28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 25:6-10; Philippians 4:12-14,19-20; Mathew 22:1-14

Many years ago I was reacting to this Parable of the Wedding Banquet as recorded in the Gospel of Mathew 22:1-14, and saying things like, “I guess this is a bad parable”, “I don’t like how it pictures God – as an angry, vengeful God”, “Does it really matter what we wear to a wedding banquet?”
As I grow into maturity I realised that I cannot underestimate the importance of parables even if I don’t understand them. Parables contain a substantial part of the recorded teaching of Jesus – at least about one third of his teachings. Many scholars have placed a high importance on them, and some even say that no part of the Gospel can better put us with the mind of Jesus than the parables themselves.

Many parables of Jesus refer to everyday things, such a woman baking bread, a man knocking on his neighbour’s door, a roadside mugging and so forth. Generally they are easy and straightforward but in truth, the parables are not simple lessons with a hidden meaning. More time than not Jesus’ teachings often feel more like a riddle and many times the disciples often missed the point.

What better example of a hard-to-understand parable than that in today’s Gospel of the Wedding Banquet. I believe the central message is – God’s radically inclusive and unconditional love is for all people. But if you isolate this parable like what many fundamentalists do, it is confusing. We might be left with a notion of an angry God! But alongside Jesus’ other teachings, its message becomes clearer. For example, if we place the central message of the Gospel alongside the Book of Isaiah 25:6-10. “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines…The Lord will wipe away the tears from every face..”, we will hear the same message that all are welcome at the table.

In Hebrew Scriptures the open table fellowship represents God’s love for all. The message is that everyone is invited to the table. You are invited. I am invited.

But sadly the prevailing metaphor for our culture today speaks of a different kind of table fellowship. I think it is safe to say that it is not an inclusive banquet at many levels of society. Money, power, gender imbalance and sexual orientation have entered first before people hence invitations are granted only to a selected few. At societal level there is a widening gap between the rich and the poor, male and female, black and white, leaders and followers, Christians and other faiths. But taken at individual level, this exclusive banquet mentally means that even within ourselves we are constantly measuring and judging, excluding and exiling.

Yet God keeps inviting everyone regardless of race, colour and creed to come to the party.

Now the only thing that will prevent people from attending to the party is not God, no, it is the people themselves. According to the parable they all have excuses. Richard Rohr writes, “It’s not the red-hot sins of passion that keep people from God. More often than not, it’s business as usual”.

It is indeed, the day-to-day excuses that keep us from attending God’s party. We tell ourselves we are not good enough. We work and work until we have no more energy to go to Church. We stay and appear busy so there is no time to sit quietly with God. And yet, the good Lord keeps sending us an invitation.

Finally, the most disturbing part is the part about the man who was cast out from the party because he was not wearing the right clothes. Great theologians from Saint Augustine to Calvin – have all given their interpretations to this part of the parable. However one thing is clear: Jesus is not talking about the literal clothes that the man is wearing. The garment, the wedding robe, what clothes you wear is about what is in your heart – the spirit that you bring to the table – compassion, love, acceptance, forgiveness, grace and a spirit of humility as guest.

Paul’s letter to Colossians 3:12, he says that we are to “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another…and forgive each other….Above all clothe yourself with love”.

As Catholics it matters what you “wear” to church on Sunday. Lucky blue jeans and an old t-shirt – it does not matter. If you are wearing a Vinnies dress – it does not matter. A worn out tennis shoe – it does not matter. What matters is how your heart and souls are clothed when you come to church. It matters what you wear to God’s holy banquet – the Mass.

So no more daily excuses, but when you come prepare yourself with much love and compassions for God and his people and then show up.