just (an)other CHURCH

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, `Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, `I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, `I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, `I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, `Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “`Sir,’ the servant said, `what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, `Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'” Luke 14:15-22 NIV

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. 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, both good and bad, 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. `Friend,’ he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ 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.” Matthew 22:1-14 NIV

What is hospitality? Is it only inviting people over to dinner at your home? Could it involve making food for a new mom and her family and delivering it hot in disposable dishes so nothing needs to be returned? Could it include welcoming new people to our church in the lobby on Sunday morning? Surely it includes helping a disabled person in a wheelchair who needs help opening a heavy door. Maybe it is bringing craft items for children to make while they wait for parents to shop in our food bank. Could it include remembering someone’s name in greeting them and asking how we might pray for them?

Our passages this week describe an incredible feast. Both Luke 14:15-24 and Matthew 22:1-14 convey parables that inform us of the Kingdom of God. Read both passages. Notice the similarities and the differences. One similarity is that the host is extravagant in his preparations for the feast and in his desire to have many guests attend to enjoy his feast. The host is very hospitable, but some of the invited guests are not. In fact, some of them are quite rude and inconsiderate. Have you ever thought about how you treat your host as being “hospitable”? Have you realized that responding to a wedding invitation in a timely manner is another way of being hospitable? Both of these passages give us a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. After reading both passages and looking at the differences and similarities, what strikes you the most about hospitality?

The host of the banquet in both of these passages is hospitable, welcoming and inviting to the marginalized in his city. How can we be the same? Perhaps you could write a letter to someone you know who is grieving, and let that person know you care, that you are praying for them, and offer help as needed. Perhaps you could make a meal for someone who is ill or has had surgery, or for a family with a new baby. Maybe you know someone who is currently in a discouraging season and could use a phone call, an encouraging note, or an in-person visit. If you are not currently involved in South’s Food Bank, we have opportunities twice a week to be a part of welcoming those who need the food we provide. Spend some time thinking about an unusual or unique way you could be hospitable to someone who needs to be welcomed and valued this week.

4 “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.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. Matthew 22:4-6 NIV

This story seems a bit extreme. What kind of RSVP is it when you kill the messenger? Now I have the difficult task of explaining why the story uses such violent language while also attempting not to dumb it down. When we read a parable like this, we may need to catch some of the references that Matthew’s readers would have. Yes, this is a parable, but it’s also a story that happened in Israel’s history. Over and over again we find Israel invited to God’s kingdom. They would get off track, and God would send them a judge or a prophet. Sometimes, those prophets were killed or chided because of their message.

Jesus’ hearers would have known about this stained past. Jesus wants them to see the absurdity of not going to the party. He also wants his hearers to realize that even the prophets had invited God’s people to something good.

It would be easy to log this information away as interesting and never look at ourselves. Do you realize that all the commands of scripture are invitations? Every teaching of Jesus is an invitation to a kingdom party. His way is better. If we are honest, we sometimes kill the messenger too. Maybe you hear a sermon or read a passage of scripture through which God’s spirit gives you an invitation to a new way of being. Instead of finding a way to dive into that invitation, we often explain it away or drown it out with other concerns. Let’s not kill the message that God has for us.

The next time you feel that nudge of conviction – that invitation – respond with a simple prayer like this: “God, I intend to obey.” Find some time to plan the steps you need to take to obey. Send that messenger a text, add something to your calendar, and sign up for the thing. You don’t know what it looks like for you, but show up to the party.