Text: Matthew 22:1-14
One of the joys of my ministry is preaching. It's a sacred privilege and an enormous challenge and responsibility to bring God's word into people's lives today. The main tool in proclaiming the Gospel, is of course, words. Words, words and more words. I calculate I've spoken around one and a quarter million words in sermons so far. And that's equivalent to over 40 days worth of non stop speaking 8 hours each day. And I'll leave it to you to calculate the number of preached words that have gone in your ears.
These words all attempt to bring alive the wonderful message of the Good News of God's love for people of the 20th Century. They strive to carry God's free and lavish love and forgiveness into people's lives. They're also out to change people radically; and tip generally accepted human attitudes completely upside down.
But, and here's my main problem, how can I find words that are able to bear something so marvellous and so powerful? How can mere human words hope to change people's lives so radically. I believe even Jesus faced these problems and that's why he used so many stories, parables and images. Words just aren't enough. But then when a parable is the text, Pastors in their explanations have the impossible task of putting the message of the image or story back into words.
Well today I'm admitting defeat. Today, we have a story which includes three simple images. Receiving a free invitation; attending a wedding feast; and the putting on of clothes. These images carry meanings that words alone can't. This morning I want to try to get you in touch with these images and ask you to ponder on their message to you. Maybe you'd even like to close your eyes to help you experience these images.
First the invitation? It came by mail at the end of that unbelievably hectic month. Recall how uptight you get when life is one big rush. You're run down and yet your mind is still racing. The mail's arrived early and you're opening it at breakfast. You're still rushing a little because you still have to pack for the couple of days on Bribie Island. You've looked forward to this day the whole month. It's probably what got you through. You tear open a plain envelope and see you name written in gold. It looks nice, but then again any fool can produce remarkable looking things with computers now days. How does it feel to receive such an invitation? At least it says not to bring any gift. And amazingly, it says, wedding clothes will even be provided. There's absolutely no cost.
You check the date, and can't believe it. You double check. It's today. How does it feel now? What message are you hearing about the importance of your life? How are you going to respond? It's not just a simple decision to go or not go. You're response will be a public statement about how significant your own life in comparison to the relationship with the one issuing the invitation.
Can you hear yourself on the phone saying, "Look, I'm sorry, but if you can't be considerate enough to give me a little time to make it possible for me to fit your invitation in my busy schedule, then I'm sorry I can't come. I have a life to live, my plans are important too you know." When have you wanted to say things like that? To whom? Do you feel you understand the reaction of the people in Jesus' parable?
Or can you hear yourself saying, "Of course I'll come, forget my plans, my life. There not as important as your invitation, you're the special one." And how hard would it be to add, "What you want me to come right now, in my dressing gown, with my hair in a mess, without a shower? Well if that's what you want. The drive will take me 10 minutes."
Could you do that? Would there be anyone you'd be prepared to do that for? Aren't you happy that God doesn't leave the response to his gracious invitation up to you and me? My guess is that like the people in this parable, we'd turn him down every time. But first he swamps us with love, overwhelms us with his amazing acceptance, so that there's no real choice left for us to make. Thank God! He wants there to be no mistake, any acceptance of his invitation is nothing less than a miracle of his love and grace.
So how are you feeling as you see yourself getting in the car totally unprepared? You didn't even have time to find your slippers. How does it feel?
This image says more about the miracle of faith and the difficulty repentance causes people, than any words could.
But let's change the scene. You've now arrived at the feast. Picture the best and biggest feast of your dreams. The tables are piled high. You can take whatever you want. It's all guaranteed fat free and absolutely no calories, but it's also unbelievably delicious. Waiters are filling your glass as soon as you take a sip. What emotions surround your feast? What are you feeling as you sit there enjoying the best of food and drink? Look around you and see who's there, friends and loved ones? How does it all feel?
As you glance around, you see, a gigantic wedding cake. It's a wedding feast. You look at those sitting at the main table. You recognise them all. They're close dear friends, but they're also famous, very famous, special and important. Now they see you, and begin waving and smiling. They know you well. Look at the groom, it's not Gary Sweet or Alfie Langer it's... it's Jesus himself. This is the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. The one God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords has arranged this feast for his Son, his only Son. You feel completely at home. Check your level of excitement and joy? How are you feeling about yourself now?
Then out of the corner of your eye you see the host himself coming over to speak just to you. He puts his hand on your shoulders and says, "Hey it's great you're here, it wouldn't have been the same without you." Suddenly it dawns, this is God touching you, welcoming you. The one almighty Creator of the Universe. Don't try to put your feelings in words, just feel what being part of this feast is like. Just before we drop this image check it out with Isaiah's words we heard earlier, "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. (Is 25:6f) A feast like this is a frequent Biblical image of salvation. This is what it's like to know you're a child of God. Words alone can't do it justice.
Finally we come to the wedding garment. God moves off to greet more of his friends, and you settle back to enjoy the food. A few seconds later there's a commotion on the next table. Someone's being thrown out. It seems he didn't fit in. And then you remember you're still in your dressing gown. You realise that since God moved off you've been wondering whether if you left early you could still make it to Bribie Island. You look around and discover godly people much more deserving than you - they'd never think of sneaking out. How's it feeling now? Then you look at the people on your table. What a down-and-out mob. There's Asians, a couple of Aboriginees, and one that looks very much like a homosexual. What's more, he's mouthing off, "You know, I've never set foot in a church. All my life I simply did what pleased me. Things only changed in the last week before I died of AIDS..." Think of your many respectable years of committed service to the church. Have your feelings changed? How?
But then you see the pure white robes. Everyone has one. Even those on your table. And then, you look down and with much relief, see that you also have one. It covers everything. Your inappropriate dress, your now dirty feet, your feelings of inadequacy, your weaknesses and sin, even your arrogant, uncharitable attitudes. What feelings arise in you as you again begin to relax in your pure white gown? This is what it's like to receive God's complete forgiveness! Listen to what Isaiah tells us: "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
This is what it's like to be in the presence of God himself and to know you belong. Not because you deserve to be there, not because you have the right, but because you have been completely forgiven. Because of your Lord's robe of forgiveness, there is no doubt, you belong.
Finally let me bring these images of Jesus' parable to a climax by adding the extraordinary message of the book of Revelation. It proclaims "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. (Rev 19:7). It's remarkable enough that we are a guest at the wedding of the Lamb of God, but look again at the bride? Focus on her face. The first glance sees the face of every believer, the bride is the church of course. But look more carefully. Gaze into the face until you see your own.
You've been freely invited to a feast, a marriage feast, you've been given the robe of Christ's forgiveness, and therefore know
you belong, but you're there not just as a guest, but guest of honour. It's your wedding. You're the bride. You're sitting on
the main table next to your Lord and Saviour. Can any words hope to explain what salvation means more than that wonderful image?
Let it be your image each day, and may it be refreshed for you whenever you accept your Lord's invitation to feast at his table.
© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller