Pastor's Letter 20201011 - 11 October 2020 - The Banquet is Ready

[Father Michael]

October 11^th, 2020

28^th Sunday, Ordinary Time

Today’s Theme:  “The Banquet is Ready”

A Message from Father ^†Michael

Scripture Note

 

In our First Reading, the image of a banquet describes the blessings God wishes to bestow, not only on Israel, but on all peoples of the earth (Isaiah 25:6-10.) 

Meanwhile, from prison, ^†Paul thanks the Philippians for their support, but says his real strength comes from the Lord, in our Second Reading (Philippians 4:12-20.) 

Then we hear in our Gospel passage how Isaiah’s promise is fulfilled in Jesus: Through him all God’s people are invited to the banquet feast of the Kingdom (Matthew 22:1-14.) In its original, simpler form, the parable made the point that those to whom the invitation was first sent (the Jews) rejected it, and their place has been taken by others (Gentiles.)  The details about sending troops and burning of the city were added later. 

The incident concerning the wedding garment also seems to have belonged to a separate parable.  It introduces contradictory elements into the story.  However, as it is presented in modern translations of the New Testament, we must keep the following in mind: The man who came to the feast without a “wedding garment” symbolizes a life that has undergone a fundamental change—and has not produced the fruits of repentance; the guests (Christians) will suffer the same fate as Israel if they don’t produce fruits of good works.

The Privilege of the Kingdom Banquet

Most readers would be rightly mystified by the behavior of the characters in today’s Gospel story.  To recap:  An initial invitation to attend a feast in honor of the king’s son is met with rejection.  That’s  odd, because nobody turns down a royal summons—but not  deeply troubling.  A second invitation “sweetens the deal with descriptions of the elaborate preparations—“It’s going to be delicious!”  Who wouldn’t want to come to such a party?  But those invited are apparently unimpressed, and return to their usual activities.  Again, this is unusual behavior—but it’s the kind of "strangeness" we have learned to expect from some parables.  But then things go “completely off the rails” as we watch in horror as the servants sent by the king to announce the party are seized, abused and murdered!  One wonders:  “How did the stakes suddenly get so high?”  And the weirdness and violence are just beginning:  In retaliation, the king goes to war against his own people.  Enraged by their actions, he unleashes an army.  Before we know it, the murderers themselves are murdered, and a city (presumably the king’s own city) is a “pile of smoldering ash.”

At this point, we learn that the dinner is “still on!” (Apparently, this occurred on the heels of soldiers pillaging and slashing--with great flames devouring the buildings outside the palace walls.  By any modern understanding of events, this isn’t a realistic story.  In fact, it is disturbing—perhaps even inflammatory.  But we might gain some perspective by examining the ways it strains credulity.

With the stakes of realism “lowered a bit,” possibly we can begin to answer some questions.  First: “Why is the narrative such a tortured tale?  Answer: Because it is offered by the writer of Matthew as an “allegory of salvation history.”  At the end of the first century, we learn that Matthew’s community was in conflict with local synagogues, and this story is a tool for thinking about the meaning of that conflict.  (This shouldn’t be interpreted as merely “Christians vs Jews”—that will come later—but as an internal conflict within Judaism.)  Matthew and his community understood themselves to be faithful Jews, who had responded to God’s summons to the Kingdom Banquet, offered in honor of God’s Messiah, Jesus. 

But others inexplicably rejected the invitation, ignoring and/or persecuting both the Old Testament prophets, as well as the new missionaries of the Good News.  (In Matthew’s world, a burning city would have called to mind Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of the Romans, ca. 70 A.D., interpreted here as God’s judgment on those who rejected the “new covenant” God was offering them through Jesus--and having occurred in recent memory.)

An unexpected invitation to commoners on the main streets could be understood to represent the surprising and more frequent ways an invitation to God’s Kingdom Banquet was extended to and embraced by those once considered outsiders--essentially, all other people.  But before we decide this is just Matthew working out some “rhetorical violence” against opponents, in order to assure disciples they were on the “right side of Salvation History,” we should read the story to its conclusion. 

With the party “in full swing,” the king enters the banquet hall and moves among the guests.  To his dismay, he finds one of them is not dressed “properly.”  “Friend,” he says, sarcastically, “how did you come to the feast without a wedding garment?”  Receiving no satisfactory answer, he commands the poor guy to be bound and thrown into the “outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

Here, our credulity is strained to breaking.  Of course, the fellow is not dressed appropriately—he was pulled in off the street at the last minute!  Here again, allegory, not realism is calling the shots.  Matthew warns his community against self-satisfaction.  This king is no “pushover,” and if guests are beneficiaries of an unexpectedly generous invitation, they must be on guard against the complacency shown by the first invitees.

Today, we understand the message to be that the doors of the Kingdom Community have been thrown “wide open,” and the invitation extends, literally, to everyone!  But once we come in, we can’t go on acting like we are not at an extraordinary affair.  But even if "appropriate clothing" is a metaphor for the need to exhibit acceptable behavior, the parable may be saying more:  Maybe Matthew intended this as a stern warning for disciples to live up to the rigorous standards of higher righteousness (see Matthew 5: 20; 48.) 

Within the context of first century decorum, the story, as told, does not highlight the poorly-attired guest as much as that he does not take his good fortune in attending seriously enough.  The Kingdom of Heaven is, after all, a Banquet, and we are expected to observe certain standards.   Believers who have an invitation to the Feast, and come without submission to expectations, similarly decline and spurn the invitation, in the same way as did all those who were unwilling to obey and appear in the first place.

In the final analysis, those who are well-fed have no need of a banquet.  One who is materially secure may experience no need of God or spiritual things.  It seems that it has always been the poor who are likely to rich in faith.  Everything comes as a blessing to them.  As Jesus said: “Woe to you who are full now, for you will go hungry.  But blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled” (Luke 6:25.)  A sense of “something missing” in our lives can be a blessing.  Spiritual hunger and thirst are God’s ways of inviting us to His Kingdom Banquet.  There we will find an intimacy with God, and experience a more authentic personal life.  But it also is a call to community with others, wherein we are challenged to abandon isolationism, exclusivism and self-sufficiency, and learn to share, associate, and collaborate with others.  Then, at death, it becomes our call to eternal life.  Just as parents want the best for their children so God wants the best for us, His children. 

Our Response to “Invitations”

A brief look at our lives could be illustrative of how we might respond (or not) to the many "invitations" we receive:

• There is that letter I know I should write to a friend in need, but just how I’m not in the mood….

• There is that sick person I know I should visit, but right now my favorite program is on TV….

• I know I should make an effort to attend Sunday Mass (or worship service,) but something always gets in the way….

• I know I should be more charitable, but I just can’t summon the will to make the effort….

• I know dishonesty is wrong, but I tell myself, “Everybody else is doing ‘it,’ and what I do is minor in comparison to them…..”

• I know I don’t do my job as well as I am able, but should I “break my back” when others aren’t pulling their weight?

• I know I drink too much, but I’m under a lot of pressure these days...

• I know I should spend more time with my family, but I right now need to concentrate on work….

Each of us could compose a list of similar “invitations” received in our lives, urging us to become more authentic Christians.  Like the guests who refused to attend the Kingdom Banquet in today’s Gospel, we all have good excuses why we can't "right now."  The greatest threat, however, in our hectic lives, may not be that we will abandon God and turn to evil, but that we might ignore His invitations, or perhaps worse, we not recognize them.  Also, we must see that our excuses are part of a pattern of behavior, not simply isolated instances.  Let us direct our prayerful meditation to the Holy Spirit, asking for help to avoid the sin of “indifference.” 

May God Richly Bless You!

“Many are called, but few are chosen.” 

There are sayings of Christ that suggest the Church He came to establish will always be a ‘minority affair.’  ~Edward Norman, historian~~

You may view a live stream of The Liturgy of the Word for today, by clicking here:  

Come, Share, Rejoice!.docx

Come, Share, Rejoice.mp3

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Father Michael