Loading...Maybe you’ve done this same thing too:
I was invited to a party and, not knowing the group all that well –
nor the unspoken expectations –
I went, but was underwhelmingly under dressed.
No amount of lipstick from my purse could compensate for the fact
that I was in jeans when I should’ve been in a dress!
That experience taught me:
it’s always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed.
Might be the lesson that the guy at the end of the gospel story learned too!
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This parable from Jesus is confusing!!
A big feast is planned, the guest list is made, and the invites go out.
But the invitees, the wealthy and powerful and elite, say “no”.
They say “no” emphatically,
so emphatically that they the slaves are mistreated and some are killed.
Fine! The king says. Then, just go into the streets and invited everyone!
We’re having a party!
And they come.
This all jives with what we’ve learned about Jesus, with what we know about Jesus – the way he welcomes everyone to the Table and to the party.
Jesus, who has a radical embrace for all.
Jesus, who offers the unexpected and counter-cultural welcome.
It’s so much like the vision in Isaiah of the feast table.
After being under the thumb of a foreign government (a theme in ancient Jewish life), a different foreign power (with God’s help) freed the people of Israel.
As Isaiah describes the shedding of the shame of occupation and oppression,
he paints this vision of a beautiful feast,
of this feast table which God spreads for everyone
– on a mountain (very Biblical) with rich food and well aged wines,
where death and mourning is overcome.
As Jesus is telling this parable about the wedding feast,
we hear the familiar action of the Divine spreading a feast and welcoming.
And we nod.
We are comforted.
We relax.
We know that we’re invited to the table as well as others.
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But Jesus’ story takes a couple of turns – unexpected turns.
Words and details that make us squirm.
We are confused and befuddled.
Jesus challenges us and pushes outside of our comfort zones.
For one thing – the king in the story ends up being a mean, angry king who demolishes the whole city after the wealthy, powerful elite reject his invitation.
Then there’s the guy who is not dressed correctly and gets bound hand and foot and tossed into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Part of the problem that arises is that we often read and hear Jesus’ parables as though they are allegories rather than parable. We hear the story as though the concrete characters, actions, and events were representative of what God is, does, and says in a one to one equation.
Yet, the story is NOT an allegory.
The king in the story is not God.
The slaves are not the prophets.
The elite guests are not the political and religious leaders.
The guests from the streets are not everyone else.
At least, not directly.
So, if the story is not an allegory, what is it?
It’s a parable – a story that both draws us in by the details, and then pushes us out of what we think is true and valuable and out of our own assumptions.
This story, as a parable, teaches us what the kingdom of heaven is like.
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“The kingdom of heaven is like....”
This is a phrase that Jesus uses often in his teaching. (At least, in Matthew’s gospel. Other gospels use the phrase “the kingdom of God”.)
Because both “kingdom” and “heaven” are words that are full of complicated meaning and take a lot of time to parse, I like to use the phrase:
“God’s dream for the world” or “God’s vision for the world”.
God’s dream for the world is like a big party.
Important people are invited, but they think that they are too important to deign to go to this party – emphatically so.
Fine. Don’t come.
But, everyone whom the world considers useless, outcast, beneath consideration, not powerful enough to take notice of,
the broken, the lost, the confused, those living in poverty, those who will lose their health care or will pay a higher percentage in taxes –
-- invite those folks to the party,
to the feast Table,
to be nourished in body, mind, and soul,
to be noticed,
to live again.
Great! But, what’s this about clothing?
What?!? There’s a dress code? Not jeans but something nicer?
You and I can both think of folks who think that they do not have clothes “good enough” for church, so they don’t come.
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This story is not an allegory and it is definitely not about a dress code, written or unwritten.
God’s dream for the world is that everyone knows that they are invited to the party and to the feat Table of rich food and well aged wines,
and that all of us at the table don’t just say,
“Oh, YUMMY! That was a great spread. Thanks for the feast!”
and then spend all of our time talking to the others at the table,
or go on our merry little way.
God’s dream for the world is that we who know and trust that we are claimed and belong, and are here at the table,
turn around to those not here and make sure that they all know that they are claimed and that they belong and that they are welcome at the Table of life.
God’s dream for the world
is that those of us who’ve been clothed in the new garments of baptism
realize that these new garments are work clothes that send us out in action to say and do the welcome, invitation, and inclusion of others.
Our baptismal work clothes send us to work for justice and peace for everyone.
And, in this Fall that followed a difficult summer and spring,
there is no shortage of ways to serve and act.
There is always lots to say and do:
Hurricane relief in so many places
Fire victims who’ve been displaced
Those digging out from earthquake damage
Violence in homes, in schools (Freeman High School), and communities such as Las Vegas, and nations like Syria
Advocacy for children’s education; for affordable housing (in Spokane, finding affordable housing is very challenging!); for affordable health care; for prisoners caught in a biased criminal justice system; for folks who have experienced crime who are then further victimized; for clean air, clean water, clean soil; for the elderly; for those who suffer racism.
How do you use your invitation to the abundant, transformed, and renewed life to connect with others so that they can also know the feast Table of the Lord?
How do we make sure we don’t just say “yes” to the invitation and think that’s all that is needed?
How do you live a life of freedom in Christ as a servant for all the other folks on the streets and the byways of life?
How do we live this life of discipleship to which we have been called?
How do we steward the gifts that we have?
How do we live fully in the kingdom of heaven – God’s dream for the world – today, not tomorrow, not someday; but now?
How do we dress for the party?
Well, even if we do come in underdressed or ill-prepared,
we let ourselves be clothed in Christ
and we live the Way of compassion, service,
proclamation (talking about Jesus), hope, and love,
so that all the world
in all the places
knows that the invitation to new and transformed life is for them
and that we are with God to make that dream become a life-giving reality
now.
Now.
Now.
Amen
