December 8th, 2023
Matthew 22:1-14
22 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. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again 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.’ 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those 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, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Reflection
When I read the parable of the Wedding Feast in the context of the season of Advent I am struck by two things and what they point to. How much God wants to share the feast, and how we can let other things get in the way of joyfully accepting that invitation. Both of those things seem to be pointing to preparation to me.
Here is God sparing no expense and overcoming any obstacle to both ensure that the feast is prepared and that the wedding hall is filled. Nothing will stand in the way of the ultimate celebration. Where there is work to be done, God sees that it is done, and where there are obstacles to overcome God overcomes them. God’s preparation is perfect.
Those first guests, however, seem to find any excuse to not prepare for the feast that is to come. There are other priorities to see to, and other tasks that seem more important. They are unwilling to do what they need to do to prepare themselves to enter into the joyful festivities that are being prepared for them. Their preparation was lacking.
I find comfort in the idea that God is preparing for me, preparing for us, even to this day. God hasn’t given up preparing for the amazing newness and fullness that are in store for each of us on the other side of Advent. Just as in the parable, God is sparing no expense and overcoming any obstacle so that our feast might bountiful and flooded with joy.
Our opportunity then is to match that preparation in our lives during this season. There are so many calls for our time and focus as we rush towards the end of the year. Do we have everything in line at work, what about our celebrations with family and friends that are to come, have we accomplished everything we’ve set out to do this year? It is all too easy to turn our preparation for Jesus into an afterthought or an, “I’ll get to that”. Hopefully we can look to God’s perfect preparation and therein be intentional with our own preparation.
If we are to be prepared for Christ with our whole heart, soul and mind perhaps we can intentionally spend time and effort this season in preparation. We can prioritize our readiness of heart by readying our bodies with good rest, nutrition, and exercise. We can prioritize our soul with daily prayer, acts of service, and worship. We can prioritize our minds with regular bible study, engagement with justice in the world, and seeking others to share God’s love with. I pray that this Advent we all might take our own preparation for Jesus as fully and completely as God is preparing for each of us.
In God’s Love,
The Rev. Bryan Beard
Vicar, Church of the Holy Cross—Owasso, OK