The 14th Sunday after Pentecost
- 2 Corinthians 1:21 – 2:4
- St. Matthew 22: 1-14
Two of our parish families have just celebrated weddings. Others are preparing for their own. If you do not remember the various emotions- joys and disappointments – that such an event brings with it, then I am sure they will be willing to bend your ear a bit!
Of course, we do have something going on today [i.e. our festival] that brings similar emotions – and the fear that “no one will come” (both to serve and to celebrate) is one of the great temptations that we have been wrestling with for a while.
So this parable speaks to our hearts – we can sympathize with the king who has offered up the very best of what he has to all those in his realm; and whose offer is rejected in no uncertain terms. But I fear that this familiarity with the events in Our Lord’s parable may also lead us to miss the most important part of His lesson – and as the lesson is designed to move us away out of our sinful complacency with short-term pleasures and concerns toward something far better and more permanent, it is probably worth learning to hear this lesson more properly.
You see, we are not the King in this parable. Our feasts are pitiful in comparison to the kind that a King can offer; nor is it simply a difference of degree. It’s not like His feast is like the kind that we put on, only a lot bigger. The difference is so great and along so many dimensions that it is a complete difference of kind. Even if we pooled all of our resources we could not do this. Why not? What is so different about the kind of feast described in the parable? If it’s not just about resources and size, what else is there?
A king is special. Yes, he can use all the great wealth of his kingdom to make sure that the wedding celebration of his only son is “one for the ages.” And for reasons that will become clear, it is safe to assume that this is exactly what this king did: he spared nothing at all for this great celebration. Everything of value that he had went into this feast. But there is still something more about being a king – I mean other than his wealth – that makes this parable really stand out. [Yes,] The king is more than a rich man. You see, as king, he has authority over the lands and subjects of his kingdom. This authority is even greater when the king is good and just and blessed by God – and you must know that the king in this parable is completely good and just and blessed. It is important to remember this because such a king’s rule is completely right and legitimate.
I stress this point because we are not used to thinking in these terms. For us, a ruler is only legitimate as long as he has the support of the people (and in this fallen world, this is a fine way to think!]. But imagine a world where kings were legitimate because they were good and because they were set aside and ordained for this very purpose [to rule]. The king in this parable is not a petty tyrant, but an ideal king, one who embodies every virtue. A king who loves his people and knows how to lead them and bring prosperity to all. In such a world, just as it is natural for there to be such a thing as a king, and [just as] it is natural for that king to rule; it is also completely natural that there also be such things as subjects, and it is natural for these subjects to obey. The relationship [between the king and his people] is simple and fair; and when everyone lives according to their obligations, everyone benefits. In such a world, it is no more right for a cobbler or teacher to want to rule than it is for a cobbler or teacher to want to perform surgery. This is a strange way of thinking – it may even be offensive – but this is how it is in the land of this parable.
So now, perhaps, you begin to understand why this feast is different; and why ignoring the king’s invitation so bad. To ignore our invitations is rude; to ignore such a king’s invitation is willful, profane, & sociopathic disobedience. [Indeed,] Because of all the blessings the king continually bestows upon his subjects – remember this is an ideal king ruling a fairy-tale kingdom – such behavior is the very definition of ingratitude.
But wait, there is more: according to St. John Chrysostom, it is even worse than this. In last week’s lesson, we learned of the ingratitude of the vinedressers and how they went so far as to kill the landowner’s son rather than render the landowner that which he is rightfully due. This week’s parable follows directly on the heels of that one, and both were told during a very particular time: Holy Week, the time between Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem and His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. So while last week Jesus was trying one last time to convince the people to see Him as was so that they would not be complicit in His crucifixion, this week He is telling those with ears to hear to prepare for His coming resurrection. The parable of the wedding feast is more than just a story designed to get us to take our obligations seriously: it is a story of the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and His intimate union – or wedding – with the Church. And it is through this bond that all of God’s subjects are to be brought into eternal perfection and joy in community with one another and with Him.
This is what the invitation means, and this is why forsaking it is self-destructive, ungrateful, proud, and just plain stupid. Why would anyone turn down such an invitation?
No, in this parable, we are certainly not the King. So who are we? Well, that really is up to you. The invitation is in your hands. The call has gone out. The time to join the feast is now. You are God’s subject – He is Your King. Will you come to the eternal banquet that has been prepared for you? Or do you have something better to do?
You are free to chose, but there is only one response that brings the kind of joy every rational being desires. So answer the call. Recognize God’s righteous authority over you and your world; repent of your sins – all those times that you have gone against His will – and accept Christ as your Lord and Master. Come to the Feast.
Many are called – will you join the chosen?
