Matthew 22:1-14
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Once more Jesus spoke to them 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, maltreated 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.’
Reflection
So when I put myself into the shoes of one of the slaves that went into the streets to gather all whom they found, both good and bad, to come to the wedding feast; I have to wonder, why does the king toss one of these people out of the banquet? I kind of get it, that when the king invited guests that made up excuses not to come, that he was mad; but when the king decided to invite all the people, why didn't he stipulate only the good?
Perhaps it wasn't my duty as a slave to decide the good from the bad. Perhaps I was sent to call and offer an invitation to any and all of the people in the streets. Perhaps the duty to decide good from bad was not my decision to make, rather it was the decision of the king to make.
When I bring these thoughts home to my own life, here and now, I seem to make the connection, that I am to invite all people to the kingdom of God and to hear God's Word. I am to invite friends, enemies, people of all races, nations and religions. Perhaps God has sent me to invite and not to decide who gets an invitation and who doesn't. It seems so simple, yet in my sinfulness and rush to judge people, becomes so hard.
Perhaps I have sinned in my invitation to God's Word. Perhaps? No... I have sinned! I have sinned by what I have done and by what I haven't done. I must return to the simple message that God gives to me... just go invite! God will deal with the rest.
I see in this passage that it's not my works or my judgment or my righteousness that determines the good from the bad. I can only come to righteousness through the grace of what God has done through Jesus on my behalf. I can only come to the banquet when God places on me, the robe of Jesus life giving death and resurrection. I can't come on my own good works because I... myself... my sinful self... cannot save myself... only through Jesus can I have life eternal.
It's not my place to judge. It's not my call to determine the good from the bad. My place is to listen and do what God has called me to do in the world in which God has placed me today. And that's more that enough for a lifetime.
Prayer
Lord, forgive my judgmental attitude towards others. Help me to hear your call and respond in deed to what you have graciously given to me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Once more Jesus spoke to them 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, maltreated 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.’
Reflection
So when I put myself into the shoes of one of the slaves that went into the streets to gather all whom they found, both good and bad, to come to the wedding feast; I have to wonder, why does the king toss one of these people out of the banquet? I kind of get it, that when the king invited guests that made up excuses not to come, that he was mad; but when the king decided to invite all the people, why didn't he stipulate only the good?
Perhaps it wasn't my duty as a slave to decide the good from the bad. Perhaps I was sent to call and offer an invitation to any and all of the people in the streets. Perhaps the duty to decide good from bad was not my decision to make, rather it was the decision of the king to make.
When I bring these thoughts home to my own life, here and now, I seem to make the connection, that I am to invite all people to the kingdom of God and to hear God's Word. I am to invite friends, enemies, people of all races, nations and religions. Perhaps God has sent me to invite and not to decide who gets an invitation and who doesn't. It seems so simple, yet in my sinfulness and rush to judge people, becomes so hard.
Perhaps I have sinned in my invitation to God's Word. Perhaps? No... I have sinned! I have sinned by what I have done and by what I haven't done. I must return to the simple message that God gives to me... just go invite! God will deal with the rest.
I see in this passage that it's not my works or my judgment or my righteousness that determines the good from the bad. I can only come to righteousness through the grace of what God has done through Jesus on my behalf. I can only come to the banquet when God places on me, the robe of Jesus life giving death and resurrection. I can't come on my own good works because I... myself... my sinful self... cannot save myself... only through Jesus can I have life eternal.
It's not my place to judge. It's not my call to determine the good from the bad. My place is to listen and do what God has called me to do in the world in which God has placed me today. And that's more that enough for a lifetime.
Prayer
Lord, forgive my judgmental attitude towards others. Help me to hear your call and respond in deed to what you have graciously given to me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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