Understanding the Invitation
Last week I had the privilege to be able to go to Italy and return to the ancestral town of my paternal grandfather, Caesar F. Lazzuri. It was a little town on the top of a mountain of only about 65-70 residents. The town is called Riana and it sits at the top of a mountain in the northern mountainous region of Lucca, just north of Tuscany. I was greeted by some distance possible relatives most graciously and the hospitality with which they received us was humbling. They literally set out a feast and we laughed and talked in spite of barriers of language after they had give us a tour of the town and the church and the cemetery. It was a life-giving experience, connecting me to those in my lineage who had come before and providing a glimpse of open armed hospitality at its best.
The gospel text today also includes a banquet, of a different sort, but not without the same welcoming arms of the host.
The text today begs for allegory and analogy and I was leaning toward just not preaching it until I had randomly chosen the “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towels to read on Wednesday evening as I was going to bed. The preface for the book had these same verses from Matthew as the preface. I decided maybe I was intended to wrestle a bit more with these verses.
The text with all its dramatic language, cannot help but beg the question for us all, “Well, who is going to be bound hand and foot and cast into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? Who is chosen? Who is called?” Oh my, oh my.
No matter how you parse this parable, (and oh many have tried) the results are baffling at best. But, at the end of the day, without arguing over minute points, I believe it simply means to express to us how passionately God wants us to come to his banquet-to come home. It expresses how passionately God loves us — all of us — all of the time. And that of those whom were chosen, some rejected. They took it for granted. They didn’t put on their cloak. They didn’t care about the cloak. In rejecting the cloak, they rejected God’s goodness to them.
Many are called, says our Lord, but few are chosen.
Towels book is a book about friendship, and sometimes how the ones who seemingly have it all, didn’t really. We all make and have made our choices on how we live our lives. Sometimes we may find ourselves grasping for things that we may later learn were not at all what we had imagined them to be.
What remains mysteriously hidden and unsaid here in the Gospel text, is that it is we who do the choosing. We choose to come to the banquet or not.
God has invited us all. Few choose to return to God. Sometimes the invitation is taken for granted, sometimes we may find ourselves wasting time on inconsequential disputes over what is right and what is wrong.
That message is at the heart of Paul’s correspondence with the Christ-followers in Philippi. Paul returns to the theme with which he began the book of Philippians, that there is no time for bickering, and no time to contemplate retribution against those who had imprisoned him and those who hated them.
There is simply no time for anything but the Love of God in Christ Jesus crucified and raised from the dead.
Which is a good word for today as we watch what has been a dispute about land and varying belief systems turn into a tragic war, over decades of disagreement.
Paul encourages the Philippians to please, get these two magnificent women, women who have struggled with him to proclaim the good news, get them back together again. Euodia and Syntyche were obviously arguing over something that didn’t matter. Once you reconcile them Paul says to the Philipppians, you can rejoice!
“And again I will say, Rejoice! The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. Then you can get on with the business at hand: spreading the Good News of Christ crucified and raised from the dead.”
This week has been a tremendously emotional and difficult week for us all as we have watched with feelings of helplessness the tragedy in the Middle East. And people have drawn up sides as we are want to do. The side for which we stand — for which we all must stand — is on the side of the innocents, regardless of nationality. In any declaration of war, no matter how just, innocent people are injured and lives are lost.
And what are we to do? What is our position to be? “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard…” Philippians 4:9, and the God of peace will be with you.
Paul is in prison as he wrote those words. He was, in the midst of his own pain and suffering urging the Philippians to stand firm and telling them what things to think on. And when you think on these things “… the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…”
“Keep on doing the things that you have learned…” Just what “things” have the Philippians learned? When Paul left Macedonia, he issued an invitation to the churches he knew to enter into partnership with him — a partnership of money and ministry. It was to be a partnership of giving and receiving. It is in giving with Christ that we receive, it is in dying with Christ that we live.
Christ, who did not consider equality with God something to be exploited, emptied himself, and invites us to do the same.
And back to the parable-isn't that what the wedding guests who were invited and didn’t come we’re doing? Exploiting their relationship with God. Taking it for granted. They made light of it. Took it for granted. One who did show up, didn’t have his wedding robe on, a sign of disrespect.
Of all the churches with which Paul was associated – Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica, Colossae, Galatia, Ephesus, and Philippi – it was only the Philippians who responded to his invitation to come along side him in ministry. It was only the Philippians who sent Paul help, sending one of their own, Epaphroditus, who nearly died while serving Paul in prison.
Paul is taking care of the Philippians pastorally through this letter to them. He is sending them encouragement in hard times. He reminds the Philippians that they know what to do and how to do it, even without him being there. He has personally benefitted from their faithfulness in Christ Jesus. They have sacrificed money and gifts and nearly one of their own to further the spread of the good news of Jesus Christ.
It is a reminder that God is at home and it is we who need to return to his banquet hall, fully prepared to do the work God calls us to do in Christ Jesus.
So are we?
Paul’s gift to us is the realization that the Church of Jesus Christ goes way beyond any single person or congregation. It is a vast network of congregations and peoples working together, sacrificing for one another, supporting one another.
As we prepare budgets, decide what and how to give and what to support, and as we look at the world around us, we are reminded that we are not in this world alone. How something directly benefits us is not the question to be asking — remembering that we are part of a larger body and kingdom to which we are responsible is part of the equation.
It is with this knowledge that Paul writes to the Philippians that there is simply no time for division and argument. And there is no way to go it alone. Stop the dissension and disagreement right now. Disengage from worldly concerns and engage yourselves in God’s work — “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches.”
In Amor Towles book, one of the central characters who had been born into privilege had it all taken from him through no fault of his own; he strived in a way that was harmful to himself to seek riches and status. It was upon his being able to release his desire for those things that he was able to reconnect with his true self.
“How did you get in here without a wedding robe?” Not having the respect of putting on the robe, of respecting the banquet, reaped punishment upon the banquet attenders head.
Understanding who we are and why we are invited and the responsibility that comes with the invitation is part of our call.
Understanding the cost of the invitation.
“Many are called”, says our Lord Jesus, “but few are chosen.” It is we who do the choosing. Are we ready to choose? Are we ready to choose to do the things that we have learned and received? Are we ready to stand up in this world and not be a people of dissension but one of love and unity?
For if we are, the God of Peace shall be with us wherever we are, wherever we go.
God passionately wants us to come to the banquet. Our God wants us to come home. And our God will supply every need.
Tinker, that was the character in the book, when he came home to himself, he found himself. And he no longer had riches. But he had everything he needed.
And, if we do these things, if we find ourselves, if we accept the invitation to the banquet and understand our responsibility in being there,
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
The gospel text today also includes a banquet, of a different sort, but not without the same welcoming arms of the host.
The text today begs for allegory and analogy and I was leaning toward just not preaching it until I had randomly chosen the “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towels to read on Wednesday evening as I was going to bed. The preface for the book had these same verses from Matthew as the preface. I decided maybe I was intended to wrestle a bit more with these verses.
The text with all its dramatic language, cannot help but beg the question for us all, “Well, who is going to be bound hand and foot and cast into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? Who is chosen? Who is called?” Oh my, oh my.
No matter how you parse this parable, (and oh many have tried) the results are baffling at best. But, at the end of the day, without arguing over minute points, I believe it simply means to express to us how passionately God wants us to come to his banquet-to come home. It expresses how passionately God loves us — all of us — all of the time. And that of those whom were chosen, some rejected. They took it for granted. They didn’t put on their cloak. They didn’t care about the cloak. In rejecting the cloak, they rejected God’s goodness to them.
Many are called, says our Lord, but few are chosen.
Towels book is a book about friendship, and sometimes how the ones who seemingly have it all, didn’t really. We all make and have made our choices on how we live our lives. Sometimes we may find ourselves grasping for things that we may later learn were not at all what we had imagined them to be.
What remains mysteriously hidden and unsaid here in the Gospel text, is that it is we who do the choosing. We choose to come to the banquet or not.
God has invited us all. Few choose to return to God. Sometimes the invitation is taken for granted, sometimes we may find ourselves wasting time on inconsequential disputes over what is right and what is wrong.
That message is at the heart of Paul’s correspondence with the Christ-followers in Philippi. Paul returns to the theme with which he began the book of Philippians, that there is no time for bickering, and no time to contemplate retribution against those who had imprisoned him and those who hated them.
There is simply no time for anything but the Love of God in Christ Jesus crucified and raised from the dead.
Which is a good word for today as we watch what has been a dispute about land and varying belief systems turn into a tragic war, over decades of disagreement.
Paul encourages the Philippians to please, get these two magnificent women, women who have struggled with him to proclaim the good news, get them back together again. Euodia and Syntyche were obviously arguing over something that didn’t matter. Once you reconcile them Paul says to the Philipppians, you can rejoice!
“And again I will say, Rejoice! The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. Then you can get on with the business at hand: spreading the Good News of Christ crucified and raised from the dead.”
This week has been a tremendously emotional and difficult week for us all as we have watched with feelings of helplessness the tragedy in the Middle East. And people have drawn up sides as we are want to do. The side for which we stand — for which we all must stand — is on the side of the innocents, regardless of nationality. In any declaration of war, no matter how just, innocent people are injured and lives are lost.
And what are we to do? What is our position to be? “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard…” Philippians 4:9, and the God of peace will be with you.
Paul is in prison as he wrote those words. He was, in the midst of his own pain and suffering urging the Philippians to stand firm and telling them what things to think on. And when you think on these things “… the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…”
“Keep on doing the things that you have learned…” Just what “things” have the Philippians learned? When Paul left Macedonia, he issued an invitation to the churches he knew to enter into partnership with him — a partnership of money and ministry. It was to be a partnership of giving and receiving. It is in giving with Christ that we receive, it is in dying with Christ that we live.
Christ, who did not consider equality with God something to be exploited, emptied himself, and invites us to do the same.
And back to the parable-isn't that what the wedding guests who were invited and didn’t come we’re doing? Exploiting their relationship with God. Taking it for granted. They made light of it. Took it for granted. One who did show up, didn’t have his wedding robe on, a sign of disrespect.
Of all the churches with which Paul was associated – Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica, Colossae, Galatia, Ephesus, and Philippi – it was only the Philippians who responded to his invitation to come along side him in ministry. It was only the Philippians who sent Paul help, sending one of their own, Epaphroditus, who nearly died while serving Paul in prison.
Paul is taking care of the Philippians pastorally through this letter to them. He is sending them encouragement in hard times. He reminds the Philippians that they know what to do and how to do it, even without him being there. He has personally benefitted from their faithfulness in Christ Jesus. They have sacrificed money and gifts and nearly one of their own to further the spread of the good news of Jesus Christ.
It is a reminder that God is at home and it is we who need to return to his banquet hall, fully prepared to do the work God calls us to do in Christ Jesus.
So are we?
Paul’s gift to us is the realization that the Church of Jesus Christ goes way beyond any single person or congregation. It is a vast network of congregations and peoples working together, sacrificing for one another, supporting one another.
As we prepare budgets, decide what and how to give and what to support, and as we look at the world around us, we are reminded that we are not in this world alone. How something directly benefits us is not the question to be asking — remembering that we are part of a larger body and kingdom to which we are responsible is part of the equation.
It is with this knowledge that Paul writes to the Philippians that there is simply no time for division and argument. And there is no way to go it alone. Stop the dissension and disagreement right now. Disengage from worldly concerns and engage yourselves in God’s work — “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches.”
In Amor Towles book, one of the central characters who had been born into privilege had it all taken from him through no fault of his own; he strived in a way that was harmful to himself to seek riches and status. It was upon his being able to release his desire for those things that he was able to reconnect with his true self.
“How did you get in here without a wedding robe?” Not having the respect of putting on the robe, of respecting the banquet, reaped punishment upon the banquet attenders head.
Understanding who we are and why we are invited and the responsibility that comes with the invitation is part of our call.
Understanding the cost of the invitation.
“Many are called”, says our Lord Jesus, “but few are chosen.” It is we who do the choosing. Are we ready to choose? Are we ready to choose to do the things that we have learned and received? Are we ready to stand up in this world and not be a people of dissension but one of love and unity?
For if we are, the God of Peace shall be with us wherever we are, wherever we go.
God passionately wants us to come to the banquet. Our God wants us to come home. And our God will supply every need.
Tinker, that was the character in the book, when he came home to himself, he found himself. And he no longer had riches. But he had everything he needed.
And, if we do these things, if we find ourselves, if we accept the invitation to the banquet and understand our responsibility in being there,
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.