Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
The Collect.
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ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Certainly, God is full of goodness for He is all-in-all, and there is no imperfection or impurity in Him. Therefore, His goodness is bountiful! Every good and perfect gift comes down from God. (James 1:17) James does not say, ‘some, or ‘most’, but ALL good gifts! These gifts include life, joy, love, friends, family, church, and health. If it is GOOD, it is from GOD! The servant of God is both ready and cheerful in his approach to service. Those things commanded by Christ will certainly be accomplished by His elect if they are READY to proceed in joy and not dread.
The Epistle
Ephesians 5:15-21
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ee then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
In the Epistle, we are counseled to walk with care, not in careless abandon. We have heard it said that “God takes care of fools.” This may be true in many cases, but not those who deliberately and foolishly disregard His Words of caution. Rather than walk without direction, we are to concentrate on His Holy Will and waste not a single moment of opportunity to teach and exhort both believers and unbelievers in the way of God. Those worldly passions that divert our minds from the grave calling in Christ must be abandoned to the favor of those things which are lasting and eternal. Guided by the Holy Spirit of God, those things which we will love, the world shall surely hate. The world will thereby believe that we are drunk on a Spirit (not spirits) that they know not of, and care even less of. If we keep a song and hymn in our hearts, what joy shall feel our souls the whole day long! In my moments of despair, I have often begun to sing, almost absent-mindedly, some great old hymn of the Church and have been thereby transformed from sorrow to joy. God loves those who are thankful. When we bear gifts to those who waste them and are not grateful, I believe we will cease to offer gifts to such people. God will bless more and more if our hearts are thankful. Not only do we care for the favor of God, but also of those who are loved by God and belong to Him.
The Holy Gospel
Matt 22:1-14
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NDJesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
In the Prayer of Collect, the Epistle and the following Gospel, we have a clear call to reliance upon the bountiful blessings of God to grant us provision of both body and soul. Without that provision, we are naked and without sustenance. God is not the Maker of His Masterpiece of Creation – mankind – for the sake of living a life of spiritual or physical penury, but to receive all of the blessings our teeming cups can hold of His bountiful storehouse of blessings. To some, He gives not only spiritual, but great material blessings according to each our individual capacity to use to His glory and not that of self.
Jesus so often spoke in Parables so that those whose hearts are open and humble might understand; and so those whose hearts were arrogant, proud and hardened would not so understand. We understand as much truth as we are willing to digest. It was against the interests of the worldly interests of the rulers of the Jews to understand and, so, they blinded their own eyes to profound truth. The arrogance of the mind despises mystery. It must pry into every mystery and pretentiously invent its secrets. We stake out our gardens of theology and plant, respectively, our trees of Calvin, Arminius, or some other, while refusing to hear any contrary points from Scripture. We will accept only those parts of Scripture that will water our preferred trees. But Christ, in His parables, is a revealer of mystery to the open hearts of the faithful, and Concealer of Mystery to those who proudly assert THEIR own opinions to the detriment of faith.
The sermon text today is of a great man who was planning a grand wedding feast for His Son. He had gone to great expense and time-consuming preparation to insure that every detail was perfect. So, Jesus opens the Parable with the story of a marriage feast. Marriage is so important to Christ that He performed His first miracle at Cana of Galilee (which just happened to be a marriage feast.
From its inception as the first institution of God in the Garden at Eden, marriage has been sacred and Holy to God – and it must be to us as well. It is an earthly model for the Kingdom of God and the great marriage between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Let’s examine the nature, first of all, of this invitation:
1. It is extended to everyone, wide and far.
2. It will be rejected by the heartless and indifference.
3. Rejection provokes the justifiable ANGER of GOD! – Each of us exists either under His kind favor or His great anger. Under God's anger, or under God's love, we must be, whether we will or not. We cannot flee from His presence. We cannot go from His Spirit. If we are loving, and so rise up to heaven, God is there—in love. If we are cruel and wrathful, and so go down to hell, God is there also—in wrath. With the clean He will be clean; with the froward man He will be froward. On us, and us alone, it depends whether we shall live under God's anger or live under God's love.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, This certain king is God the Father. Do I need tell you who the son represents? None other than Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God.
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. The great prophets were these servants who called those who were bidden to come, but Israel would not hear them and did not come. They even stoned many of these prophet messengers, and others they sawed in half.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. The Great King leaves nothing to chance. He prepares ALL we need for our comfort and nourishment and joy. The sacrifice has been made for us – all we must do is come. He desires to honor us by allowing us to honor His Beloved Son.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: Here we see the dreadful preoccupation of the world, and even the church, with our own devices – money, trade and barter, etc. The service to God seems a light thing to them. We today are sorrowfully no different. We ‘do our duty’ in attending service once on Sunday, go back to our troughs and mud, and live as if God were not watching.
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. You will recall how wrongly they treated Samuel, Moses, Jeremiah and all the prophets. Even Abel was slain by his brother for living and teaching righteousness. The Apostles, most of whom died brutal deaths, were no less dishonored by those who knew no honor.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. If you have been living under the delusion that God will always show mercy and kindness, you are wrong. Christ Himself shall return to claim His own, and the remainder shall be put to the sword and cast into Hell without mercy! They will have sealed their own fate through the neglect of the things of God. If you have not loved God in this life, you cannot love Him in the next. The tares (unbelievers) shall be gathered by the Holy Angels and burned.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. Most of the Israel depended upon their pedigree as sons of Abraham; however, they did not rightfully belong to the Old Testament Church of Abraham who looked to the coming of Christ. These being rejected, God turns to all who will come. All who love Christ are adopted into that great Church and are Israel indeed. None are to go without invitation!
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. This is like the great dragnet of souls mentioned in Matthew 13:47-48. It drew every kind of fish, both good and bad, and the fisherman (angels) sat down and separated them. Or the fields of wheat and tares growing together picture this same truth.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Do we desire to be properly attired at this great and distinguished feast? If so, we must take on the White Robe of Righteousness which Christ offers to cover our rags and filth. The prodigal son received that Robe from His Father on his return from feeding the pigs in a far country. See also, Isaiah 4:1 – And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. These are the seven churches, I humbly believe, who wish to be nominal Christians only. They will eat their own bread and not the Bread of Heaven He offers, and will wear their own filthy rags of sin instead of His Robe of Righteousness. But they desire the dignity of being called, only, by His name.
For many are called, but few are chosen. Friend, it is quite possible that you have been called and invited, but never accepted the invitation. A gift may be offered, but it is not fully a gift until it has been received. Have you accepted, with serious heart and intent, the Redemption made available through the blood of Christ? Are you of that FEW who are both called and chosen; or have you left the forgotten invitation among all of the worldly papers that clutter your desk?
