The Banquet

" Jesus again spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He despatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time, he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: 'Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, one to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then, he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went into the streets and gathered all they found, good and bad alike, and the hall was filled with guests." -[Matthew 22: 1-14.]


There are many who argue forcefully that the Bible has no relevance today, for how we live or for how we think.

In this parable, Jesus draws a very definite line regarding how we are to see the kingdom of heaven.
In the kingdom of heaven, all are welcome, all are invited to partake.

Imagine this banquet parable, happening today:

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a lavish banquet for a wedding. The Host sends out engraved invitations to His guests, inviting them to the wedding reception for His son.

Many do come to the banquet.

But many others turn down the invitation. They are going away on business. They are working nights and weekends at their place of employment. The Host wonders, "I have prepared a bounteous table. Why are my guests too busy for me?"

The Host looks around and sees many empty seats at His banquet. He tells the banquet hall employees to go out and gather in some guests, any they can find. This feast is too laden with fine wines and gourmet foods, to waste.

An employee brings in a homeless man, who is weighted down with coats, scarves and capes. The guests look upon him with disdain. Some even move away from him, he is so filthy and poorly dressed. The Host says, "The shepherds who came to pay homage to the baby Jesus were nomadic and poor, and homeless like this guest. Why do you reject this man?"

Another employee brings in a man who has AIDS. The guests mutter that this man must have contracted AIDS, from something he had done wrong. Surely, this man was unclean. No one wanted to come near him, for fear of contagion. The Host says, "Jesus came near to the leper and touched him, and he was healed. Why does no one want to come near to this man?"

Then, an employee brings in an old man in a wheelchair. Everyone in the banquet hall looks away, as if embarrassed. The Host says, "Jesus cured the paralytic, without judging him or turning him away. Why do my guests judge this man?"

Next, an employee brings in an Asian man. This man is short of stature, beautifully dressed; and, as per the custom in the East, he brings gifts for the tables. The guests are critical that a stranger, from far way, would bring gifts, when the Host has already provided so much. What was this foreigner doing here? Was this Asian man superstitious, or something? The Host says, " The Magi came from the East to pay homage to the baby Jesus. Why do you denigrate this man's humble attempt to honor me?"

Finally, an employee brings in a poor, single mother. The guests react with horror, crying, 'Why do you bring THAT kind in here?' The Host says to them, " Mary was a poor, illiterate young girl. And yet I chose her to be filled with the Holy Spirit and bear a Son. How can you not love her?"

The Host turns out of the banquet hall all those who could not accept His other guests. The Host says, "Many are invited but few are chosen."

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My modern-day parable, here, brings together many of the stories in the Bible about how Jesus accepts and embraces the poor, the women, the lame, the leper, and those from far away lands.

How do we respond to the invitation to the banquet at our church at each Sunday service? Are we too busy with business? Do we ignore the call?

How do WE react, when we look around at the banquet of the Eucharist in our church?  Perhaps we see-- a man who is paralyzed; a poor or even homeless man;  a single mother ; or a person with a serious illness?

Are the unconventional guests at this banquet hard to accept? Are we squeamish or uncomfortable? Do we see someone to judge, ignore, avoid, disparage, or look down upon?

Or do we see all of God's guests, invited to His loving and bounteous banquet?

"Gather the people! Enter the feast! All are invited, the greatest and least. The banquet is ready, now to be shared. Join in the heavenly feast that God has prepared." -- Daniel Schutte, (c) 2005. All Rights Reserved.

(c) Spiritual Devotional 2014. All Rights Reserved.