Reflection

Gospel

Jesus again in reply 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 who were 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 there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here 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.”

        Matthew  ​​22:1-10 

Reflection

In Matthew’s Gospel we hear the parable of the king who gave a wedding feast for his son but his invitations were spurned.  When he extended the invitation to the people in the streets, “they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.”  But one of the guests did not dress in a wedding garment – perhaps as insulting to the host as today coming to a wedding in a bathing suit.  When he refuses to answer questions about his dress, the king orders, “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

I couldn’t help thinking that this king’s response to his guest was a parallel to the way Jesus cares for us and invites us through the story of Lazarus.  His beloved friend had died and Jesus stood in the doorway of the tomb comforting Lazarus’ sisters.  Then he called, “Lazarus, come out!” and Lazarus responded immediately to Jesus’ invitation.  He came out from the tomb.

Where the king in today’s gospel ordered the guest’s hand and feet be bound and he be cast into the darkness, with wailing and grinding of teeth, Jesus does the opposite with Lazarus – and with us.  He calls for Lazarus to have his hands and feet unbound from the burial cloths and to come out of the darkness of the tomb into the light with Jesus.  Rather than a wailing in the darkness, Lazarus was met with the rejoicing cries of his sisters and all of those who loved him as he came to life again.

Jesus invites us to that summoning back to life, the invitation to unbind ourselves from the things that tie us up. Today we can become aware of how much God longs for a deeper relationship with us, one where we realise that God is not in our minds, but deeply settled in our hearts, just waiting for us to notice.  And if we really take the time today to listen, we will hear Jesus say deep in our hearts, “Untie him and let him go.  Untie her and let her go.”

Julie Leonard Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader