A PRAYER TO START
The love of God invites “both the good and the bad” into the celebration of life now and forever. This is a feast in which we enjoy the lavish grace prepared by the King, even when often feel unworthy of such an invitation. In the moments of such feelings, may we confess with candidness our heart and receive with gratitude the welcome to stay and enjoy what is given in abundance. In this truth we pray with John Ballie…
I bless you, most holy Father, for your unfathomable love. Through that love you enable Spirit to meet with spirit, so that I, a week and wandering mortal, can have ready access to your heart, the heart of the One who moves the stars.
With bitterness and anguish of heart, I acknowledge before you the ugly and selfish thoughts that I so often allow to enter my mind and to influence my actions. I confess, O Father…
that often I let my mind wander down unworthy and forbidden ways;
that often I deceive myself as to where my first duty lives;
that often, by concealing my real motives, I pretend to be better than I am;
that often my honesty is only a matter of policy;
that often my affection for my friends is only a refined way of caring for myself;
that often my sparing of my adversary is due to nothing more than cowardice;
that often I do good deed only so that they may be seen by others,
and avoid evil ones only because I fear they may be found out.
O holy Father, let the fire of your love enter my heart and burn up this tangled mass of meanness and hypocrisy and make my heart like the heart of a little child.
Give me grace, O Father, to pray now, with a pure and sincere desire, for all those I have met today. Let me now remember my friends with love and my adversaries with forgiveness, entrusting them all, as I now entrust my own soul and body, to your protecting care; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
TAKING A LOOK AHEAD
On any journey, whether a hike in the mountains or a trek to the grocery store, it is important to be aware of your surroundings, to be present. It’s also important to know where you are going! To look up, and take a peek at what is ahead.
This coming week our journey continues through the thorny path of opposition to Jesus’ resurrecting kingdom. This series of pricking encounters meant to dissuade Jesus and those following him from continuing forward, only solidify both the wicked intent to bring him harm and the assurance that he knows exactly in what wisdom he walks.
Read Matthew 22:1-46. As you are reading take notice and note of the following:
Who are the characters in the story? Explicitly named and those assumed.
Where does the story take place? Physically, & how is it connected to what proceeds it?
What repeats? Words, characters, actions/events, sayings, descriptions, etc.
What surprised you?
What might have surprised the people Matthew was writing to?
What questions does the story raise so far?
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Chapter 21 concludes with a declaration from Jesus that had been entrusted to the religious leaders of Israel was now going to be taken from them and given to those whose lives bore the fruit of the kingdom (21:43). Just who were these newly entrusted with the “keys of the kingdom” (16:19)? The parable that Jesus tells at the start of chapter 22 gives us the answers.
In what ways is this parable similar and different than the parables in the previous chapter?
What are the various ways that the original invitees respond to the servants sent to proclaim that the celebration is finally arrived? Note, they were not “unworthy” (v. 8) of the invitation, but their response to the invitation was not of the same measure to which it was extended to them from the gracious, humble and generous king.
What happens to the original invitees who acted violently towards the king’s servants?
What episodes and/or incidents in Israel’s history is the first part of the parable meant to bring to our memories? Remember parables rarely reveal something totally new, rather they call to our attention something overlooked or something we have not taken seriously because we did not think it was important.
Who takes the place of the original invitees? Where do they come from? What kind of people are they?
It seems that the parable could end at verse 10. The point being made that the leaders of Israel had rejected the invitation to the marriage celebration, and now the invitation went out to all the a land indiscriminately. Indeed the good news of the kingdom goes forth to all, and with the hall “filled with guests” of the king, what else left is there to say? Well, Jesus apparently thought there was more to the story and continues into a scene that causes many of us to squirm. Commentator D. Patte (301) notes that the tension we feel moving from verse 10 to verse 11 is not uncommon in Matthew’s gospel story, rather,
“such tensions signal that at such places in the text Matthew conveys major points (convictions) that are surprising for the readers because they involve a view unknown to them—a view that Matthew strives to convey to them. In brief, the concluding verses, 22:11–14, should be considered an integral part of Matthew’s parable; they express its main point.” (emphasis added)
When the king sees someone without the proper wedding garment, how does he address that person? Why is that important?
What does the king’s question imply? Hint, everyone else was properly attired, whether they were given the attire by the king himself or made sure they responded to the unexpected invitation by wearing their best dress. Why then is this man different? Did he not care? Did he not want what the king offered? Did he think he could respond to the invitation however he wanted?
How does the person without the wedding garment respond to the king’s question? What does his response betray about his own intentions / motivations for not wearing appropriate attire?
In what way(s) is the under-dressed man similar to the original invitees?
The phrase, “In that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” is a scary phrase for most of us. During this evening celebration, the “unworthly” dressed man, the one whose response to the invitation did not reflect the graciousness, humility and generosity of the invitation, is thrown out of the hall into the darkness; among those who are bitter and angry that they are not a part of the festivities. The man was an insider, but is now with those like the first invitees, an outsider. I think Jesus has in mind here Psalm 112 which reads,
Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with the man who deals
generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away [or, ‘ends up speechless’];
the desire of the wicked will perish!
The one who fears the Lord is clothed in righteousness of the Father. A person who responds to the invitation of grace by living graciously; and those who would rather respond in another way, are angry and end up speechless. How will we respond?
How would you sum up the meaning of this parable?
A THOUGHT TO PONDER
“The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God’s love for us does not.”
(C.S. Lewis)