MATTHEW 22:1-14
EVERYONE HAS HIS OWN IDEA
OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. MAYBE IT'S SITTING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS
TREE WITH A NICE GLASS OF WINE, WATCHING THE CHILDREN OPENING
PRESENTS. IT MIGHT BE SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY, WHEN
YOU HAVE NOTHING PRESSING AND CAN JUST ENJOY WHAT GOD IS OFFERING.
BUT MAYBE IT'S A NEW CAR THAT HAS NO DINGS ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN
TO THE SHOP; EVERYTHING WORKS BEAUTIFULLY. THE POINT IS THAT
EVERYONE HAS AN IDEA IN HIS OR HER HEAD ABOUT WHAT MY KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN WOULD BE LIKE. AND THE FIRST READING WE HEAR IS ONE OF THOSE
IDEAS, WRITTEN LONG BEFORE THE TIME OF JESUS, BY OLD ISAIAH THE
PROPHET.
WHEN JESUS CAME PREACHING
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, HE WAS NOT PREACHING IN A VACUUM. THE ROMANS
DREAMED OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY THROUGHOUT ALL THE EMPIRE ENFORCED BY
THE ROMAN ARMY, WHERE TRIBUTE WOULD BE CONSTANTLY FLOWING BACK TO THE
CITY OF ROME, WHERE NO ONE NEED WORK AND WHERE LUXURIES WOULD BE
THERE FOR EVERY CITIZEN. THE PHARISEES DREAMED OF A WORLD WHERE THE
LAW WAS OBEYED COMPLETELY AND TO THE LAST DETAIL, BECAUSE THEN,
ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, GOD WOULD MAKE HIS DWELLING WITH HIS
PEOPLE AND ALL WOULD BE WELL. AND WE CAN SEE VARIATIONS EVEN TODAY.
THE KINGDOM FOR THE BARBARIANS OF ISIS IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS A
MUSLIM AND SHARIA LAW GOVERNS EVERYTHING WE DO. AND IN OUR OWN
COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THE “AMERICAN WAY” AS THE
IDEAL TO WHICH ALL NATIONS SHOULD ASPIRE; A LAND OF FREEDOM, SELF
SUFFICIENCY, RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM, AND WHERE YOU WERE REWARDED FOR
BEING A GO-GETTER; BUT ALSO A LAND WHERE THE POOR AND WEAK WERE CARED
FOR A PROTECTED, BUT ALWAYS WITH THE IDEA OF GIVING THEM A HAND UP,
SO THAT THEY COULD MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE AMERICAN WAY.
WE HAVE BEEN HEARING
JESUS DESCRIBING THE KINGDOM. LAST WEEK HE TALKED ABOUT A VINEYARD
OWNER AND HIS TENANTS. HE'S TOLD STORIES ABOUT LOST SHEEP AND PEARLS
OF GREAT PRICE. AND TODAY HE TELLS US ABOUT A GREAT WEDDING FEAST.
IN OUR FAMILY WE'VE HAD
FOUR WEDDINGS. THEY WERE ALL WONDERFUL. THE YOUNG COUPLES WOULD
MAKE OUT THE GUEST LIST WITH GREAT CARE. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO MISS
ANYBODY OR HURT ANYONE'S FEELINGS. AND THEY WOULD SEND OUT
INVITATIONS, WITH STAMPED RSVP CARDS SEVERAL MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
SOMETIMES THEY'D GET A CONGRATULATORY NOTE ALONG WITH A GOOD EXCUSE –
I'M GOING TO BE IN EUROPE THAT DAY, OR I WILL BE RECOVERING FROM
MAJOR SURGERY. UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE ALWAYS A FEW PEOPLE WHO DID
NOT REPLY TO THE INVITATION AT ALL. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY WHO TORE
THE INVITATION INTO SMALL PIECES AND MAILED IT BACK. WHEN YOU GET
INVITED TO A WEDDING, YOU NEED A PRETTY GOOD EXCUSE NOT TO GO, AND
IT'S ONLY GOOD MANNERS TO AT LEAST REPLY.
THAT'S WHY THIS PARABLE
IS SO SHOCKING. THIS WASN'T JUST ANY WEDDING, THIS WAS THE WEDDING
OF THE KING'S SON! AND THE INVITED GUESTS DIDN'T JUST SEND RSVP'S;
SOME IGNORED THE INVITATION ALTOGETHER AND WENT ABOUT PURSUING THEIR
OWN IDEA OF THE KINGDOM. AND OTHERS BEAT UP THE PEOPLE DELIVERING
THEM.
WE AREN'T SO DIFFERENT.
WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED WE WERE INVITED TO THAT GREAT WEDDING FEAST
WHICH WILL GO ON FOREVER BUT WHICH BEGINS HERE AND NOW. WE KNOW THAT
MANY OF OUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS HAVE IGNORED THE INVITATION; WE KNOW
OF OTHERS WHO HAVE ACTIVELY REJECTED THE CHURCH AND NOW CHOOSE TO
WORSHIP WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES, SO MUCH POORER BECAUSE CHRIST IS NOT
PRESENT THERE, BODY AND BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY, AS HE IS IN OUR
CHURCH; THEY ARE ALL PURSUING THEIR OWN IDEA OF THE KINGDOM, NOT THAT
OF JESUS.
JESUS' PARABLES ARE
ALWAYS ABOUT YOU AND I. WE ARE INVITED TO BECOME DISCIPLES.
BECOMING A DISCIPLE IS NOT JUST BEING BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED, COMING
TO CHURCH AND RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST, EVEN ON A DAILY BASIS. BEING
A DISCIPLE IS TAKING ON AS OUR OWN JESUS' IDEA OF THE KINGDOM, AND
GETTING RID OF OUR OWN IDEA. IT TAKES WORK; IT IS THE ACTIVE PROCESS
OF LEARNING FROM JESUS, MAKING OUR LIVES OVER SO THAT JESUS LIVES IN
US, SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE SEE US, THEY SEE JESUS. BEING A DISCIPLE
MEANS THAT WE PUT ASIDE OUR OWN WILL WHEN IT CONFLICTS WITH GOD'S
WILL; AND THAT IS A PAINFUL PROCESS. IF WE ARE NOT FEELING AT LEAST
A LITTLE PAIN AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH LIFE, IF WE HAVEN'T REALLY FELT
ANY CONFLICT AS WE TRY TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS, THEN WE ARE
PROBABLY NOT TRYING, WE ARE IGNORING OR REJECTING THE INVITATION.
AND THERE IS THAT MAN,
THE ONE WHO HAS NO WEDDING GARMENT. IN THOSE DAYS WHEN SOMEONE WAS
VERY RICH AND GAVE A PARTY, IT WAS THE CUSTOM TO GIVE THE GUESTS
CLOTHING TO WEAR – AT A KING'S BANQUET, A WHILE GARMENT WOULD BE
OFFERED. OUR CHURCH CONTINUES TO GIVE WHITE GARMENTS TO THE NEWLY
BAPTIZED, PRECISELY TO SYMBOLIZE THE INVITATION THEY RECEIVE TO THE
BANQUET BEING OFFERED BY OUR FATHER. WHEN WE CELEBRATE LITURGY, WE
WEAR WHITE GARMENTS AS WELL, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE SPECIAL, BUT BECAUSE
WE SYMBOLICALLY PUT ON CHRIST, WHO IS THE PRINCIPLE CELEBRANT OF ALL
THE SACRAMENTS.
BUT A MAN SHOWS UP
WITHOUT A GARMENT. HE WANTS TO ATTEND THE WEDDING FEAST, BUT ONLY ON
HIS OWN TERMS. BUT THAT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL; THE KING, WHO SEEMS
NOTORIOUSLY SHORT TEMPERED, HAS HIM BOUND AND THROWN OUT. THE MAN
WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST CAFETERIA CATHOLIC.
BEING A DISCIPLE MEANS MAKING OURSELVES OVER, NOT CHOOSING SOME
PARTS OF OUR FAITH WHILE REJECTING OTHERS. AND WHY IS THIS SO
IMPORTANT? JESUS IS THE ONE WHO ROSE FROM THE DEAD, JESUS IS THE ONE
WHO SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. WE ARE GIVEN EVERYTHING WE
NEED TO BECOME ONE WITH JESUS, WE ARE GIVEN THE WHITE GARMENT IN THE
GRACES WE RECEIVE WITH THE SACRAMENTS. BUT GRACES NEED TO BE
ACTUALIZED, WE NEED TO COOPERATE WITH THE GRACES TO BECOME OTHER
CHRISTS, WE NEED TO PUT ON THE WHITE GARMENT OF DISCIPLESHIP.
SOMEONE ESTIMATED THAT IN
ANY CATHOLIC PARISH, ABOUT 5% ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO BE DISCIPLES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE REST AREN'T GOOD PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOD; BUT MOST
OF US, I THINK, ARE STILL TRYING TO PURSUE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON
OUR OWN TERMS; WE WANT THE BANQUET BUT WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ON
CHRIST. TODAY IS A GOOD TIME TO REFLECT ON WHETHER WE ARE BECOMING
DISCIPLES AND IF NOT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT.
