10102020a – Matthew 22. 1-14
When Jesus tells a story, expect surprises, expect the unexpected, expect things to be different than you might normally expect them to be.
Another good story…with some twists…and a few turns…
A King is throwing a wedding shindig, a bash, a blow-out-event-a-major-epic-function…for his son.
A good ruler, a huge event with plenty of chow. Let’s do it – it’s gonna be lit!
So, he puts out an invitation on social media and with snail mail! No responses! No RSVPs! No nothing. Not even one text-back.
The King then sends out his servants, to invite his guests…(in person) but no one shows. And the King is not amused! So, he sends out even more servants…Again, to no avail… (See, I told you there would be twists and turns!)
So, he sends out another “invite.” Again, the response is not great. Instead, it is a lame excuse time. Sorry, too busy. Gotta watch some paint dry! My Ant Farm is harvesting crops today. My cow is calving, I think.
Then, get this, they treat the servants shamelessly and “of them.”
When word gets back to “his highness” – and now, he is “beyond ticked.”
These times he sends his troops…and tells them “to do their thing,” so they invade the city, destroy the murders and burn almost everything to the ground.
What was supposed to be an EPIC PARTY and a WEDDING – turns out to be a day of death, destruction, and devastating ruins…
But the surprises keep coming…
Jesus’ audience at this point – are like totally intrigued, “tell us more, tell us more…they ALL clamor…”
So, the King forgetting about what went down before – says the feast is now ready for the umpteenth time, those “other guys” were OBVIOUSLY unworthy.
Go to what is left of the cross-roads and grab anyone you can find and get them down here stat. This is the fourth invitation and the third time he sends out his now-extremely-tired-and-weary servants. It is going to be a random gathering for sure. But fun, lots of food, top-shelf booze, and even vegetarian and gluten free entrees. Ya’ll come! It’sa par-tay!
“Trust me, this time, someone had better show up…the King ain’t messing around…”
And all of a sudden, every-able-body-person is now more than eager to high-tail-it to the feast!
Good folks, perverts, respectable folks, telemarketers, average joes and janes, felons, toddlers, people with jackets-an-inch-thick, teenagers, so-called-losers, Jake from State Farm, g-ma’s, abusers, tween-agers, shady folks, g-pa’s, and many that are inked and with 20 gauge piercings, young and old alike, even the walker and hearing aid crowd come rolling-in…
Finally, the King has exactly what he asked for: a party hall “filled to the rafters” with partiers. It is a capacity crowd! Extra tables are needed and more chairs and more table settings…don’t forget the cotton-starched-swan-like-napkins.
The place – it is a jumping…
The DJ is warming up the crowd playin’ some extra sweet tunes. The joint is jamming.
And if appearances are accurate, the people were having themselves a ball…as everyone was awaiting the big moment of the wedding.
Jack Daniels, Dewer’s, and shots of Doctors are flowing…fireball was a hot commodity…energy drinks were stacked-high like water…and the wine did not run out!
Everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time…
As told by Jesus, this parable is all about “worthiness” … these folks were all more than worthy. The previous ones, not so much.
“Worthiness (it turns out) has absolutely nothing to do with being good or bad. These guys are “all alright.” They are stellar. The rest of the story is going to drive home that point.
The viddles are being distributed, it is a sit-down affair, no food lines, no self-service, no lottery of table numbers…being called out.
And then, in a MAJOR DRAMATIC MOMENT: The King enters the hall. He oversees his smiling crowd of happy-revelers. That’s when his eyes spy a guy at table 93 way-in-the-back-not-wearing- wedding-clothes…
Curious, odd, strange, they were handed out at the front door to each person entering…so how did this guy get in? Good question? So, what about the wedding crasher?
The King makes his way through the crowd, dodging the wait-staff and bumping into more than few chairs with his butt, sorry, excuse me, coming through, behind you…until he stands right behind the guy with no wedding garment on…and says,
Dude, who let you in?
The guy hems and haws and gets all tongue-tied and all silent…because he knows his goose is cooked because he refused and rejected the KINGS gift….and snuck in anyway…
Jesus told this story to remind us all that we are ALL needy beggars, sinners all in need of redemption and salvation. There are no exceptions. And that included the holier-than-thou, religious authorities. They were no different.
Why would anyone refuse or reject the gifts of the king? They are given freely. Unconditionally given. Given for all. There is no sneaking in. So open yourself up, to his countless gifts today…and always say, “YES!”
Amen.