Street People and Banquets

This past weekend, I have been meditating on this parable:

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
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.7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’10 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.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “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.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14 NIV)

The parable seems rather straightforward until it gets to verse 11. It's about the history of God's relationship with Israel and Israel's betrayal. I had a hard time comprehending what 11-14 could mean. I'm sitting with a happy picture of God who wants to throw the best party ever for Jesus, his Son and instantly confronted with the picture of a God who casts out one who did decide to come! When I read it, I asked myself in disbelief "No way... Why would God do that? What could this possibly mean?" It doesn't seem fair for God to not invite people, change his mind and invite everyone when he realizes the people he originally wanted to come ditched him, an then afford to be picky about who does show up! You'd think he'd be grateful anyone showed up at all! I prayed, "God! Of course he was dressed like that! HE WAS ON THE STREET! You told your servants to bring people in from every street corner and alleyway, and you expect them in wedding clothes? Isn't this a little unreasonable, Lord?"

I wrestled with God here (a very good practice! Ask Jacob aka Israel). I asked him to reveal to me his intent so I could reconcile my beliefs about and abundant and benevolent God with what I just read. Through meditation and prayer, this is what I've discerned:

Starting with God's question in Verse 12: Notice the word of address: Friend. Friend! How did you get in here? I get the feeling, though, that this isn't one of his "friends", rather he's using this term because he doesn't know this man's name. We do the same thing: "Watch it, pal!", "Hey buddy, could you move over?" "Listen, friend, I don't know who you think you are but..." God then asks the question, How did you get here without wedding clothes? Obviously he knows how he got there, he sent his servants to get him.

However, the man's response in verse 12 is very telling: He is speechless. Completely taken off guard and dumbfounded and at a loss for words, He had absolutely NO IDEA he was even supposed to be in wedding clothes! Perhaps he was only told that there was a great big party in heaven and all he had to do was come. It is clear he was misinformed about the nature of the banquet. He didn't know he had to be prepared.

Therefore, two things need to happen before one can attend and take part in the Kingdom of Heaven: 1) You must accept the invitation to come 2) You better get ready to go! Even in our weddings today, who just shows up to a wedding without the proper attire?

Now God sent out his servants to be his invitations for his Son's wedding. We who are called to serve God are God's invitations. We are responsible for making sure people know what they are being invited to. If we want every single person we can find singing, dancing, and celebrating before God because of his Son, we must do everything in our power to prepare them. These men and women on the street corners who have nothing. They have no wedding clothes, they are not prepared, they are not mature. When I talked of inheritance earlier and what it means to receive the kingdom like a child, it was this very meaning. To receive as a child receives inheritance is to be mature enough to handle it. You don't give estates to 5 year olds.

We are to be the Good Shepherds, laying down our lives for God's sheep. Using every single resource we have available to us, we make sure they are dressed and ready to be at that Wedding! I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (not that I memorize scripture, but that I know this was in Corinthians somewhere and has to look it up):

"his work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built up survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Cor 3:11-15 NIV)

Paul is talking about laying foundations for a church, and no not as in a building, but rather as in the body of Christ. If your body is a temple where God dwells, it needs to be built and renovated. Someone must come and lay the foundation!Everyone needs a mentor, and no mentor should disciple without having first his own mentor. It is of the utmost importance you do not lie to someone about the kingdom just to get them to accept the invite! I don't know, but I feel like getting into the Kingdom as one only just escaping the flames seems like a good deal to me. Not only that, but all of the work you've done on Earth was for naught as you watch it burn. And we're not talking about buildings, we're talking about PEOPLE.

As Verse 13 states, those who are unprepared, yet accept the invite have in a way the worse fate. They know what they are missing. They thought they were going to be there, but in the end, there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. It sucks to be kicked out of the party because you had no idea what the rules for attending were. Apparently the invite wasn't all too clear or the servant who brought him didn't care too much that he wasn't in wedding attire. That is not a good Shepard, that is a hired hand.

So there you have it. That's what I have discerned about Matthew 22:11-14. Jesus ends the parable with this statement in verse 14: "For many are invited, but few are chosen". This strikes fear into my heart, and should for yours. Some have used this line to argue for divine election, but that is just ridiculous. Being a Christian is not like submitting an application to a country club and hoping you'd get in. That is hope that there is hope of salvation. We have hope of salvation! We can work it out in fear and trembling, maturing as he is mature (perfect), getting ready to go to what's bound to be the best celebration in all of eternity! If we can do these things in community and with the Holy Spirit as our guide, salvation is assuredly ours! Learning to love is a lifelong goal, always with room for improvement.

This is my prayer:

Heavenly Father,

I pray that it is our vision to see those who are so broken down in poverty dressed up in the finest gowns and lavish tuxedos, dancing and praising before God. What a glorious sight that would be, Lord! To see people go from rags to riches with absolute joy because they were invited and attended your banquet! I pray that people from every corner and alley would come and dance before you, dressed in your grace and elegance! Oh, that we would go and make disciples of all nations instead of just trying to persuade them that they need to become Christians! Lord, you will expose the works of our hands. You will show if we ever really cared for those that you love so much, for your sheep! Help us to be like Good Shepherds, willing to be interrupted for our sheep, willing to sacrifice everything for them so that we may know you, O God! What a privilege and an honor it is to be called by you and to serve you! I pray that we learn to invite and prepare for the biggest event in all of eternity!

In communion with all the angels and saints,

Amen.