Matthew 22: 1-14
Oct. 15th is the
commemoration day of Spanish mystic and spiritual reformer Teresa of Avila. Teresa
was a Carmelite nun and teacher in the 1500s. Teresa was disgusted with the
laisse-faire attitude and complacency amongst other nuns in her order. Teresa
felt that the monastery sisters were lax in their rule of life. Time was spent being
tour guides for a growing number of visitors and listening to frivolous
concerns of the socially elite and those with political power. The grounds were
filled with ruckus conversation and busy energy; distractions. Teresa worked to
reform her monastic community and reconnect them to their original purpose. The
monastery was to be a place enclosed from the world, where prayer, meditation,
and devotion were unceasing. She taught obedience to Christ and a disciplined
rule of life. She was known for encouraging her sisters to identify with those
who are poor by not wearing shoes.
The end of today’s parable
is harsh (Mt. 22: 11-14). The king comes along to greet guests and notices a
man not wearing a wedding garment and asks, “Friend, how did you get in here
without a wedding robe?’ Shocked and rendered speechless, the man – one called
friend - is thrown out into the shadowy abyss.
Friend. A person one knows
and trusts. A mutual bond with a reciprocity of affection, personal regard,
care.
Friend. A person one is
comfortable with and likely to invite to Thanksgiving dinner, or as guest to a
wedding.
Friend. Names a relationship.
Friend in the parable
identifies that the king knows the person not wearing a wedding garment and the
person knows the king. They are more than acquaintances.
Jesus’ parable is the second
course following the unpalatable parable we heard last week. If you recall the
parable served up violence. The workers cooked up a plan to take over a vineyard.
They acted entitled, hungry with greed they were unwilling to share the harvest,
even with the owner.
The wedding banquet parable
is a dish seemingly served-up-cold.
The parable is bold,
provocative, and escalates an already simmering pot.
Jesus is openly inditing the
Pharisees and religious authorities.
The charges are
faithlessness, incompetence, complacency, non-existent stewardship, spiritual
unpreparedness
And contempt!
What had been a recipe for
kindom living on earth – the commandments for relationship with God, each
other, and all creatures – had been over-interpreted, under-practiced, and
hearts had turned away. People believed they could live relying only on
themself, controlling the rules, and enacting justice as they determine fit.
The parable describes godly-food left on their plates. People refused God’s invitation
and said ‘no’ to being the hosts of God’s abundant table. Being a host means
living in covenant and requires receiving and sharing mercy, inviting and
stewarding earth’s bounty, thanksgiving and thanks-living with one’s whole
heart.
The context of the hearers
of the parable is volatile. A discouraged Matthew writes about the upheaval in
the Jerusalem community: Jews, Christ followers, the Law abiding, the zealous,
false prophets, many teachers – the people are beyond civil conversation. There
are arguments and teachings, doubling-down on laws, judging others’
righteousness. People eat in their own cliques, their specific groups because
food and eating together is wrought with difficulty. There are barriers – clean
and unclean food and people - not eating together has shattered community.
Conflict is on the edge of
erupting, not just the squabbles of these groups of God believers, but from the
Roman Empire who is watching the growing volatility of the place. So, the
Empire burns the Temple in Jerusalem. This is 40 years after Jesus, but in the
time when Matthew wrote this gospel. Matthew and Matthew’s audience are at a
loss as the destruction of the Temple leaves no place for the Holy bread to go.
There is no place to take harvest offerings. The priests and their families are
no longer sustained by the people.
In such a muddle – the
people have lost their way – going about daily life in a clouded anxious
existence.
They have lost much and in
the chaos that ensues, miss the rot of an Empire that continues to pillage joy,
steal peace, rape abundant life.
The rot of Empire has soured
people, baked in fear, and sold the fast-food values of the day.
In response to Empire and
empire habits that have contaminated God-follower community, Jesus boldly proclaims
that God, remaining steadfast in love and mercy, lavishly sends invitations to
the wedding banquet. Jesus amplifies the invitation being made by repeating and
repeating it.
The parable -when it arrives
at the king speaking to the friend- is the plate of food that has turned
cold. The friend (the one who identifies
as friend of God or friend of Jesus) is found empty. Whole-hearted commitment,
if it was ever present, has been put on the shelf. The friend has not eaten of the
abundance of relationship or been fed by communion with others, with God; and
so is naked of God’s purpose, not dressed in joy, peace, or abundant life.
The magnitude of what is
being conveyed is shocking to those who believe they have a seat at the table.
Jesus’ audience - not unlike the ‘righteous’ of today - wanted
others to dress and act a certain way. There were requirements to belong and
participate in that which was deemed holy. Jesus turns the table back on those
who were smug with their seat at the table, condemning wedding garments branded
with righteousness, sequined with wealth and power, including badges of honour
and status, and the good-deeds cape to exemplify ‘look-at-me-I-am-better-than-you.’
These fancy clothes end up not being the wedding garment accepted at the wedding
– not the dress code for God’s banquet.
The parable does not
describe what the dress code is because listeners know the commandments, know
the covenant, know the words of the prophets. The bold parable is a turning of
the table, to signify a need to the listeners to turn the heart and will, to
focus once again on relationship and on invitation to live into the promise of
kindom – where joy, peace, and abundant life are present (not overcome by chaos
or traits of Empire).
At the beginning I
highlighted Teresa of Avila, who invited her sisters to identify with the poor
by not wearing shoes. Not wearing shoes - is this an example of the wedding
garment for God’s banquet?
When I preside at wedding
rehearsals and weddings, I wear many layers of garments. Every family is
different. Each comes with requests, demands, and expectations- not just those
of the wedding couple, but everyone who has been invited. Conflict and
negotiation are common. Self-centredness and spectacle are often in the
forefront. I wear garments of patience, grace, mercy, presence, gift,
relationship, and invitation.
Friends, before God, and
with a community are invited to God’s heart where partner love is a symbol for
a deeper love for all and in all. Physically families come in all sorts of
garments, some dressy, some not so much. They also come dressed in thankfulness,
love, and joy; others come dressed in forgiveness, civility, sorrow. The
invitation to all is to feast at the table, to experience all the feelings and receive
the gifts of the banquet – to be filled with abundance and then go out in
thankfulness, love, and joy and share the same.
The wedding garments I put
on for the celebration of weddings – are the same that I am called to wear
everyday. Patience, mercy, grace, presence. Thankfulness.
Barefoot Teresa prays:
May He be blessed for ever,
who has bestowed such great graces on one who has responded so ill to blessings
so great! -TofA “Life” chpt 29
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