28th Sunday Ordinary Time You are cordially invited… Perhaps one of the happiest moments in a parent’s life is the day their children get married for this day is filled with anticipation and joy, it is the beginning of a new family, the promise of grandchildren and the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams from their wedding day so many years ago. The wedding feast is a thanksgiving of the realization of parental dreams and a joyous anticipation of the future. Just as today, weddings in the time of Jesus were events not to be missed and the marriage of the king’s son would be a party more extravagant, more joyous and as close to heaven on earth as one could get; this would be an event surely no one would want to miss—and yet in today’s gospel, Jesus tells the priests and elders a parable in which those that the king invited did not come and some went so far as to kill the servants who brought them the good news of the wedding invitation. Now, one might ask, why Jesus would tell such a parable, who in their right mind would ignore such an auspicious invitation or dare to kill the servants of a king in return for inviting them to the wedding feast? The parable of the wedding banquet is, like all of Jesus’ parables, an allegory of His mission and prophesy of the fulfillment of the scriptures; a message that the chief priests and elders clearly understood but failed to heed. In the time of Jesus, marriages were arranged by the elders of the families, dowries would need to be arranged, the price of the bride agreed upon and a contract written and signed by the bride’s father; once the contract was signed the marriage become official; there was no ceremony or marriage vows, love didn’t figure in the selection of a spouse and the two would not be together or “consummate” their marriage until the time that the groom could pay the bride’s family.1 In essence, marriage was an agreement, a promise, an establishment of a covenant between two families for creation of a new family, the establishment of future heirs of the paternal line and the passing on of customs of both families to future generations. Thus, in this parable of the wedding banquet, the king is God the Father, who has arranged this feast in celebration of his son, Jesus the Messiah, bringing forth the fruition of the covenant between God and the people of Israel; the banquet offered is His kingdom of heaven here on earth as promised by Isaiah and in the psalm: On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines (IS 25:6) You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (PS 23:5) But the parable also tells of Israel’s unresponsiveness to the Messiah, their indifference to God’s repeated offer of grace, of His call to join Him in the heavenly banquet. It foretells the slaughter of the preachers of the Good News and God’s eventual retribution on these murderers. It reflects the how we should live our lives, turning to God for our comfort and reward. It also harkens back to the 23rd psalm, the psalm that tells of God’s comfort in our times of need, the psalm that also speaks of the path that Jesus knew he had to walk in order to save us (for Jesus tells this parable in the week of his Passion); the psalm that is the Son of Man’s swan song: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (PS 23:4-6) The chief priests and elders would have immediately known what Jesus was alliterating to in that parable, yet they failed to see the truth and so they began to plot his death (and fulfill the scriptures). Oh but God’s mercy and grace are beyond our understanding and by the death of His Son, the inequities of those once deemed unworthy are erased; those from the dark corners of the streets, the lame, the unwanted are given splendid garments to replaces their old clothes and offered a spot at the King’s banquet table. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us! (IS 25:8-9) Those that were once thought creditable have ignored God’s invitation and refused to wear the wedding clothes offered are revealed as undeserving and cast out from His glorious presence. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (MT 22: 13) We all have been invited to God’s table, a new covenant established in which our sins are forgiven and we are lifted up from the dark streets and brought into the light of his heavenly banquet hall. God has offered to clothe us in the resplendent mantel of His grace and to feed us with the spiritual food in the body and blood of his Son Jesus Christ. All that God asks of us is to accept the invitation to the table, to not turn away in lieu of secular things; we must walk the path that Jesus walked, the path of the new covenant and live the two great commandments: to love God and to love and forgive each other as Christ has done so for us. Will you accept this offer with joy and thanksgiving or turn way and refuse to come? Remember though “many are invited, but few are chosen”. 1. bible.ca/marriage/ancient-jewish-three-stage-weddings-and-marriage-customs-ceremony-in-the-bible.html
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 04:09:50 +0000
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