"Invited To The Wedding, RSVP"

(Matthew 22:1-14)

Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again 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.' 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13Then 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.' 14For many are called, but few are chosen."

INTRODUCTION:

Did you all hear about the preacher who was asked to attend the 5th and 6th grade Sunday School class to talk about marriage? He started off by asking if any of the young people knew what Jesus had to say about marriage. You could tell they were all wracking their brains but couldn't think of anything. Until, finally, one little boy raised his hand and said: "Is that when Jesus said: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."?

Almost every preacher I know has a love/hate relationship with weddings. Weddings can be the most joyous time on earth but they can also be a royal pain. Part of the reason is that while it is one of the happiest days of a couple's life, it's also one of the most stressful times they will ever experience.

I'll never forget my first wedding. It was in my very first church, a young couple by the name of Barney and Sylvia. Actually, they weren't younger than Mary and I. Now let tell you a little bit about this Church before I tell you about the wedding. It was a little bitty country church. The whole church building, could have fit in this Sanctuary. The membership was around 60 but they had average and attendance of about 35. Usually about half of those in attendance were children because these folks took it upon themselves to pick up all the neighbor kids and bring them to Sunday School and worship.

There were two Sunday School rooms behind the Sanctuary and a little extension off of one side. There was no indoor plumbing but they had two of the nicest outhouses I have ever seen. And they didn't have central heat and air. Instead they had a central floor furnace in a small furnace room under the church. The three foot square grate was right at the end of the center aisle.

The wedding took place on a Friday night in October. It was cold that afternoon, so as soon as I got to the church, I turned on the furnace to warm up the place. Nobody told me that I should have turned it off right before the wedding.

Barney and Sylvia and all the families and friends showed up. The place was packed. Barney and I and the best man walked in and stood at the end of the aisle, right over the grate. The door of the church opened and in came the bridesmaid and then Sylvia.

The door stayed open as a number of latecomers slipped in while Dad walked Sylvia down the aisle. That cool air swept across the thermostat, which of course, did it's job. I heard the furnace light but I didn't think anything about it.

We were all in our places, Dad had just given the Bride away and gone to sit down when the blower on the furnace kicked in. Nobody thought anything about it until Sylvia's dress started to expand. It expanded and contracted tow or three times like some living thing. By this time people were giggling. Finally, it expanded until she looked like she was wearing a hoop skirt.

Sylvia's eyes were as big as saucers. And then it happened. With an almost audible "whoosh" her dress and slip turned inside out like an umbrella in a storm. Part of the crowd gasped, part of them burst out laughing. Sylvia and Barney were bright red with embarrassment and Sylvia was crying.

Barney got Sylvia a glass of cold water and I got them both calmed down. AND we got the furnace turned off. After about five or ten minutes, the wedding continued. However, when we came to the exchange of rings, things went from bad to worse. You see, by this time, Barney was a nervous wreck. He was shaking so bad, that when he tried to put the ring on Sylvia's finger, he dropped the ring. It hit the grate, bounced and hit it again and then made a loud clunk as it landed on top of the furnace.

The same poeple who gasped the first time gasped again. The ones who had laughed, laughed again. Slyvia cried again. Barney nearly fainted. We finally got them both settled down. A couple of the men had tried to retrieve the ring but the furnace was still too hot. So we continued the service without it. This time, though, when we moved back to finish the ceremony, I made sure no one was standing on the grate. I pronounced them man and wife.

We eventually got the ring and went to the wedding reception. It turned into a real party as everybody talked and laughed about the mishaps, even Barney and Sylvia. The very next Sunday, someone brought a four foot square rug and donated it to the church. It had one purpose, to cover the furnace grate at weddings.

Barney and Sylvia are still married and they love to tell the story of their wedding. It is one of the most unique weddings I've ever been involved in.

Weddings are joyous times. That's why Jesus used the imagery of a wedding so often in his teachings and in his parables. Like the one we read today.

I. DISCORD IN THE MIDST OF JOY:

A. The wedding in today's parable wasn't filled with joy and laughter, though. Instead there was Discord In The Midst Of Joy. The King sent out his servants with the good news of his son's wedding day and invited all the best people, all of his friends and associates to share the joy of the day. But they refused. He sent out more servants to describe all the delectable goodies of the feast and to let his friends and associates know that he had spared no expense. and they would be missing the party of the century.

But all they had was disdain for the invitation. Some of them made excuses, too much work to do, too many irons in the fire. But they all made light of it, they poked fun at the wedding.

But not everyone was so kind. A few of the King's allies not only made fun of the wedding and refused to attend but they mistreat and killed the servants of the King. Talk about putting a damper on the festive spirit. The King got so angry that he sent his troops to avenge the murders and destroy the cities.

It's pretty plain that this parable was aimed at the Sadduccees and Pharisees and other religious leaders of the day. It was an allegory dealing with Israel's treatment of God's prophets. They had ignored God's invitation, even though they were God's chosen people. They had refused follow, they had even killed the prophets.

And now they were refusing the Son's invitation. When the truth was that all God and the Son really wanted was for them to share in God's joy by coming to the party. All they needed to do was send in their RSVP.

RSVP is an abbreviation for the French phrase, "Respondez s'il vous plait," which simply means Respond If You Please. Or Please let us know if you're coming or not.

B. The folks in the parable refused to send their RSVP and they refused to attend. They even made fun of the event. They blew it off. You know how the King felt, don't you? We've all had that happen to us? We work like dogs on something. It might be a party. It might be a Sunday School lesson. It might be a program for a group in the church. We get everything ready. We do our best. We've worked hard and we're excited about what we're going to do.

The big day comes. You planned for twenty and five show up. You planned for thirty and you get ten. You feel like Sylvia did when her wedding dress blew up over her head. You want to cry. It makes you angry and frustrated and depressed. You know how the King in this parable felt.

And if you know how the King in this parable felt, then in some small way, you know how God feels whenever one of us refuses the Good News. Or whenever we turn our back on our faith or don't act the way we say we believe we should act. Or we shrug our shoulders and say, "Ah, no big deal!"

If you know how the king felt, then you feel the Discord In The Midst Of Joy.

II. THE PARTY GOES ON:

A. But there is Good News. Despite the inconsiderate response of the King's friends and allies. The Party went on without them. you see, that's a truth of the faith and a truth of life. Whether we or anyone else accepts the invitation and sends in the RSVP, The Party Goes On.

We know that's true of life. It is isn't it? No matter how bad things are in our lives, the party of life and faith still goes on. From our point of view, down there in the pits, down there drowning in our own sea of sorrow and self pity, it seems cruel. Why should the party go on? Why should world go on when I'm feeling like this? the fact that life goes on and that the party continues without us sometimes makes us angry and more depressed.

But in reality it's Good News. It's great news. It means there is hope beyond our sorrow. It means there is life beyond our grief. It means there is healing beyond our pain. It means we can be lifted out of the sea of self pity. It means that life is much more than the sum of all of our heartaches and troubles.

B. It also means that the invitation is an open invitation. The Allies and Associates refused to attend. Not showing up and murdering the servants was their RSVP, their response. But you see, one of the important things that happened in this parable is that when they refused, the King realized they weren't worthy. But at the same time, the King was determined to have a celebration anyway. So, he sent the servants out into the streets and invited everyone else. Both the good AND the bad. No one was left out. The invitation went to all.

That's where you and I come in. That's where our party begins. The invitation has been sent to us as well, and that's Good News. You see, most of us would never have been on the King's Advisory Board or called friend or even been considered an Ally. We were simply those folks in the street, both good and bad. And despite the King's disappointment at the rejection by his friends and allies, The Party Goes On.

The invitation has changed. The Good News is for us, too. Have you ever heard the story of Clarence Jordan and the Koinonia farm in south Georgia. Jordan invited anyone who wanted to work to the farm. it didn't make any difference what race you were or what background you were leaving behind. This was a farm where none of that mattered. Before long, he was voted out of his home church where he had been a teacher, a tither, and an occasional preacher. The ironic part of the story is that Clarence Jordan went on to become one of the Church's first great heroes of the civil rights movement. Not only that but a young co-worker by the name of Millard Fuller began a Christian organization that has become world renown for their work in lost cost housing. It's called Habitat for Humanity. Meanwhile, very few people ever hear about let alone remember the name of that church.

In spite of rejection, in spite of misunderstanding, in spite of some peoples' lackadaisical attitudes towards the invitation, The Party Goes On. God's party continues to change lives and that it very good news for everyone who needs a second or third or a tenth chance in life and faith.

III. DISCORD AT THE END:

A. But even though there was Good News and the Party went on. There was still Discord At The End.

I'll be honest, at first look, this a very confusing part of the parable. The Party is going on. The King is pleased that the place is packed. And then all of a sudden he notices one guy who apparently looks like he's worn a clown outfit to a black tie affair. The King walks over to this guy and says, "Hey, Buddy! You're wearing the wrong kind of tuxedo. How did you get in here?"

The poor guy is speechless, he can't even think of a poor excuse before he is bound hand and foot and thrown into the outer darkness. What is that supposed to mean? Is Jesus being cruel? Is God being deceitful? Was God making an open invitation only to revoke at the last minute? What's the deal?

Well, I've heard people try and use this passage as the reason they wear their ties and formal dresses to Church. They've quoted this passage to prove to youth that they aren't supposed to wear jeans or shorts to church. But their missing the point. This passage has nothing to do with the physical garments of life.

This has everything to do with the inner garment, the garment of forgiveness and grace, the garment we are clothed in at our baptism.

B. Let me explain. Accepting an invitation means accepting the terms of the invitation. In the case of the parable it was dressing in appropriate wedding attire. William Barclay suggests that most of the hosts provided this attire. All the guests had to do was put it on. In accepting this invitation, this guy figured what he had on was good enough, to heck with what the host, the King wanted or provided for the occasion. That's what got him in trouble. And, so often, isn't that the case with us?

Have any of you ever been to the Trail Dust Steak House? Have you ever taken someone and not told them about the tie rule? You see, if you wear a tie to the Trail Dust Steak House, they're going to cut it off. The walls are plastered with ties that have been cut off of people. Accepting an invitation means accepting the terms of the invitation.

Let's put that in everyday sort of terms. In the United Methodist Church we believe in one baptism and one baptism only. We don't care how it's done, whether it's by sprinkling, pouring or immersion. It doesn't matter. And to carry that through this passage, it doesn't matter how much water is used, or how many times you've been dunked, splattered or sprayed. What matters is if it got through to your heart. You can get wet from head to foot and be physically baptized a thousand times. But if you're not baptized from the inside out; if your heart stays the same, no amount of water will save you. It's not the outer garment of baptism, the water, it is the inner garment of grace that fills the heart that makes the difference.

There was this one man in a particular church who wasn't very deep in his commitment to Christ but who loved to go forward when an invitation was given. Every Sunday, the preacher gave an invitation and every Sunday this guy would go forward, kneel at the altar, spread out his arms and pray loud enough for everyone in the church to hear, "Fill me, Lord Jesus, fill me."

Everybody knew what to expect at the end of every service. One day this church had a Revival and on the first night of the Revival the preacher gave a heartfelt invitation. Well, you can guess who was the first one down. He fell at the altar and prayed, "Fill me, Lord Jesus, fill me." But that night, from the back of the church a voice piped up and said, "Don't do it, Lord. He leaks!"

Accepting an invitation means accepting the terms of the invitation. In spite of the discord at the beginning, we've been invited to the party. We're invited and called to put on the wedding garments of God. The inner garment of grace that fills the heart and makes the difference.

CONCLUSION:

A husband and wife were talking about an upcoming wedding and the wife said: "It's going to one of those dollar and sense kind of weddings." The husband asked, "What do you mean by that?" And she replied, "Oh, you know. He doesn't have a dollar, and she doesn't have any sense."

Sometimes it seems like life, and faith and at times even the Gospel doesn't make much sense, especially when we read passages like this. Actually, I think it's all about how WE RSVP. How WE respond to God's invitation. It all boils down to the question: How will you respond?

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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