The Upload
Posted on Oct 10, 2014 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you have had a blessed week.
Have you ever gone somewhere and as you arrived realized you were underdressed? You know, you wore jeans and a sweater and everyone else is wearing dress clothes. It can be embarrassing, but in today’s world, most people don’t get too upset about dress codes and most often are very understanding and tolerant of just about anything we wear. However, in our Gospel story for this coming Sunday (Matthew 22:1-14), one man was not so lucky. At the very last minute, this man received an invitation to a wedding banquet and so he decided to go, but he went without changing his clothes. He did not put on the appropriate attire. Now, as this story goes, the man is at the party enjoying a awesome banquet, but apparently before he can finish his salad, somebody comes by and says, “Arrest that man. He’s not wearing a tux. Throw him out of here!” It leaves us scratching our heads and wondering, “What was that all about?” Most of us end up muttering “I don’t get it; I really don’t get it.” Well, let’s see if we can sort this out.
Remember, this is a parable, and parables are designed to make us think. They are supposed to catch us off guard and at times, like this one, even make us think, that isn’t right!
This is a parable about God and his love and desire for all people to be in a loving relationship with him. God has promised all his people a banquet that will never end, eternal life. God came a chose the Israelites and he taught them how to live his way. And in response to his saving grace, they were to live that way, so that others might see them and want to live like them. But instead, those that were first chosen kept rejecting this loving God’s ways and so God finally invites everyone to the banquet. Wow, that is awesome everyone else thinks, we want to come. But, there is a catch to the invitation. God’s invitation is freely offered, but God does expect that those that accept the invitation will prepare themselves for the work God expects of us.
You, God, doesn’t want us to just show up and sit in the stands and watch, or just sit in the pews. No, God expects that those who accept his generous offer will be so thrilled and so thankful, that in response to his grace, they will go share that same grace with the world. In the words of Paul, “As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive (Colossians 3:12-13).
As God’s chosen, yes, we are saved, not by anything we have done, but because God chose to invite us into his grace. But, God expects us to wear those clothes that will show the world we belong to God. Our actions of kindness, humility, patience, etc. say to the world, I have been invited to God’s party and I am ready to party, come party with us!
The reason the man in the parable was kicked out was that he came to the party, but he wasn’t willing to party. Like most of us, he did not prepare himself to respond to the generous offer. He came willing to take, but not willing to give anything in return.
I pray we are all willing to wear the clothes that Paul challenged us to wear and that we are all willing to party with God and show the world that we are ready and willing to be a light to the world.
Have a blessed week!
Shalom,
Pastor Dave