The world belongs to God
The earth and all its people
How good and lovely it is
To live together in unity
Love and faith come together
Justice and peace join hands
Song “All good gifts”
Let us in silence remember our faults and failings
Christ have mercy on us, and deliver us from our sins and may we amend our lives
Amen.
We say the Lords Prayer in our own language
Reflection
The gospels gives us many stories about Jesus, that relate to the Jewish law like behaviour at meals and what it really means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus.
This story is writing about what qualifies us for entry into the kingdom of God. The Pharisees believed that they were the chosen ones. And there are people like that today, who believe only they are going to heaven and have the right way. They were incensed when they were questioned.
Interestingly the Greek word for guests means chosen ones. The gathering of God’s people at the end of time was commonly seen as a wedding banquet, God being the host. Jewish and Greco-Roman societies both denigrated the poor and disabled, much like our society today. Some believe they will be excluded from heaven. Jesus cuts across this. All are to be invited to share in it. This was seen as a direct attack on the Jewish religious leaders.
Jesus takes the side of the exploited. The low are lifted up and the high brought down to earth. The first will be last. Mixing with cool people doesn’t count. Jesus is presenting a very different picture of an upside down society. Mix with the uncool!.
Rich successful people stick to their own, but Jesus is interested in the virtuous who fight for social justice. They are the ones who hold the kind of party Jesus is talking about. Would a party with poor, sick, lame and blind people be a happy one? Jesus implies that it would be. Because the host sponsoring such a party would be with the God of the poor!
Jesus calls his listeners to break with friends, with a circle of the cool. When invited to a real party the poor stop being poor. Everything is shared. A party with poor, disabled, sick and blind people, isn't a very good party if they remain poor, sick and blind. It’s about sharing resources, like food, water, energy, health and social care, sharing knowledge and possessions so all can join the party. Then there will be joy! Everybody is invited to this banquet!
One guest, perhaps homeless, destitute, did not have wedding clothes. When challenged he is speechless. The poor, the vulnerable are often speechless when confronted. For the first invitation people were unwilling to come. A second invitation resulted in people paying no attention and carrying on their destructive lives. Finally the streets are searched for guests.
The king is two-faced. He is a typical of power. He is a host, but he is also a tyrant, a wicked man and exercises his power cruelly and unjustly. As the rich and powerful sit down to feast they plan destruction. So then, so now.
Deuteronomic law (Deut 16v9-11) required that strangers, widows and orphans should be cared for, and including them in the harvest. So also in earlier times in our societies. How far are we removed from this today! Harvest is about us all. Deuteronomy shows us the whole community coming together to celebrate. Slaves took their place alongside landowners. Everyone was invited to the party because everyone had reason to give thanks for the harvest. None of them would go hungry through the coming year. None should.
Gods vision feeds our souls and motivates us to be change makers. How can we apply this to the world we live in? Amen
Song “Spirit of the living God”
Our Prayers…May we not fail you. Amen
The blessing of God be upon you
On those you love and those you meet
This day and forevermore. Amen
With thanks to the ©Iona Community adapted
