One of Mark Twain’s more famous quotations is: “Clothes make the man.” A superficial reading of this Sunday’s gospel from Matthew 22:1-14, could draw us to the conclusion that Jesus agrees with Mr. Twain’s assessment about the importance of looking great when we arrive in the Kingdom of Heaven. Unfortunately for the fashionistas, Jesus is not making a fashion statement here. What Jesus is talking about in this parable, according to William Barclay, is “the spirit in which we go to God’s house.” Scripture reminds us in both the Old and New Testaments that we must approach God with reverence and awe.
This is a very straight forward parable and is similar to the parable of the bad tenants we heard last week. The king sent out invitations to his subjects for the marriage feast of his son. But the invitation was rejected. He then sent his servants out with a second invitation but the servants were mistreated and killed. The king responded with vengeance killing the ungrateful subjects and destroying their town. Then the king sent his servants out to invite “whomever you find.” They did as they were instructed and invited good people and bad people who accepted the invitation and attended the wedding feast. One person attended in inappropriate attire. The king was enraged and had that person thrown out, saying, “Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Like the parable of the bad tenants, this parable was directed to the chief priests and elders. Jesus was sending them a clear message, if you reject the invitation to the banquet of the Lord that is described in our first reading from Isaiah 25:6–10a, then others will be called to take your place. For those who accepted the invitation, there was an expectation that they would attend, casting off their dirty clothing and put on wedding garments which symbolize our baptismal promises. And as St Paul reminds us over and over again, when we are baptized we put on Christ.
What does this mean? St Paul gives us an explanation in Colossians 3:12–15: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.”
O good and gracious God,
you have invited all the peoples of the world
to the wedding feast of your Son
And offer them a feast beyond compare.
Open our community to all who seek you
the poor and the rich, the weak and the strong.
May we lead others to the banquet of eternal life
where all will be welcome.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
AMEN
