Here we go again with yet another
brutal and damning parable that lends itself to replacement theology.
But while the earlier parables required thoughtful interpretation to
come to the conclusion that Christians could also find themselves in
trouble if we don't live appropriately, today's parable is explicitly
direct at and inclusive of us latecomers into God's kingdom.
In today's story we have a king who
wants to throw a wedding banquet for his son. In this story he is
not an absentee landowner coming to collect his share of the produce.
Here he is an active part of the lives of his subjects and works to
bring them all into the party. Like the other parables we have
heard, the villagers want no part of what the king is
asking/offering.
And like the earlier stories, the king
turns to others who will participate in an appropriate manner;
previously by throwing out the existing tenants and today by sending
out his army to totally destroy the city and kill the inhabitants.
And here we need to pause, because
there are two issues we need to address. First is that, in this time
and place, the king is ultimately destroying his own property. Maybe
not the smartest move. And the second is a scholarly thought that
this story indicates Matthew was written after the fall of Jerusalem
to the Romans in 70 c.e. The thought is that this story was a
Christian interpretation of events in the life of Judaism – again a
supersessionist form of theology.
Despite that, now we move to a place
where all are invited, both good and bad. This can be a reference
back to Jesus' claim that even “the tax collectors and prostitutes”
will come into the kingdom of God. It can also possibly reflect the
all-inclusive theology found in Acts. We now have a scene where the
king has filled his banquet hall with all manner of people.
And this is where the parable becomes
pointedly directed at Christians. Yes, we believe that God's
invitation and grace have been extended to all people, both good and
bad, equally. But here we have Jesus telling us directly that it is
one of these new people, it is one of the people picked off the
street to join in the banquet, it is one of the late comers, it is
one of us, who is suddenly bound hand and foot and thrown into the
outer darkness.
If the other parables hinted at it,
this parable is explicit – God has expectations and just because
we've been invited doesn't mean we have a free ride. What is going
on here where a person who accepts a last-minute invitation is tossed
out for failing to live up to the dress code? Not everyone keeps a
spare tux or gown handy in case they receive one of these last-minute
invitations. And on top of that, the king asks him how he got in.
Um . . . you invited him! It seems that the king is really to blame
here.
But those are surface concerns and we
need to look a little deeper. This isn't just a parable, but an
allegory in which everything stands for something else. We need to
follow this through to the end, and that's exactly where this portion
of the story takes place – the end.
The king is God. The son is Jesus.
The banquet hall represents the Church. The good and bad people who
are invited in represent all those brought into the Church through
its evangelistic mission – “Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations.” The wedding robe/garment represents the Christian
life. And the ejection from the banquet hall into the outer darkness
represents the final judgment at the end of the age.
That wedding robe essentially
represents the good fruit we talked about last week. The wedding
robe signifies that our baptism really is a significant change in our
lives, or should be. Loving God, loving our neighbors, living in
peace, unity, gentleness, with self-control, and an outward focus
that clothes the naked, waters the thirsty, welcomes the stranger,
and feeds the hungry is the fabric of our wedding robe.
When we accept the invitation to come
to the party we are also accepting the responsibility to behave as if
we belong here. When we accept the invitation to eat at the heavenly
banquet, we also accept the responsibility to live with a sense of
awe and wonder, a sense of thankfulness and joy, and a desire to see
that others partake of this feast.
In some sense it's a little like when I
say, “The Lord be with you.” __________________, and that
lackluster response follows. One possibility is for me to give you
another chance and say, “Act like you want to be here!” Another
possibility would be for me to say, “If you don't want to be here,
feel free to leave.” So let's do this again: The Lord be with
you. ____________________.
In a biblical sense, though, this
parable is a prelude to Matthew 25:31-46 in which Jesus tells of the
separation of the sheep and goats. Those who feed, clothe, welcome,
and visit are welcome to stay at the banquet, while those who do not
are removed. It also looks back to Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus says,
“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father.”
We invite all. We welcome all. But
with the acceptance of that invitation are expectations. Those
expectations are to bear good fruit. Those expectations are to
proclaim the gospel. Those expectations are to work for justice and
peace. Those expectations are to respect the dignity of every human
being.
Ultimately I don't think this story is
meant to scare the hell out of us. Instead, I think it's meant to
encourage us to live as if we were clothed in a wedding garment fit
for a feast.
So, as we move forward in our faith and
out into the world, I want to encourage you to see Christianity as
the fabric of your life; something you put on every day and live like
you mean it. And to borrow a phrase from the Rite of Confirmation:
May the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in you, direct and
uphold you in the service of Christ and his kingdom.
Amen.
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