Sunday 9 October 2011

The Triple Invitation


Bible: And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' 5 But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Matt 22:1-12

Reflection:  The wedding feast is a special feast. As Christians we belong to the invited lot for the wedding feast. Largely speaking, no other feast or celebration is planned so well and the ceremony so solemn and elaborate and the table so well spread. Ultimately, it is the table that appeals the most. How can one refuse such an offer?

There was a time when people were simple and they would find real nourishment at the Lord’s Table of the Word and Sacrament. Today we seem to find nourishment elsewhere beginning with our confidence and trust in ourselves and in our learning, in the holistic approaches to health care, in new age philosophies and ideas, in modern medicines and health care, in Palmistry and Astrology. They have taken God’s place and hence we make light of the invitation which may come to us again and again.  

Sometimes we are there but without the garment of submission and openness to God’s living and effective Word. The primary place we need to feed ourselves should be at the Lord’s banquet and in a manner worthy of our calling. This is our health and healing which can lead us to eternity.

Prayer:  Lord, I accept your invitation; help my poor vision to see it when it comes.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

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