FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2023 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

I write from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint. I also promote “LOVE WINS”.

This week is a refresher for me.

Many Christian Churches use a Common Lectionary with this Gospel Reading: (Matthew 22:1-14)

Jesus again spoke to the chief priests and 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 dispatched 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, another to his business.

The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

The King was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'

The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,

and the hall was filled with guests.

But when the King came in to meet the guests, he saw a man not dressed in a wedding garment. 

The King asked him, 'My friend, how did you come in without a wedding garment?'

But he was reduced to silence. Then the King said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,

and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

Many are invited, but few are chosen."

(end of Gospel Reading)

Seemingly, the King in the story is God. Some people were entitled to come (frequently, Jesus meant the Jewish people), but they didn’t come. Some even went on to kill the King’s messengers (like prophets?). 

Then, “The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,

and the hall was filled with guests.”  Lots of people at the wedding feast!!! And some were bad (not sure who might be harmful when gathered off the streets).

But, the King takes umbrage at just one man - not wearing the appropriate wedding garment. Somehow, that surprises me - just ONE didn’t have the right clothes. The servants got these people off the streets - did the people all run home and change clothes before showing up? 

There seems to be a disconnect here - the people off the streets come in - and all but one are okay.  

If this is a parable about heaven, and the servants went out and got gentiles (like us - and others off the street - that could even mean that Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, etc. could be in the crowd - and Christians).  

What was wrong with the one person? Wrong clothes?  

Matthew 6: 28 to 31 says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon was dressed like one of these in all his splendor. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?

Can it really be “CLOTHES”?

 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)

There had to be something more in this parable. Did the King (God) somehow know that the man’s heart wasn’t pure? “You’re not dressed properly” might mean that while your exterior clothes are good enough, your interior “clothes” (heart/attitude) aren’t fit to be in the King’s presence. 

Psalm 103: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” But, in this case, there must have been something in the King’s analysis that said that being gracious and merciful is not appropriate.

It is not the exterior that impresses God but our internal thoughts.  

Maybe I need to be more “kind and merciful”!! Perhaps I need to follow my advice and let LOVE WIN in my heart and mind!!

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, © OCTOBER 20, 2023