If you are hurting, anxious, scared, troubled, feeling besieged, downtrodden, or... all of the above…today’s scripture readings have something for you! Hear these comforting words:
The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. ... And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5b,7)
“Yeah, whatever.”
Ugh.
How is it that one, single, solitary word can seemingly rain on our parade, bring us down?! How many of you have heard people, perhaps your own children or grandchildren using this word to collapse any joy or superior feeling with one fell swoop!
When someone says “whatever” doesn’t it just get under your skin and don’t you just want scream? Doesn’t it trouble you that someone can take the abundance of life itself and bring gloom on stage with just one word?!
In today’s gospel we hear what happens to the people of the “whatever.” The story of the king holding the banquet in today’s gospel reading is an allegory. That means that it is full of symbolism and is not intended to be taken literally. Let’s review the basic story line.
Jesus tells a story of a king who wants to host a wedding banquet for his son. Now, you should know that Matthew has doctored this story up a bit and it was written after the fall of Jerusalem, after 70 AD. Matthew wrote it to show the Jews that they should have listened but they didn’t.
In those days, it was the custom to make a general announcement that one was going to hold a wedding banquet and that certain people were invited. Later, a reminder invitation would be issued by way of the servants going around and calling people in. You see, everyone lived fairly close in so this was possible.
In this story the king sends his slaves out to let the invitees know that the banquet was ready to be consumed. And do you know that these invitees said to the king?
"Yeah, whatever."
The king was incredibly patient and sent a second reminder invitation. This time, those rude invitees did damage to the messengers. As you can imagine, the king was mighty peeved. Refusing an invitation from the king, in those days, was tantamount to rebellion.
"Yeah, whatever."
So the king sent his army out to destroy the Whatever People and their city. Then, he told his servants to go out and invite everyone in sight, everyone who was left. It didn’t matter whether they were “good or bad.” Anyone and everyone was invited.
Now because this an allegory “according to Matthew,” we have come to realize that the king is God, the banquet is for his son Jesus--the bridegroom, and the original invited guests were the nation of Israel. They were the ones originally invited to the banquet, but they missed their chance.
The messengers who were killed were the prophets.
The king extending his invitation to everyone and anyone represents the gospel being available to gentiles now, not just the Jews.
But wait a minute, you say, what about that man who showed up without a wedding garment--the one over which the king lost his cool and was thrown out into the darkness? Wasn’t the king over reacting just because the man wasn’t wearing his wedding garment?
Some say that this person represents death himself. This guest arrives not wearing the robe of Christ, and as such stands out. His being thrown out into the darkness represents Christ vanquishing death.
Now what did that wedding robe represent in the first place? I think we can get a clue from the very last sentence of the reading: "For many are called, but few are chosen.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a little troubled by this often-quoted proclamation. Does this mean that God calls lots of people but that, after some sort of winnowing process, he only “chooses” a few?
Again, relying on biblical authorities who have studied these things, I’ve heard that the Greek word from which we have translated the word “chosen” can also mean “choosing.” Ah, this new knowledge helps make sense of this statement. For many are called, but few are choosing. Or to put it in the terms of the gospel story…many are invited, but few RSVP.
Indeed many were invited. In fact, the king eventually told his servants to “invite everyone that you find” both good and bad. And when they arrived they all donned a wedding garment--the robe of Christ. They chose to accept the invitation to the banquet and they donned their wedding garment as a sign of their choice.
Every moment of every day, God comes to us and invites us to that heavenly banquet. This is no ordinary banquet. This is a cholesterol, calorie-free feast; one we can indulge in without reservation. But somewhere along the line we make the choice to accept the invitation.
What happens when we accept the invitation?
We then choose to rejoice. We then know that the Lord is near. As I said last week, we just say KNOW. We do not worry about anything, but “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” we’ll let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, does guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
And, if I may paraphrase… Whatever I can do, I know that I can do all things through him who strengthens me because I choose to put on the wedding garment of Christ.
And the same Lord who banished death himself from the party is the same Lord who sets a table in the presence of those things that trouble me. Whatever life throws me, whatever life throws me, I will fear no evil!! In the midst of any kind of peril, a rod and a staff are comforting me.
This is my most valuable possession!! This represents the most valuable decision I have ever made--to follow Jesus. Through the life, death, and resurrection of my Savior, I know that God is there for me 100%, and then some! God is so good.
Earlier this week, I heard a colleague say that "every ending is a beginning with God." As soon as we give in to what we perceive as the impossible, then we are denying that God is opening a window where a door has been closed. You know? God never rests from that making-new fixation of his. God is such a show off!
With that in mind, listen again to what Paul had to say… “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Some may say “Yeah, whatever.” As for me, I say “whatever…yes, whatever!”
Let us be...the Whatever People!!
Amen.
Scriptural Texts: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4: 1-9; Matthew 22:1-14
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