Wedding Banquet
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle A
1. Text
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."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Christ likens the kingdom of heaven to the king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. The parable has three sections.
Second Point Of Action
When in part one the king sends his slaves to call the invited to the wedding banquet, none would come.
Third Point Of Action
He sends other slaves to tell the invited that he has prepared everything. The dinner is ready, the oxen and fat calves have been slaughtered. He urges the invited to come.
Fourth Point Of Action
The invited make light of it and go away, one to his farm and another to his business. The others seize his slaves, mistreat and kill them.
Fifth Point Of Action
The enraged king sends his troops, destroys those murderers, and burns their city.
Sixth Point Of Action
In part two of the parable, the king reminds his slaves that the wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. He tells the slaves to enter the main streets and invite everyone they find to the wedding banquet.
Seventh Point Of Action
The slaves gather all whom they find, both good and bad. The wedding hall is filled with guests.
Eighth Point Of Action
In part three, when the king comes in to see the guests, he notices a man there who is not wearing a wedding robe. Addressing him as "friend," he asks him how he got in here without a wedding robe.
Ninth Point Of Action
The man is speechless.
Tenth Point Of Action
The king tells his attendants to bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Eleventh Point Of Action
Christ concludes the parable saying that many are called but few are chosen.
3. Spadework
Call
Of the 633 references to "call," four are about God's calling to someone. Is our hiding from God a "Hide and Seek" game of wanting to be found? In the Garden of Eden, the enlightened Adam hid his naked body from God so that God had to call to him to find him or, in the case of an all--knowing God, to engage him in being found: "But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' " (Genesis 3:9).
The call of God is also a call of comfort and of acknowledgment that one exists and is valid: "And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, 'What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is' " (Genesis 21:17).
A call from God needs a reciprocal acknowledgment, that of telling God that God has been heard: "When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am' " (Exodus 3:4). "Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain ..." (Exodus 19:3). See also Exodus 24:16.
God has something definite in mind when God calls: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). God's calling is also selective: "He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him" (Mark 3:13). God's calling is inclusive and accepting: "For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners" (Matthew 9:13). See also Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32.
God's calling is persistent; so is our response despite mix--ups as when God called Samuel who repeatedly answered Eli, "Here I am" until Eli realized it was God calling Samuel. (See 1 Samuel 3:4ff.) Of equal interest and trust was Eli's response to Samuel's night vision: " 'It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him' " (1 Samuel 3:18).
Paul tells the Corinthians to "let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you" (1 Corinthians 7:17). Consider the magnetism of God who calls or draws people to God. (See Acts 2:39.)
When Abraham was about to obey God's test to sacrifice his son Isaac, God intervened: "But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am' " (Genesis 22:11). See also Genesis 22:14 and Numbers 12:5.
The call of God to humankind is both personal and intimate:
"I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations" (Isaiah 42:6);
"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1); and
"The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me" (Isaiah 49:1).
"Call" is the term Christ used to invite the disciples to join him: "As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them" (Matthew 4:21). See also Luke 6:13.
Chosen
"Chosen" implies a choice, that some were excluded or not chosen. In many of the 107 occasions of "chosen," God does the choosing:
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession" (Deuteronomy 7:6; see also Deuteronomy 14:2);
"Samuel said to all the people, 'Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen?' " (1 Samuel 10:24);
"Then David commanded that no one but the Levites were to carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever" (1 Chronicles 15:2);
"He sent his servant Moses, / and Aaron whom he had chosen" (Psalm 105:26);
"... [Y]ou whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off' " (Isaiah 41:9); and
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations" (Isaiah 42:1, see also Isaiah 43:10).
God chose Christ and proclaimed him as chosen: "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles" (Matthew 12:18) and "Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!' " (Luke 9:35). See also Luke 23:35 and Cycle C, Parable 17, "The Uncaring Judge."
Come
The words of invitation and sending, "come" and "go," abound in the Bible. "Come," appearing 1,536 times, is a combination of command and invitation. It appears as a preface to an action. "Come, let us" occurs 34 times. "Come" reminds us that God always has something in mind for us. "Then King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent to King Joash ... saying, 'Come, let us look one another in the face' " (2 Chronicles 25:17).
Hear the hospitality of the "come in": "He said, 'Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?' " (Genesis 24:31). See also Ruth 2:14 and 1 Kings 13:15.
"Come" fills the hearer with anticipation: "Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him" (Genesis 21:18).
Few
"Few" occurs 64 times. Of them, several merit comparison with the present text: "For many are called, but few are chosen" (v. 14). From Hebrew Scripture:
"The Lord will scatter you among the peoples; only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will lead you" (Deuteronomy 4:27);
"Although once you were as numerous as the stars in heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 28:62); and
"Only a few from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 30:11--12).
The writers of Matthew and Luke quote Christ's use of "few" in two other texts: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14) and "Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' He said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able' " (Luke 13:23--24).
Go
"Go," as used here, commands to go out into the streets and invite in others. Many of the 1,129 references to "go" portray God as a commanding, ordering, or directing God who, to the point, is an active participant in the lives of the people.
While the "go" command might invite defiance, it also invites an attitude of anticipation. "Go" indicates undertaking a project or moving into a plan, often with explicit directions. God tells Noah to "go into the ark" and then to "go out of the ark" (Genesis 7:1-8:16); "Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me" (Genesis 27:3); "Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land" (Exodus 6:11); "Go, explore the land" (Judges 18:2b); and "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you" (Jonah 3:2).
Part of the going involves the accompaniment of God: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; / steadfast love and faithfulness go before you" (Psalm 89:14). See also Psalm 85:13.
Some "go" instructions are directed to God: "Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place, / you and the ark of your might" (Psalm 132:8). The Psalmist requests direction from God: "Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, / for in you I put my trust. / Teach me the way I should go, / for to you I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8).
"Come" and "go" are words of a simpler time, carrying the voice of the second person command directive. Plain talk absents the subtlety and suggestion that accompany refinement. Likewise, pray--ers follow Christ's model prayer, also in second person command address - "Lead us," "Give us," "Forgive us," and so on.
"Go" guidance reassures: "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go" (Isaiah 48:17).
"Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go' " (Matthew 8:18--19). Jesus' response to this scribe makes clear that word from him, as invitation or command to go, requires a wholehearted response if one is to follow him. (See Matthew 8:20--22 and Luke 9:57--60.) Again in Mark, "Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me' " (Mark 10:21).
Somehow, Christ's "go" is more palatable and acceptable as a directive than the command of the Hebrew God. Christ's voice conveys his wishes with a gentler tone not booming from some nebulous on--highness but speaking from a human being. Jesus' full authority speaks at the commissioning of the disciples, yet the insertion of the word "therefore" by the writer of Matthew softens its presentation: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). See also Mark 16:15.
Here his "go" appears to be more suggestion than command: "[Jesus] answered [his disciples], 'Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do' " (Mark 1:38). Christ's compassion colors this "need not go away" passage: "When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.' Jesus said to them, 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat' " (Matthew 14:15--16). Again, at the empty tomb, the "go" is at once authoritative and tender. (See Matthew 28:10.)
Hear the other "go" command of Christ that functions as a dismissal to get on with one's life after healing: "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home" (Mark 2:11); "He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease' " (Mark 5:34); "Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well' " (Mark 10:52); and "Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way" (John 4:50).
In Luke 10:10--11, Christ uses "go" as permissive dismissal: "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.' "
"Go" is an action of humility in this passage: "But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you" (Luke 14:10).
"Go" is a directive to go out and collect those who need to come in or come back:
"So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame' " (Luke 14:21);
"Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled' " (Luke 14:23); and
"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety--nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4).
Ready
Among the 81 references to "ready" are "make ready" (Genesis 18:6, 43:16, and 43:25), "be ready" (Exodus 34:2 and Esther 3:14), "are ready" (Deuteronomy 1:41 and 9:8), "ready for service" (1 Chronicles 5:18 and 7:11), and "everything is ready" (Matthew 22:4 and Luke 14:17).
To make ready implies preparing in the proper way:
"All the utensils that King Ahaz repudiated during his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and sanctified ..." (2 Chronicles 29:19);
"He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there" (Mark 14:15); and
"Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, ... everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet' " (Matthew 22:4; See also Luke 1:17 and Luke 14:17).
Preparedness and readiness safeguard the sequential process: "Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house" (Proverbs 24:27).
"Ready" suggests being in a proper frame of mind. What happens if all is ready, but those for whom it is ready are not? "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on my name" (Isaiah 65:1a) and "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy' " (Matthew 22:8).
Readiness equips one for meeting the unexpected: "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour" (Matthew 24:44). See also Luke 12:40. Speaking to the troops, the prophet Ezekiel told them to "[b]e ready and keep ready" (Ezekiel 38:7).
4. Parallel Scripture
The Invitation
Luke says "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many" (Luke 14:16), while the writer of Matthew is more specific. Matthew tells the reader this is a kingdom of heaven parable. The dinner host is a king. The dinner is a wedding banquet for the king's son. Luke says he invited many, while Matthew does not say how many the king invited. (See Matthew 22:2.)
The Refusal
Matthew says the king sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet to tell them all was ready, but they would not come. When he sent additional slaves, they still refused.
Matthew says "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" (Matthew 22:4). Luke says, "Come; for everything is ready now" (Luke 14:17).
Matthew says one went to his business, another to his farm, and the rest abused then killed the king's slaves. (See Matthew 22:5--6.) Luke is more specific, saying "they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come' " (Luke 14:18--19).
The Host's Response
In the Matthean parable, the king is enraged and vindictive. He sends troops to kill the murderers and to burn their city (Matthew 22:7). Then he sends out slaves to "[g]o therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet" (Matthew 22:9). The slaves "gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests" (Matthew 22:10).
Luke refers to the host as the slave's "master" or as "the owner of the house" saying he "became angry." He sends out not slaves but a slave saying "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame" (Luke 14:21). When the slave reports back to him that there is still room, the host says, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled" (Luke 14:23).
The Unworthy
The king, according to the writer of Matthew, says those invited who refused to come "were not worthy" (Matthew 22:8), while Luke says "For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner" (Luke 14:24).
5. Chat Room
Chat Coordinator: Jeremy and Rosa, I'm glad you could join us for this chat about God and vocation, about being ready to go when the call comes that God has chosen us.
Jeremy: As a student, I wrestle with how my life goals will interface with God's plan. Each choice eliminates some other path. I wonder if God is present in some way in each small directional change. Is that what the still, small voice means?
Rosa: I have spent a decade in the work force. I like what I do but am thinking about changing my life direction. Better said, I have begun to listen to who I really am, to recognize the gifts God has given me, and to be in step with Whose I am. I want to pursue a career that is more caring about other people. At first, I was scared at the thought because I have no idea where it will take me. Now I am curious.
Jeremy: I don't want to miss God's call due to being unprepared, but how do I become ready? How will I know what is the right decision? I want to be prepared. I don't want to blunder. How can I be sure what calls to me is God's invitation and not my wistful thinking?
Rosa: For me, God's plan has been a quiet yet persistent nudging. I have tried before to ignore it, but I think God is as stubborn as I. I know I am free to choose. I must be the one to say, "Yes," to trust that God finds even me acceptable and to trust myself. I treasure having been created with that freedom.
Bert: Greetings, all. I have been following along and want to comment. I believe that, as important as each of us is to God, God has plans for humanity, plans greater than any one of us. When we miss the invitation to participate in those plans because we are not ready, I see even that unpreparedness as a not--ready--yet but not a given--up--on time. To be sure, God goes on to choose someone else who is able to pay attention to the invitation, but I believe God never gives up on us.
Chat Coordinator: For some people, the right position in our work comes at the right time. For others, the right position seems never to come.
Jeremy: Well, I believe that God is always preparing us. Sometimes, however, life accidents and other unexpected changes appear to interfere with what we thought God has planned for us. Are they also part of God's plan?
Bert: Some things just happen. I believe that God's design for us is for our welfare. God's plans are good plans because God cares deeply about what happens to each of us. We are God's children.
Rosa: I trust also that God always has something in mind for us. As I look back, I recognize a gradual unfolding of my life's meaning. When one direction was thwarted, another way to carry out that plan emerged. This is why I am fascinated by the creativity of our God.
Jeremy: My task is to greet God's invitations with the sure trust that no matter how I perceive myself, God is paying attention to the possibility within me. I want to be among the few who recognize we have been chosen. I would like for God's plan to be mine and for my plan to agree with what God would have me do. Having been invited, when I am called that the time is now, I want to be ready to go.
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."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Christ likens the kingdom of heaven to the king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. The parable has three sections.
Second Point Of Action
When in part one the king sends his slaves to call the invited to the wedding banquet, none would come.
Third Point Of Action
He sends other slaves to tell the invited that he has prepared everything. The dinner is ready, the oxen and fat calves have been slaughtered. He urges the invited to come.
Fourth Point Of Action
The invited make light of it and go away, one to his farm and another to his business. The others seize his slaves, mistreat and kill them.
Fifth Point Of Action
The enraged king sends his troops, destroys those murderers, and burns their city.
Sixth Point Of Action
In part two of the parable, the king reminds his slaves that the wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. He tells the slaves to enter the main streets and invite everyone they find to the wedding banquet.
Seventh Point Of Action
The slaves gather all whom they find, both good and bad. The wedding hall is filled with guests.
Eighth Point Of Action
In part three, when the king comes in to see the guests, he notices a man there who is not wearing a wedding robe. Addressing him as "friend," he asks him how he got in here without a wedding robe.
Ninth Point Of Action
The man is speechless.
Tenth Point Of Action
The king tells his attendants to bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Eleventh Point Of Action
Christ concludes the parable saying that many are called but few are chosen.
3. Spadework
Call
Of the 633 references to "call," four are about God's calling to someone. Is our hiding from God a "Hide and Seek" game of wanting to be found? In the Garden of Eden, the enlightened Adam hid his naked body from God so that God had to call to him to find him or, in the case of an all--knowing God, to engage him in being found: "But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' " (Genesis 3:9).
The call of God is also a call of comfort and of acknowledgment that one exists and is valid: "And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, 'What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is' " (Genesis 21:17).
A call from God needs a reciprocal acknowledgment, that of telling God that God has been heard: "When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am' " (Exodus 3:4). "Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain ..." (Exodus 19:3). See also Exodus 24:16.
God has something definite in mind when God calls: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). God's calling is also selective: "He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him" (Mark 3:13). God's calling is inclusive and accepting: "For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners" (Matthew 9:13). See also Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32.
God's calling is persistent; so is our response despite mix--ups as when God called Samuel who repeatedly answered Eli, "Here I am" until Eli realized it was God calling Samuel. (See 1 Samuel 3:4ff.) Of equal interest and trust was Eli's response to Samuel's night vision: " 'It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him' " (1 Samuel 3:18).
Paul tells the Corinthians to "let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you" (1 Corinthians 7:17). Consider the magnetism of God who calls or draws people to God. (See Acts 2:39.)
When Abraham was about to obey God's test to sacrifice his son Isaac, God intervened: "But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am' " (Genesis 22:11). See also Genesis 22:14 and Numbers 12:5.
The call of God to humankind is both personal and intimate:
"I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations" (Isaiah 42:6);
"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1); and
"The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me" (Isaiah 49:1).
"Call" is the term Christ used to invite the disciples to join him: "As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them" (Matthew 4:21). See also Luke 6:13.
Chosen
"Chosen" implies a choice, that some were excluded or not chosen. In many of the 107 occasions of "chosen," God does the choosing:
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession" (Deuteronomy 7:6; see also Deuteronomy 14:2);
"Samuel said to all the people, 'Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen?' " (1 Samuel 10:24);
"Then David commanded that no one but the Levites were to carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever" (1 Chronicles 15:2);
"He sent his servant Moses, / and Aaron whom he had chosen" (Psalm 105:26);
"... [Y]ou whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off' " (Isaiah 41:9); and
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations" (Isaiah 42:1, see also Isaiah 43:10).
God chose Christ and proclaimed him as chosen: "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles" (Matthew 12:18) and "Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!' " (Luke 9:35). See also Luke 23:35 and Cycle C, Parable 17, "The Uncaring Judge."
Come
The words of invitation and sending, "come" and "go," abound in the Bible. "Come," appearing 1,536 times, is a combination of command and invitation. It appears as a preface to an action. "Come, let us" occurs 34 times. "Come" reminds us that God always has something in mind for us. "Then King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent to King Joash ... saying, 'Come, let us look one another in the face' " (2 Chronicles 25:17).
Hear the hospitality of the "come in": "He said, 'Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?' " (Genesis 24:31). See also Ruth 2:14 and 1 Kings 13:15.
"Come" fills the hearer with anticipation: "Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him" (Genesis 21:18).
Few
"Few" occurs 64 times. Of them, several merit comparison with the present text: "For many are called, but few are chosen" (v. 14). From Hebrew Scripture:
"The Lord will scatter you among the peoples; only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will lead you" (Deuteronomy 4:27);
"Although once you were as numerous as the stars in heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 28:62); and
"Only a few from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 30:11--12).
The writers of Matthew and Luke quote Christ's use of "few" in two other texts: "For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14) and "Someone asked him, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' He said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able' " (Luke 13:23--24).
Go
"Go," as used here, commands to go out into the streets and invite in others. Many of the 1,129 references to "go" portray God as a commanding, ordering, or directing God who, to the point, is an active participant in the lives of the people.
While the "go" command might invite defiance, it also invites an attitude of anticipation. "Go" indicates undertaking a project or moving into a plan, often with explicit directions. God tells Noah to "go into the ark" and then to "go out of the ark" (Genesis 7:1-8:16); "Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me" (Genesis 27:3); "Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land" (Exodus 6:11); "Go, explore the land" (Judges 18:2b); and "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you" (Jonah 3:2).
Part of the going involves the accompaniment of God: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; / steadfast love and faithfulness go before you" (Psalm 89:14). See also Psalm 85:13.
Some "go" instructions are directed to God: "Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place, / you and the ark of your might" (Psalm 132:8). The Psalmist requests direction from God: "Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, / for in you I put my trust. / Teach me the way I should go, / for to you I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8).
"Come" and "go" are words of a simpler time, carrying the voice of the second person command directive. Plain talk absents the subtlety and suggestion that accompany refinement. Likewise, pray--ers follow Christ's model prayer, also in second person command address - "Lead us," "Give us," "Forgive us," and so on.
"Go" guidance reassures: "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go" (Isaiah 48:17).
"Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, 'Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go' " (Matthew 8:18--19). Jesus' response to this scribe makes clear that word from him, as invitation or command to go, requires a wholehearted response if one is to follow him. (See Matthew 8:20--22 and Luke 9:57--60.) Again in Mark, "Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me' " (Mark 10:21).
Somehow, Christ's "go" is more palatable and acceptable as a directive than the command of the Hebrew God. Christ's voice conveys his wishes with a gentler tone not booming from some nebulous on--highness but speaking from a human being. Jesus' full authority speaks at the commissioning of the disciples, yet the insertion of the word "therefore" by the writer of Matthew softens its presentation: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). See also Mark 16:15.
Here his "go" appears to be more suggestion than command: "[Jesus] answered [his disciples], 'Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do' " (Mark 1:38). Christ's compassion colors this "need not go away" passage: "When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.' Jesus said to them, 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat' " (Matthew 14:15--16). Again, at the empty tomb, the "go" is at once authoritative and tender. (See Matthew 28:10.)
Hear the other "go" command of Christ that functions as a dismissal to get on with one's life after healing: "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home" (Mark 2:11); "He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease' " (Mark 5:34); "Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has made you well' " (Mark 10:52); and "Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son will live.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way" (John 4:50).
In Luke 10:10--11, Christ uses "go" as permissive dismissal: "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.' "
"Go" is an action of humility in this passage: "But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you" (Luke 14:10).
"Go" is a directive to go out and collect those who need to come in or come back:
"So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame' " (Luke 14:21);
"Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled' " (Luke 14:23); and
"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety--nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?" (Luke 15:4).
Ready
Among the 81 references to "ready" are "make ready" (Genesis 18:6, 43:16, and 43:25), "be ready" (Exodus 34:2 and Esther 3:14), "are ready" (Deuteronomy 1:41 and 9:8), "ready for service" (1 Chronicles 5:18 and 7:11), and "everything is ready" (Matthew 22:4 and Luke 14:17).
To make ready implies preparing in the proper way:
"All the utensils that King Ahaz repudiated during his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and sanctified ..." (2 Chronicles 29:19);
"He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there" (Mark 14:15); and
"Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, ... everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet' " (Matthew 22:4; See also Luke 1:17 and Luke 14:17).
Preparedness and readiness safeguard the sequential process: "Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house" (Proverbs 24:27).
"Ready" suggests being in a proper frame of mind. What happens if all is ready, but those for whom it is ready are not? "I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to a nation that did not call on my name" (Isaiah 65:1a) and "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy' " (Matthew 22:8).
Readiness equips one for meeting the unexpected: "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour" (Matthew 24:44). See also Luke 12:40. Speaking to the troops, the prophet Ezekiel told them to "[b]e ready and keep ready" (Ezekiel 38:7).
4. Parallel Scripture
The Invitation
Luke says "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many" (Luke 14:16), while the writer of Matthew is more specific. Matthew tells the reader this is a kingdom of heaven parable. The dinner host is a king. The dinner is a wedding banquet for the king's son. Luke says he invited many, while Matthew does not say how many the king invited. (See Matthew 22:2.)
The Refusal
Matthew says the king sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet to tell them all was ready, but they would not come. When he sent additional slaves, they still refused.
Matthew says "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" (Matthew 22:4). Luke says, "Come; for everything is ready now" (Luke 14:17).
Matthew says one went to his business, another to his farm, and the rest abused then killed the king's slaves. (See Matthew 22:5--6.) Luke is more specific, saying "they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come' " (Luke 14:18--19).
The Host's Response
In the Matthean parable, the king is enraged and vindictive. He sends troops to kill the murderers and to burn their city (Matthew 22:7). Then he sends out slaves to "[g]o therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet" (Matthew 22:9). The slaves "gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests" (Matthew 22:10).
Luke refers to the host as the slave's "master" or as "the owner of the house" saying he "became angry." He sends out not slaves but a slave saying "Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame" (Luke 14:21). When the slave reports back to him that there is still room, the host says, "Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled" (Luke 14:23).
The Unworthy
The king, according to the writer of Matthew, says those invited who refused to come "were not worthy" (Matthew 22:8), while Luke says "For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner" (Luke 14:24).
5. Chat Room
Chat Coordinator: Jeremy and Rosa, I'm glad you could join us for this chat about God and vocation, about being ready to go when the call comes that God has chosen us.
Jeremy: As a student, I wrestle with how my life goals will interface with God's plan. Each choice eliminates some other path. I wonder if God is present in some way in each small directional change. Is that what the still, small voice means?
Rosa: I have spent a decade in the work force. I like what I do but am thinking about changing my life direction. Better said, I have begun to listen to who I really am, to recognize the gifts God has given me, and to be in step with Whose I am. I want to pursue a career that is more caring about other people. At first, I was scared at the thought because I have no idea where it will take me. Now I am curious.
Jeremy: I don't want to miss God's call due to being unprepared, but how do I become ready? How will I know what is the right decision? I want to be prepared. I don't want to blunder. How can I be sure what calls to me is God's invitation and not my wistful thinking?
Rosa: For me, God's plan has been a quiet yet persistent nudging. I have tried before to ignore it, but I think God is as stubborn as I. I know I am free to choose. I must be the one to say, "Yes," to trust that God finds even me acceptable and to trust myself. I treasure having been created with that freedom.
Bert: Greetings, all. I have been following along and want to comment. I believe that, as important as each of us is to God, God has plans for humanity, plans greater than any one of us. When we miss the invitation to participate in those plans because we are not ready, I see even that unpreparedness as a not--ready--yet but not a given--up--on time. To be sure, God goes on to choose someone else who is able to pay attention to the invitation, but I believe God never gives up on us.
Chat Coordinator: For some people, the right position in our work comes at the right time. For others, the right position seems never to come.
Jeremy: Well, I believe that God is always preparing us. Sometimes, however, life accidents and other unexpected changes appear to interfere with what we thought God has planned for us. Are they also part of God's plan?
Bert: Some things just happen. I believe that God's design for us is for our welfare. God's plans are good plans because God cares deeply about what happens to each of us. We are God's children.
Rosa: I trust also that God always has something in mind for us. As I look back, I recognize a gradual unfolding of my life's meaning. When one direction was thwarted, another way to carry out that plan emerged. This is why I am fascinated by the creativity of our God.
Jeremy: My task is to greet God's invitations with the sure trust that no matter how I perceive myself, God is paying attention to the possibility within me. I want to be among the few who recognize we have been chosen. I would like for God's plan to be mine and for my plan to agree with what God would have me do. Having been invited, when I am called that the time is now, I want to be ready to go.
