So what do we have here and how might we safely reflect on the words of this, not easy, passage?
Those people who were invited to the feast, when the time comes to be part, offer up a raft of naff excuses. Now in my experience, when the monarch invites you to be somewhere, it's not an invite but a royal summons and this means those with their excuses, and the killing by some of his herald, commit treason and are met with the punishment such an act attracts. Bloodshed and bodies are the result of the fist failed invitation and so the King sends out his servants again to invite those who are left (how man did they kill for goodness sakes???). Everyone, the good and the bad, are now invited into the feast.
Now, stopping to gaze at the scene of bloodshed and carnage, what many think we have here - and don't forget that this is another parable about the kingdom of God - is Jesus telling the Jews that whilst He has been sent for them, if they will not come into the feast they will be met with the same fate as those invited first. Add to this that the backlash comes with the death of a servant, do we now have Jesus making His appearance here or is He the bridegroom? - or even both? After all dead and then resurrected to become the bridegroom fits doesn't it? - The obvious thing here is the fact that the invited didn't come and so the door is opened to the uninvited: The Gentiles (non-Jews).
Seems to make sense - the Jews say 'No' and so the Gentiles suddenly qualify. End of parable, time to move on! But surely there are Jews who weren't invited and these must be in the second group of invitees, and if this is a right though then suddenly it's less about Jew vs Gentile and more about the 'religious' (you know the people I'm thinking of here I'm sure) vs those who were not sitting on the best seats (those who so often we honour because of their position and status): ordinary folk who struggled with their faith and their lifestyles.
But the door is open to those who are far off - everyone - Jew and Gentile. The kingdom of God is like a banqueting hall filled with sinners. What great news, seems I'm off for a meal then! And that is what the parable is about, much nicer than us putting the Jews down isn't it?
Hold the bus: Before we congratulate ourselves on our nailing the parable, there's a bloke in the gathering who's not properly dressed. What's he doing there and who on earth is he? Is he a Jew? Is he a Gentile? What is he wearing and why didn't he get dressed properly before he turned up?
Now, remembering that this is a parable, we need to be asking ourselves all those questions as we seek to understand why this man's been included.
I have an idea, and it goes like this:
Although EVERYBODY has been invited, this doesn't mean that we can just rock up assuming that this is all we need to do. What the people invited in need to be clothed in is 'righteousness' - right behaviour, thinking and lifestyle - and this hits at the heart of the problem I so often have with Christians and they assume that Jesus having died for them and open the doors of heaven, all they need to is carry on as they wish because they know that they are 'in'. You might have an invitation but turn up improperly dressed and most places will turn you away at the door if there's a dress code.
So is this the real crunch of this parable: Don't assume that because Jesus died for you and opened the gates of eternal life to you, you can just clothe yourself as you wish. We need to live like people redeemed and act like Jesus calls us to act and if we don;t, we might find ourselves booted out too. After all, living for ourselves is surely rejecting the invitation in the way the first people invited did and you know what happened to them!
This seems to be a challenge to those of my friends who assume everyone makes it into heaven (as they understand it) for surely it is true that we all have invitations - but surely from this story it is also true that not all of us will get in!
Now that's what we call a frightening parable innit?
Perhaps Paul's letter to the Philippians will be a little less worrying for us, after all he's telling us to rejoice, and that must be good news mustn't it?
Paul starts by encouraging those who would have originally heard it (because this is a letter to be read out to the church) to 'stand firm' - something you only need to do when under attack (resist the devil...) - and there's obviously a bit of difference between Euodia and Syntyche that needs dealing with too. Paul wants rejoicing and gentleness not anxiety. He's calling on people to pray and effectively to have glad and renewed hearts and minds.
I'm already thinking of some of the churches I know with this one - because there are some where the people who come in really need a bit of being transformed and a spoonful of gentleness and prayer added to the recipe. Paul tells how he has learnt to be content regardless (something I'm working hard to copy but find feet of clay sometimes impeded me). I am often encourage by a member of a previous church who was transformed by God from being (in his words) MOG (miserable Old Git) to HOG (Happy Old Git). The joy of the Lord helps us to become what we were not and to live as we didn't before and so we become clothed with righteousness and mirror the love and life of the Jesus we serve (see the link to the parable there - simple, wasn't it?).
Consider Paul in his early years. Paul the zealous, high-born, religious bloke and look at where the journey of following Jesus, the Christ has taken him. If he could do it, so too surely can we! So let's stand firm and keep walking the talk (it's like hurrying up and standing still :-) ).
So after that bit of encouragement and example we turn to the Old testament, and Isaiah is always a good read (for many of us it is the fifth Gospel in the way it presents and engages with the Jesus who was then so very far off - but that's what foretelling does).
Our reading follows some pretty gloomy stuff and Isaiah is opening the curtains for us today so we can get some perspective - after all, who wants all doom and gloom - calling us to praise and to reflect on God's goodness and the wonderful things God has done; and the terrible things too!
Gos has been (and is) a refuge for the poor and needy; a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples (ring any bells?).
He will wipe away the tears from all faces and remove his people’s disgrace.
and on that day those gathered into the wedding feast will say: “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
There has been death and destruction - just like those who failed to heed the invitation - and there will be joy at the end of it all when the feast is opened to those who have been invited. And they will be God's people and they will be clothed in His righteousness.
Good old Isaiaih - letting us end on a cheery note. Just need to get those clothes and our lifestyles sorted in the meantime :-)
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and 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 wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
“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.’
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Philippians 4:1-13
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure.
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