and say; “oh there is room for you also. Come stand next to me and help us sing the praises of the Lamb. “Faith and religion take you beyond yourself. Beyond your own worries and feelings even though it doesn’t deny your needs, feelings and desires”.
This week I came across an interesting article. It is about a new book, a work of research that found that where religious authority takes a nose dive, empathy later follows the same path. I will be the first to admit that there were stages where religions had to much authority or misused their authority. But I also wonder, this fact that we all seem to think nowadays that we are an authority unto ourselves…is it because we are protecting ourselves against the misuse of authority or is it because we thing we know better than everybody else? Do even accept the fact that God is authoritative over us any more?
Close
When we watch a royal wedding on the television, we sometimes fantasize about being invited. Some of us would give everything to just be at the very back of such a beautiful wedding. Imagine actually getting such an invitation and then showing up to such a wedding and being told to go sit up front because you are a guest of honor? Unthinkable!?
When it comes to the wedding God invites us to, it gets even better. Eventually when that beautiful day comes and everything is prepared, we will not only be told that we are an important guest. We will be told that we are the bride. Yes, the church is described as God’s bride. It is al about Him but He unified us with himself in an unbreakable bond of covenantal love.
Embrace this. Prepare to be interrupted, prepared, and sometimes even tested. But be assured that it will all be worthwhile when the grooms comes for you!
Want to have a good reason to celebrate thanksgiving? How about the fact that you are invited, you are an invitation and you get to be the bride with others!
Amen
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Generous and forgiving God,
you are the first and the last, the giver of all good things.
Your glory is endless; your power, incomparable.
Your love stretches wider than the universe,
your mercy reaches beyond the heights of heaven.
We gather with hearts thankful for the abundance of your creation
to worship and adore you.
Inspired by this time of worship,
may our hearts overflow with praise each and every day,
and may our lives reflect our gratitude to you
in the ways we share your abundant love
in Jesus’ name.
Let us confess our sins before God and one another:
Generous and loving God,
we confess that in a world where many do not have enough,
we enjoy more than we need.
In a world where many live in fear,
we take peace for granted.
In a world where many have lost hope,
we become indifferent to despair and grumble about small things.
Forgive us, merciful God,
and transform our lives to shine with the generosity, peace and hope
you offer us in Christ Jesus.
Dedication
Gracious God, we present our gifts to you as tokens of our thanksgiving for all we have received from your hand. Bless these gifts and multiply them, just as Jesus multiplied a few loaves and fishes to bless others. Use our gifts and our energy to share your love in our community and around your world, for the sake of Christ our Lord. Amen.