Many are called

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my diner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.' " But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen.

- Matthew 22:1-14

Yesterday, Jesus told the parable about the Vinedressers and the Vineyard (see The Vineyard), in which the landowner sends his servants repeatedly, and then finally his son, to gather the fruits that are due. To this parable was also attached the scriptural reference to the stone that the builders rejected. The leadership in the temple were outraged when they realized that Jesus was referring to them, who have failed to gather the fruits and plot to kill the son. Today Jesus responds to their outrage with another parable - even as we were told that the leadership must plot against him in secret, because the people think of Jesus as a prophet.

My study bible has a note that applies to the whole of the passage, as follows: "This is another parable proclaiming the transfer of the Kingdom from Jews to Gentiles, depicted as a joyful wedding banquet (see 25:1-13). John the Baptist calls Christ the 'bridegroom' (John 3:29) and Paul also uses the marriage analogy (Eph. 5:22-33). Ancient tradition applies these two parables in Matthew to the process of initiation into the Church, because the sacraments of baptism and chrismation bring us into marriage or union with Christ, a union fully realized in the age to come." (In the Eastern Churches, chrismation is the sacrament that completes baptism, whereby one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit through anointing with the Chrism, a specially prepared oil which must be consecrated by a bishop. Chrismation is considered a continuation of an ancient practice in the Church of the laying on of the hands by an Apostle, which we read of on several occasions in Acts - 8:14-17; 19:6.)

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my diner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.' " But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them." Of course, the Bridegroom is also a familiar image from the Scriptural tradition which the leadership understands; it is that of the awaited Messiah with his people, his bride who is, spiritually, Jerusalem. This parable is similar to the one about the Vineyard, in yesterday's reading, in that those who are invited to the wedding are too preoccupied with their own business to attend, and they also kill the king's servants who call them.

"But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests." My study bible notes that burned up their city refers to the destruction of Jerusalem which would happen in A.D. 70, when under siege by the Roman army led by the future Emperor Titus. It further notes that "The highways are the Gentile world. Though the Apostles do not immediately understand it, this parable proclaims beforehand both the casting out of the unbelieving Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles into the wedding hall, the Kingdom of God. God calls all peoples to salvation in Christ -- Jew and Gentile -- carrying forth the plan of salvation to all humanity." This parable goes further than the last one, about the Vineyard. In it, the guests are not only destroyed in their city, but the call or invitation is sent out into the highways, among others. This gospel will be spread among the whole entire world, as it continues to be today. All are invited.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" My study bible notes that "Jesus is speaking here of the judgment which is to come. The wedding garment is provided by the host. To be at the wedding improperly dressed indicates one who is uninvited or who, having been invited, rejects the host's hospitality. In the Church, the wedding garment is true repentance and righteousness -- the way of salvation -- gained only by the grace of God." Clearly, we have a picture here of everyone invited to the wedding - but those who will be welcome are those for whom the king's grace is of paramount importance, those who are truly ready for the union. Earlier in commentary in Matthew's gospel, my study bible noted: "Outer darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth are not Old Testament references but descriptions of the state of the unrighteous dead in Sheol recorded in Jewish tradition (see Enoch 103:8; Parables of Enoch 60:12). These are common expressions in Matthew (13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30) - also occurring once in Luke (Luke 13:28)." So, while this invitation is issued to the whole world, there is still a paramount importance placed on those who will accept with the proper spirit - who will be prepared, and put on the wedding garment of righteousness, the stuff of which is the substance of all of Jesus' teachings. I find it interesting to consider this in the sense that the Jews - especially the religious leadership of Jesus' day - were those prepared for this wedding feast, yet in the context of the gospels and this reading they are those who fail to attend. But all then who are called are equally expected to be properly prepared themselves.

"For many are called, but few are chosen." All have been called, but who will be chosen? The entire world is called to this banquet, from, in some sense, the history of the world as given in holy scripture. The "many" who are called include the leadership in the temple, and the preparation of the people of Israel since Abraham. In our introduction to Jesus' use of parables, we are given this saying as illustration of what Jesus is doing: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." The quotation is from Psalm 78:2. In some sense, today's parable echoes even more deeply the quotation from the Psalm than any other. For the centuries of the existence of those who have been prepared for the Messiah, until today, this parable echoes its words to us. All - "from the foundation of the world" - are called. We are all called back to union with God, to salvation. But who will hear? Who will prepare properly and be chosen? Poignantly, it is those with spiritual eyes and ears to hear, the ones who will understand the things "kept secret from the foundation of the world" and who hear their "Father who is in the secret place." All have been called, all are invited. But who responds properly to the invitation? Who will arrive properly dressed in the clothes of salvation? We know what those clothes are; we have been prepared through this gospel about righteousness, humility, the desire for God to call his own back to himself through Christ. This king, "Our Father," wants us back in communion with him, and he has called us all to engage in this invitation, to come to the feast. It is a call of love. But he awaits our response, our interest, our preparation. What do we want most of all? For how many centuries has this call gone out amongst the world? We are all called. All we have to do is answer with a "yes" - and things hidden from the foundation of the world are ours, if we but listen and seek to properly hear. The question is, do we have time for that? How will we answer the invitation?

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20