Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 21:1-14

My brothers and sisters in Christ in our Gospel Lesson Jesus is speaking in the temple and teaching the people about the Kingdom of heaven. You will notice that he compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a joyous and wonderful event, a wedding feast that was for a King’s son, the prince and his bride. As with many of the parables there comes a surprise and a bit of a twist and by the end we will learn why we gentiles are heirs of the kingdom of heaven, and have the hope of salvation.

Now in this parable, it unfolds quite simply, the King sends out the the word to those who had been invited, but they refuse, some go to work on their farm or attend to other business, others seize his servants and treat them shamefully and have them killed. The king in his fury will not stand for this for those who treat his servants in such a shameful manner could not be allowed to go unpunished. For in the ancient world how one treats the messenger reflects on what they think of the one who sent the messenger. So the King sends them his army to destroy the murderers and their city.

But you notice that doesn’t stop him from having the wedding feast for His Son, there will still be a celebration, for the evil that was committed by others does not change the fact that there is a wedding. But when those whom he had invited were not worthy, he still wants to celebrate the wedding of his son, and so he invites others, others that you would not think of, and normally would not be sitting at a kings table and receiving a kings feast, but there they are, and they are the blessed recipients of the King’s good graces.

Now this first part of the parable, Jesus is talking about Israel, and is pointed in particular at the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the chief priests and all of those who reject what God has called them to celebrate. God had told the Israelites of this wedding feast, which is the kingdom of heaven, through the Law and Prophets, and those were the servants that had been treated shamefully. The Pharisees knew what God had spoken, they ignored the Savior who was in their midst. Which is why Jesus is eating with, Sinners and tax collectors, that is who the King of Kings was inviting to his table, and the pharisees mocked him for it.

Now this also foreshadows what was going to happen to the disciples. After Jesus death, resurrection and ascension they went out to share this good news, that Christ had won, and the response of the High priests and pharisees was to persecute the Christians, and seek to put them to death. So when Jesus talks about the city that was put to the sword, he is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, even though they had been called and granted 40 years to repent, the city was destroyed.

But many of the Jewish people rejected Christ and His Victory wedding feast, what happened instead is that the disciples went out and invited others, and that is why Jesus called sinners unto himself, and the disciples invited gentiles, all of those who are not Jewish to the wedding feast. Now that wedding feast itself is not just about great food, but speaking of heaven. Isaiah talks about that holy mountain, which is heaven, upon which their is a feast of rich food and well-aged wine well refined. We have access to heaven and you see how great God’s desire is that the people should taste of the feast as the Disciples go forth from Jerusalem to the four corners of the Earth for all to celebrate the marriage feast of the lamb and his bride the Church.

Now you doubt noticed at the very end of this, that there is one who ends up being invited and comes in, but then is cast out. This man lacked a wedding garment, what is he lacking that would cause him to be cast out? It is faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, this is tragic for faith is not our work or something that we do, but a gift that God gives through the Holy Spirit. So this man has tried to enter to the wedding feast without faith.

Without faith, there is no entrance into the kingdom of God, there is no wedding feast, what waits that man instead is a place of darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, which is to say hell. The world likes to ignore this and pretend that everyone will be saved, but that is not the truth. Does the invitation go out to all? Most certainly the invitation goes out to Jew and Gentile alike, for God desires that people are there for the feast of His Son, but if they reject the Son as their messiah as many Jews in Jesus’ time did, or if they lack the wedding garment of faith, then what awaits them is death and destruction.

Now when we speak of Hell, what does that mean? It is described in many different and frightful ways to us in Holy Scripture, and every time it is described as a place where a person does not wish to be, a lake of eternal fire, a prison made for the devil and his angels, darkness, and here weeping and gnashing of teeth. A place of endless sorrow, misery, pain, and suffering in which a person dwells forever in anguish always wishing to die, but is kept alive in torment. We find in the Bible that it is even a place where the demons are terrified to go, that’s why they pleaded with Jesus not be sent there, when he casts them out of a man. They are scared to end up in hell, and if 2000 demons are terrified of hell, then all of us should be scared of it, unless you are a fool.

Why is all of this suffering endless or eternal? Because hell is meant to punish those who have sinned against and rejected the one who is infinitely good, perfect, holy, and righteous. Because when you sin against God and His Eternal Majesty, you merit eternal punishment and damnation for there is no one greater that you could disappoint, disobey, offend or sin against. The punishment must fit the crime and when you sin against that which is eternally Good, eternal suffering is just. Especially when in His Love He gave up His only-begotten Son to save you, and you don’t care. Then God deals with you according to His wrath.

That is why it is so wonderful that we have been invited to the wedding feast, for you notice that if we had not been invited, where would we have been? Outside in the darkness. It is a blessing beyond measure that God himself has invited us to celebrate with him the wedding of his Son and His bride the Church, that we get to be at this feast of joy. For we didn’t deserve to be here, we didn’t even know the man, but he invited us and welcomed us into his home, because that is who He is.

Now we ought to take care and pay attention, for if those who were invited ended up finding other things to do, and mistreated the servants of the Most High God, and were punished for it, how do you think God will treat you, if you neglect God’s Word? For indeed the others were invited as well, you have been invited, and if the Jews who had been invited could be removed, than the same thing can happen to you. As it happened to the man who lacked the garment of faith.

So don’t just be here because your friends or family are here, but be here because Jesus is here, and because there is a wedding feast for the Son of God has overcome the powers of sin and death for our sake, and for you. That is the garment that is needed, the garment of faith and when you are clothed in that blessed garment you shall join in a feast which will know no end.

Now that may seem terrifying but salvation is in fact very simple. Are you here at Church because you are sinless and deserving? I pray not. We are sinners. Are we here to celebrate ourselves and our own accomplishments? No. Are you here because Jesus died for sinners like you? Are you here because Jesus overcame the powers of sin and death for you? Are you here because some servant of the King told you there was a feast, not of food and drink, but forgiveness, eternal life and salvation, and that it was given free to sinners? I pray that is so, be it your parents who dragged you to Church or Sunday School against your will, or a friend who invited you, and encouraged you to come.

For my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As Christians, as servants of the most high God, who created all things and gave this feast in celebration of His Son, we know that there is still room in heaven, so invite others, your friends, your family, and if they try to say oh I have work, I have hunting, or whatever it may be, encourage them, plead with them to come, for God has prepared a feast to celebrate His Son, and He wants them there just as He wants you. In Jesus name. Amen.