Lenten Devotion – Day 25

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Today’s Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

“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.” (Matt. 22:9-10)

In Anne Lamott's book, Traveling Mercies, a chapter is entitled: "Why I Make Sam Go to Church." Her son Sam, then seven years old, is the only child among his group of friends who goes to church. Sometimes he doesn't want to go, but she doesn't let him get away with that. Here's why: "I make him go because I can. I outweigh him by nearly 75 pounds. But that is only part of it. The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world, which is to say a path and a little light to see by. Most of the people I know who have what I want - which is to say, purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy - are people with a deep sense of spirituality. They are people in community, who pray, or practice their faith - people banding together to work on themselves and for human rights. They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle; they are part of something beautiful." - Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith (Anchor, 1999), 100.

  A wedding feast was a popular way of describing the final arrival of God's kingdom, a day in the future when the long-awaited Messiah, the bridegroom would receive the honor rightfully due him and enjoy an extravagant feast of blessing and joy.

  The guests have been invited and all is ready, but, rather than be filled with honor and excitement for that day, rather than having "saved the date" in their calendars, they simply couldn't care less whether they attend. The bridegroom had appeared in the person of Jesus and rather than embrace him in anticipation of the party, God's people would eventually throw him on a cross. As a result, the feast, the kingdom, the new age of heaven on Earth, and the blessing from the bridegroom would be opened to everyone else. That's where we come in.

  There are several approaches to understanding this parable, but today we will concentrate on how it is that we have been extended an invitation to the kingdom banquet. How do we make the most of our invitation? So, what does that look like? We will look briefly at a few aspects of making the most of God's kingdom invitation toward us.

  First, this may sound painfully simple, but enjoy the fact that you've been chosen to receive an invitation. If the promises of God are true and the gifts we enjoy now, like forgiveness of every sin, a mission-for our lives, and the power of the Holy Spirit, are just a hint, a morsel of what we will enjoy when the real party arrives, then we should be the happiest people on the planet.

  Yet far too often, followers of Jesus Christ seem to have no joy, as though their invitation got lost in the mail. We get mad about silly, stupid things. We're distracted by the minor details which are not to our standards. We gripe, complain and worry about unnecessary things. When we should rejoice, that, regardless of what happens, you have still got an invitation to the party. So we need to lighten up.

  When invited to something so lavish, there's something in most of us that should feel honored and excited, even joyful that we get to take part. We need to get back in touch with the sense of awe we once had in knowing we are ordinary people picked for an extravagant affair. Perhaps that's what David was attempting to do when he wrote in Psalm 51: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation" (v. 12).

  Secondly, we should make the most of our kingdom invitation is by inviting others to join us at the party. Jesus' parable could not have been clearer. No matter who you are or where he can find you, God's desires the banquet hall packed wall to wall with people enjoying the party that's been arranged for the Son. Jesus says that the king's servants "went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests" (Matt. 22:10).

  A typical wedding invitation allows for what's called a "plus 1" that is, the invited and just one guest. But God's invitation is different. It's not you "plus 1." It's you "plus everybody." So who have you invited to the party? Who have you introduced to the kingdom? Start at home. Do your children worship with you? Will your spouse be sitting next to you? If not, why? When was the last time you asked someone to join you at worship and hear the invitation? So, start today and extend an invitation.

  Next, we should make the most out of the fact we have been given an invitation and be less concerned whether some guests belong there. We spend too much time in the church worrying about who's in and who's out rather than concentrating on extending invitations. We bicker over who worships the right way, who dresses appropriately, whose theology is tightest and whose life is cleanest. The end result is that such discussions end up either robbing us of the simple joy of being invited, weighing us down with largely unimportant concerns, or stopping us in our tracks from asking anyone else to join us.

  Who's stays at the party and who goes is a God thing. At the end of the parable the king enters the party and boots one guest for not having the proper attire. This guest's disdain for the king's dress code displayed a lack of appreciation for the party and love for the king. God alone determines who was in and out. God alone determines who's wearing the righteousness of Christ. Our main focus is to enjoy the fact we are one of the invited guests. Our responsibility is to extend invitations to both the good and the bad and allow God to sort out the rest.

  We have been invited and we should be grateful and thankful. Out of our gratitude we invite others, avoid the unfruitful arguments and unnecessary details. We should allow God to throw the party and we are simply looking forward to attending. After all, it's going to be one incredible party and we have been invited.

Today’s Lectionary Readings
Morning: Psalms 5; 147:1–11
Evening: Psalms 27; 51
Jeremiah 18:1–11
Romans 8:1–11
John 6:27–40