Praying Together 15th October 2023

Collect for Trinity 19

O God our Father without you we are not able to please you;
Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philippians 4: 1-9

Matthew 22: 1-14

Sounds a bit cruel to me- poor guy couldn’t even afford a coat and he gets thrown out on the street. I can understand the reaction to the refusal of the invited glitterati – they consider themselves too busy with their own priorities to be bothered turning up at a wedding breakfast bunfight given for a minor royalty who they probably don’t know. But you’d have thought that ordinary people would jump at being offered the chance for a free meal, and most of them are, except the coatless one.

But like a lot of situations, there is more going on than initially meets the eye. The first invitees – you might call them the ‘chosen ones’ – wouldn’t want to have the King’s son imposed on them. If they accept the invitation, it would be a declaration of loyalty and allegiance that they aren’t prepared to offer. They think they eat pretty well already on their mega -processed unwholesome diet. Shame really – they don’t realise what the consequence will be of their dismissal of the invitation. It ain’t going to end up good.

On the other hand, the poor and hungry on the street are presented with a life-saving opportunity – all they have to do is accept and demonstrate loyalty by putting on the robe they are offered, and a feast awaits them.

But here’s the point of the story, and the reason why the result of refusal is banishment. You see, they aren’t expected to own a robe already; the cost has already been paid for them. A robe is waiting for them at the King’s door, and the feast beckons. To want the feast but not the submission to the King’s authority isn’t the way it works.

Whoever we are – even unto this last -Jesus asks us to dine with Him. He has bought us the entrance fee. All He asks is that we accept Him as Lord.