God’s Great Fiesta for all

http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=mastthew+22%3A1-14

Tony Campolo, a Baptist minister came out with a book a couple of years ago called “The kingdom of God is a party” which raised a lot of eyebrows among those who think church and religion should be serious-all work, no fun, no joy just boring. Tony points out that the kingdom is not only a party but it is open for all especially for those on the streets and considered the least in society.

Tony tells one story of a trip to a corner bar and grill where a lonely woman named Agnes would come everyday and she was sad because tomorrow was her birthday and she had no family, no friends to celebrate it with. Tony got the bright idea to get everybody in the bar to throw her a big party and invite everyone. The next day the whole bar and grill was decorated with party favors and happy birthday signs plus there was a big birthday cake for Agnes. The whole place was filled with not only the patrons but the door was wide open to everybody walking through even prostitutes in the area to celebrate with Agnes. Agnes was so overcome with shock and surprise that she did not want to eat her cake but keep it to remind her of this great celebration in her honor. Tony ended the time with prayer, which shocked the bartender who asked you are a preacher in which he responds, yes the kind that celebrates birthdays in bars along with prostitutes.” The bartender replied “I would like to join that church but there is no such thing.” According to Jesus and today’s parable -Yes there Is!!! The kingdom is a party open for all even prostitutes.

In today’s gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a wedding feast! A big celebration! The Jewish people like other peoples of the ancient Near East were big on social feasting. There were feasts on birthdays, marriages, and funerals not unlike us Lutherans who have our German dinners and potlucks! We love to eat and celebrate like other cultures. The Latino/Hispanic/Mexican cultures love to fiesta and we do too. Here in San Antonio, we have a 10-day celebration featuring 100 events with music, food, and sports, dancing, with all the parades and pageantry. The kingdom of God is like a great fiesta!

In these Middle Eastern banquets there was always wine drinking and a huge meal. We heard the prophet Isaiah talk about a promised feast of rich foods, wines and where death and sorrow will be no more and when we partake of Holy Communion which is the bodily presence of Christ with the bread and wine- we are forgiven, strengthen because God is with us and Revelation tells us of a final victorious banquet with the lamb-There is an Hispanic creed taken from the Apostles that speak of the day of the great fiesta when Christ will come back and all cultures will live equally together in him

Meals in the Roman-Greco and middle-eastern era represent who can associate with whom in the larger society. They lived in an honor-shame society where the rich ate with the rich and the poor ate with the poor. We see this somewhat today but in Jesus day there was no middle class. Who you ate with determines who you are. In today’s narrative a king is arranging a banquet for his son. The king sent out an invitation from his servants to the expected guests (the religious-political-economic elites, royalty­). You would think that they would mark down the event on their calendar and be there at all costs! I mean this is the King’s invitation-this is very special but what happens? They insult the king. Snubbed him. They were too busy for the king. The king keeps inviting but they still refused and even mocked him and then others do harm and killed the King’s messengers.

Finally, the King does something that is totally against the culture. He invites everyone-those considered good and bad by going out to the streets and the highways to the poor, outcasts, riff-raffs-even prostitutes those considered least in society to come, to party, to fiesta! There are no strings attached when God calls you to the great fiesta-God’s kingdom. Everyone is called, invited but what’s this about being chosen and the guest without a wedding garment? Being kicked out for not wearing the right garment. Doesn’t sound very inclusive! I don’t see any grace in that.

So I grabbed a whole bunch of commentaries to try to find out why was this guest kicked out after arriving? This is what I got:

Saint Augustine says the wedding gown represents charity-Love (of course God’s love that only God can give-without it we are nothing)

Luther said it was faith-right faith is a gift of God trusting Christ alone for our salvation.

Other commentaries said good works well yes God creates faith in us so we can do good works but there is something more- baptismal robe- we are baptized into Christ-his life, death and resurrection.

In middle-eastern culture when you attend a big banquet. They are provided with a festive gown to put on. To refuse this gift would be an insult to the host.

This is not about putting on your Sunday’s best and only those in nice clothing are invited. All are invited even those who can’t afford the finest of clothes even those who are considered dirty and naked -hidden to society. They are given a gift of fine clothing to wear at the fiesta. A colorful poncho!

Ponchos are popular clothing worn by the poor and peoples of Mexico and Latin America and it is popular in the Southwestern parts of the United States as well.

God gives you the clothing like a poncho. How can you refuse such a gift? Do you think you were invited because you were a good religious holy person? Are you relying on your own filthy rags of righteousness or your own social standing in society? Or are you participating in the feast by wearing your baptismal poncho given to you by God?

Baptism is a gift to you! God has chosen you in Christ, God claims you as his child! When you are baptized as a baby you don’t bring nothing-you come helpless-even if you were baptized as an adult you don’t make God choose you-baptism is a promise, command a gift. We don’t come in our Sunday’s best but God gives us Christ. We are clothed with Christ and all his benefits. We remember our baptism by daily dying and rising with Christ. Yes all are invited to come but there is a catch-you are invited to come and die. Die to your own selfish ways and being Christ to our neighbors. We have received Christ and are to walk in him. Trusting in Christ alone. We are to put on Christ like a poncho that keeps us warm or from the effects of the storms. Don’t be caught without it!

You are invited to the great fiesta but don’t forget God has given you the poncho-

You don’t have to work for it, you don’t have to pay for it or bring your own. God gives it to you freely-it’s a gift for you. Now wear it and don’t forget it. Amen.