Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so 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 a wedding robe, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."
Waking up to this Parable today is not exactly the way I like to start by day. Good lord, is this king picky. Talk about a banquet with all kinds of drama! This is just like the fundraiser dinner that was planned and all kinds of people showed up or didn't bother because they would all rather be doing something else. In a way, that is what it sounds like. And then when someone finally shows up, because he is not dressed right, he gets thrown out. The king sounds like a real ass in some ways.
What I see here is not just about the King who is suppose to represent God, it is about the attitude of those invited. They want to make up their own rules. They want to do their own thing. They want to decide by what standards who should be at that party. I am jumping around a bit here, but the problem with the individual who got thrown out because he was not properly dressed is not really just about the King being picky. It is about recognizing the wonderful gift that has been given in just being invited. If we cannot get excited enough about being invited to this wonderful event, enough to properly prepare ourselves to celebrate what is happening, then perhaps we shouldn't be there. On the flip side, if we are going to accept the invitation and prepare and go in to the banquet ready to celebrate, share, give and receive we should also be looking to invite others to share in that celebration, because by rights no one is really entitled to be invited.
The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the Banquet that God has prepared. God gives us the bread and the wine, and then invites us to celebrate as they become the Body and Blood of Christ. Yet, part of the celebration of Holy Communion is that we become what we receive and in so doing, become the grace and mercy of God in the world around us. There really isn't anyone who has any more right being at the Table of the Lord than anyone else. Likewise there is no reason that any one person should be denied their place there, as it is God who has invited us there and we just accepted the invitation. Everyone comes to the Eucharist with imperfect lives. There are lives that come to the Eucharistic Table full of pain, hurt, brokenness and in need of God's healing. And no one really has any business saying that any particular person should not be there.
The Church has it's sad history of determining who should or should not be at God's Banquet to celebrate. In particular many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people have been told that they should not be at the Lord's Table. They are told that either it is because they are LGBT or because they are sexually active in a relationship with another person. If LGBT people are told that they should not be at the Table of God's Banquet, there are those who feel that they should not serve at God's Table as Priests, Bishops or Deacons. Over these past 30 years or more, the Episcopal Church has been discerning the Holy Spirit's call to allow LGBT individuals to be welcome to the Table of the Lord's Banquet as well as to serve God's people in ordained ministry. As a result not too few Anglicans and other Episcopalians feel that they should celebrate the Eucharist in another denomination or part of the Anglican Communion that does not welcome LGBT people at the Table or to serve. What in reality is going on?
This parable of the wedding banquet is not as much about the King as it is about those called to participate. It is an invitation to reflect on who we are and why we are at the celebration of the Lord's Supper. If we are there to decide who else should or should not be there, then perhaps we should ask ourselves why we are there. If we are expecting others to be who and what we think they should be in order to participate in receiving the Presence of God in the Eucharist, then perhaps we should think about our own reason for being there. No one person who is there to receive the Presence of God in Holy Communion is completely right with God. We all have our faults, problems, wounds and moments where our lives with God and/or others just doesn't make any sense. Yet, we are all there to receive God's loving gift of Jesus in the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion because we are all broken people, needing to be nourished and fed by the unconditional love of God. All of us who are there to take part in Holy Communion come as we are, not as others think we should be. Yet the only person who really has any say in whether we should be there or not, is God.
The individual who did not wear a wedding robe and was thrown out, was ejected because he had not prepared himself for the wonder and splendor of what he was participating in. God invites all who come to God in Holy Communion to come with their hearts open to God's wondrous love and healing presence. God invites all who's hearts are broken by discrimination and intolerance so that they too can be made part of the celebration of God's Banquet. The invitation to participate in God's Banquet is an inclusive invitation. Anyone who wants to come and celebrate is welcome. What God asks is that if we accept the invitation that we go as we are, but prepared to allow the wonder and awesome celebration to change our hearts and attitudes about God, ourselves and others who are celebrating with us. God has given us the invitation because God sees all that is wonderful about us and God wants us there to celebrate what God is doing. God wants us to bring what is so wonderful and beautiful to celebrate God's awesome grace by which God celebrates us as well as the joining of heaven and earth together in Holy Communion. God wants us to participate in the celebration, not be a kill joy. God has chosen the guest list, we are just asked to join with all of the other invited guests as part of the celebration. We should all be very happy to not only be invited, but that others have come to take part in God's Banquet.
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 8, Book of Common Prayer, Page 230).
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, Page 101).
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