I am sure you have all been there; the mail arrives and in it you see a beautifully addressed card with an invitation to a cousin’s wedding. You hardly know the cousin, and it has been many years since you have spoken with them. The problem is the wedding is in the other side of the country and by the time you have paid for the flights, accommodation and a suitably generous wedding present – the cost just seems too great, so you decide not to go.
Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.” Matthew 22
Jesus tells this parable to the crowds at the temple shortly before his death. They wanted to be religious, they were in Jerusalem to worship at the great festival of Passover after all, however Jesus knew that they were not committed to his message. They did not really want to get close to God they just wanted to carry on their traditions and keep their place as the chosen people – the in-crowd.
Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.’ Matthew 22
Jesus said that in His Kingdom there is the most generous welcome for everyone. If we are to be His church, then we too must be committed to this generosity to everyone, and give of ourselves to make it happen.
Jesus challenges us to decide whether we are willing to pay the cost of this generosity and committed enough to go and do as he commands.
God bless, Stuart
Rev Stuart Huntley, Rector

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, `Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”