Tag Archives: Trinity 20

Redeeming the Time – Sermon on Ephesians 5:15-21 for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Ephesians 5:15–21

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

The Garment-Giving King – Sermon on Matthew 22:1-14 for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 22:1–14

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What kind of king is this? Throughout most of this parable, he doesn’t look or act like a normal king.

His royal highness is throwing a wedding feast for his son and has already sent out invitations to his subjects. But when he sends his servants to call the guests, they don’t come. The king sends out a second batch of servants with a third invitation, “The feast is ready, the best food – the oxen and fattened calves – have been slaughtered and prepared. Come to the wedding feast.”

Here the king just looks desperate. He doesn’t look like a dignified, royal ruler. He looks more like the smelly, dorky kid in school who wants his classmates to come to his party. And that is how his subjects treat him. They don’t pay any attention to the invitation. They don’t care about his party. They have better things to do. Some go off to work in the dirt, others simply go about business as normal, but some get violent. They seize the servants, commit all kinds of atrocities against them, and even kill them.

What kind of king is this? He seems desperate, needy, whiny, and almost pathetic. That’s what his subjects seem to think of him. They have no interest in him. They don’t care about him, his son, the wedding, or the banquet. How is the king going to react? Well, he’s still the king. Even though he appears weak, he still has his army. After his three invitations have been despised and dismissed as an inconvenience, the king is done with these ungrateful, unworthy subjects. No more servants. Now, it’s time for the troops, the horses, chariots, battering rams, swords, and torches. Vengeance against these unworthy subjects is what is called for and is doled out. The ungrateful invitees are destroyed, and their city is burned to the ground.

But what happens next? Standing on the walls of his castle and overlooking the smoldering ruins that surround him, we would expect that the king would give up on this party and just have a small ceremony for his son. But still the king hasn’t given up. He sends out more servants to the highways and byways. “Bring in anyone you can find. I don’t care who they are. I don’t care if they are good or bad. Just bring as many as you can find into the palace. Fill the banquet hall. It’s time to feast.” All this king wants to do is celebrate the marriage of his son. And he wants people around him to enjoy what he provides.

So, the servants go out and find people. It doesn’t matter if they are noble or common peasants. It doesn’t matter if they are rich or beggars. If the servants can find them, they bring them in. This is a royal wedding and a “black tie” event, but none of these guests needed to rush home and find their best attire. No need to rent a tuxedo or evening gown. The king had them covered, literally. Upon their arrival, the king provided each one of these unprepared, unwashed guests with a wedding garment. He would clothe them from his own royal wardrobe. This king spares no expense when it comes to throwing this feast.

So, the hall is filled with guests. The food is served. The drinks are poured. The music starts. The dancing begins. And the king enters the banquet hall to finally enjoy his party. But what does he see? Another holdout, another person who despises him and his provisions. There in the corner is a man without a wedding garment, a man who decided his own stinky, smelly, unwashed clothes were just fine. He figured he didn’t need the king’s gift, so he refused it. But he miscalculated. Badly.

The king addresses this man, “Friend,” and this isn’t the normal word for ‘friend,’ so we could almost translate it, “Buster, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” This king had provided everything that was needed. Everything was free. And the man has no excuse because there is none. So, the king has the man bound and tossed out – not just out of the party – out into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The parable ends there, but based on what the king has done so far in the story, what do you suppose he does after this rascal is thrown out? I would imagine he simply goes back to the wedding feast, back to the party, the food, the drink, the dancing, and the merry making. The king wanted his feast, so why wouldn’t he let the feast go on?

Seriously, what kind of king is this? Remember, according to Jesus, this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. The King is God Himself. And this parable mirrors what you see and experience.

In this world, almost everywhere you look, people despise God, the true King. And it isn’t just His invitation they despise. People despise everything God has said. There is little or no respect for God or the authorities He has established – parents, police, leaders, etc. And the people in those positions of authority, who have been placed there by God (Ro. 13:1), don’t seem to deserve authority. You turn on the news, and you see killing, looting, riots, and stealing. Nations are at war. Terrorists are mercilessly attacking women and children. In our estimation, it looks like God doesn’t seem to care about the sin and wickedness that runs rampant throughout the kingdom of His creation. But our understanding of the situation is not correct.

In our Old Testament reading (Is. 55:1-9), we heard what God desires, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” God desires that everyone would be His guest at His table; He desires that all would be saved and at His banquet (1 Tim. 2:4).

When we look at the state of this world, we are tempted to think that God doesn’t care, or that He can’t or won’t do anything about it. We are wrong. Whenever God delays judgment on the wicked, any time we imagine that He is overlooking sin, it is a display of His mercy and grace. God delays His judgment because He wants His banquet filled. God wants to clothe all sinners in the robe of Christ’s righteousness won on the cross. You don’t know better than God. Your ways are not better than His ways. Your thoughts are not higher than His thoughts (Is. 55:8-9).

God is King. He rules and reigns over all things. He isn’t ignoring the sin and wickedness in this world. No. God’s being patient. He wants as many as possible at His feast; He wants His banquet to be filled. To us, His promises seem to be slow, and even forgotten. But they aren’t. He wishes all to reach repentance and faith (2 Pet. 3:9). He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6).

Dear saints, the banquet is prepared. The King has invited you and clothed you in Christ’s righteousness. The garment-giving King has given you a seat at His feast. His patience in judgment is for your good and for the good of others. In His timing, everything that is wrong will be put to right. Stand in the garment of righteousness that you have been given, and be patient. The feast will begin soon. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Just as He Transforms You – Sermon on Matthew 22:1-14 for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

If this text was your only indication of God‘s character, what would be your opinion of Him? Because this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, we know that God is the king, but we see that this king gets very angry. He sends out his troops and destroys the murderers. He burns their city and then mocks the very same people he invited to his feast calling them ‘unworthy.’ But what might be the craziest thing about this king is his super strict dress code. He doesn’t just kick the underdressed man out. He has him bound hand and foot and cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Now, maybe you get a little uncomfortable with a text like this. You might find yourself wishing that Jesus would stick to good parables – happy, nice parables like the Prodigal Son or the ones about seeds and birds. Or, maybe, you wish that God always talked like He did in our Old Testament lesson (Is. 55:1-9) where He lovingly invites, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without price.” We like that kind of God. But the God Jesus presents here – maybe not as much. I mean, seriously, who wants a God who gets all bent out of shape over a guy who doesn’t have the right clothes? Why does God have to be such a hardnose?

Well, dear saints, what if the God that Jesus presents in this parable is just as lavish, just as loving and inviting, as we heard in that Old Testament lesson? In fact, I would argue that even the ugly things that happen in this parable show God’s protection and provision, His mercy, grace, and love.

The king just wants people at his feast. So, he sends out “save the date” cards. When the time to feast comes, he sends his servants to invite those who received those notifications. Still, nobody comes. If we’re being honest, this king is a little too eager to have people at his banquet. Wouldn’t it be better if he was a bit more aloof? “Oh, you don’t want to come? That’s cool!” But the king isn’t that way. He desperately wants these people there at his feast. He wants them to celebrate with him.

So, he sends out his servants again saying, “See, everything is ready. The food is hot, the wine is poured. The music is playing. Come to the feast!” But now the people act wickedly towards the king’s servants. Yes, some only ignore the invitation, but some treat the servants shamefully even kill them. Not a good idea! To attack the king’s servants is the same as attacking the king himself. This cannot stand. The king is done sending his beloved servants to these wicked ingrates. Now, he sends his army to destroy those murderers and burn their city. All the king wanted of them was their presence so he could provide the feast of feasts for them. But they didn’t want anything to do with him.

We should be surprised that the parable isn’t over yet. The story continues. The king still wants a party. He wants guests. He wants people with him to celebrate the marriage of his son. So, he sends more servants out into the streets to invite anyone they can find – good or bad, it doesn’t matter. Just fill the banquet hall with people so we can celebrate. The servants go, and here we see how the servants love their king. The servants know what had happened to the last batch of servants the king sent out. But out of love for their king, they go despite the danger. And surprisingly, they have success! The hall is filled. People arrive at the palace. And every guest finds a place prepared specifically for them at the table even though they have come directly off the street. These guests have come just as they are, and everything is ready.

Now, a lot could be said about the king’s servants. A whole sermon could be preached from this parable about how the king cares for his servants and avenges them when they are wronged. We could consider how God protects you as you go about your work, witnessing for Him as you invite others to the feast. But you are smart people and have been paying good attention. So, I’m going to let you fill in those blanks because this parable is mainly about being worthy to be at the king’s banquet. And there’s one more glitch, one more snafu, in this parable that reveals God’s grace and mercy.

The king enters the banquet hall and spots one of the guests who is there without a wedding garment. So, the king walks over to him and says, “Friend,” or to put it in today’s vernacular, “Dude, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” No response. Nothing but utter silence. The awkward pause turns into a tragic and even terrifying moment when the king summons his servants and renders swift judgment saying, “Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It’s shocking. This underdressed man gets punished even more severely than the people who murdered the king’s servants. They were only killed and had their city burned to the ground, but this underdressed, speechless man with no excuse, he gets hell.

Why? Why does the king get so bent out of shape when a guy, who has been brought in from the street, looks like a guy who has been brought in from the street? Well, here’s the thing. The wedding garment that this man was expected to be wearing but wasn’t, that garment would have been provided for him at the door. The king would have provided all the guests with wedding garments along with all the food and wine and entertainment. The king didn’t expect his guests to provide anything to be at the feast, not even the clothes on their backs. So, this underdressed man had despised the king’s gift which meant he despised the feast, despised the other guests at the party, despised the king’s son, and even despised the king himself.

So, dear saints, what does this parable teach us about God‘s grace? Well, there is no question God calls you just as you are. God certainly doesn’t need you at His feast, but He desperately wants you there. He wants you for Himself for all eternity. That is why God sent Jesus to shed His blood and die for the sins of all people (1 Tim. 4:10). In Christ’s death, everyone has been reconciled to the Father (2 Cor. 5:19). But the sad reality is that not everyone wants the forgiveness and restoration Christ has won and purchased. The eternal wedding banquet of God is only for beggars who have absolutely nothing and need everything provided for them – even the very clothes that they wear.

For the self-righteous and self-satisfied, the Gospel is insulting. Imagine going to a wedding reception and being told by the host, “You can’t come in here like that. You look and smell disgusting. Strip off all your clothes. Leave your filthy, smelly, smutty rags in the dumpster. Get hosed off and put these fine, fancy, designer clothes on instead. They’re yours to keep. By the way, we’re so glad you are here. Welcome! Enjoy the feast!” Now, if you are infected with lice, homeless, dirty, and hungry you will appreciate that cleansing and gift and have the most marvelous time at the feast. But if you like yourself just as you are, if you are comfortable with yourself in your sin and shame, hearing that is a total, complete insult.

Dear saints, God has invited you just as you are, but your God has no intention of you remaining just as you are. God loves you more than that. He transforms and elevates you. God has given you new clothes, splendent and radiant clothes. In your baptism, God closed you with the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:27). In that robe, you are without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; instead, you are holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27). Sure, you can despise that gift and treat it as though it is nothing. But you do so at your own peril.

God wants you at his feast, and at His feast there is only one rule: You don’t pay for anything. Everything is provided for you because of what Christ has done. And here’s the best part: Your God invites you now to this banquet where everything is ready. Come. You are invited just as you are. And God accepts you just as He has transformed and clothed you in Christ. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Good & Bad – Sermon on Matthew 22:1-14 for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Listen here.

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Invite as many as you find to the wedding feast9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When Jesus tells a parable, you want to watch for something unexpected, something weird because that is usually the important clue to understanding the whole parable. But this parable is almost entirely unexpected.

The parable starts out great. A king is throwing a wedding feast for his son. So far, so good. A nice king, a nice event, good food. Let’s get this party started. The king sends out his servants to call the invited guests to come. So, notice this is the second invitation. The first one came in the mail, and now the king’s servants are out to let everyone know that it’s time to party. But nobody comes. Normally, people would fight and clamor to be at such an event, but not in this parable. The people don’t come. The parable is already getting weird.

The king issues a third invitation. He again sends out his servants to tell the guests, “Come to the wedding feast. The food is ready. The meat is laid out. The table is set. Come to the wedding feast.” But some pay no attention to the servants. One heads off to his farm, another walks off to his business. But it’s about to get more shocking.

The rest of the people seize the king’s servants, treat them shamefully, and kill them. Some way to treat the king. Ignore his letters, brush off his messengers, and then grab his servants, beat them up, treat them shamefully, and murder them. Usually, a murderer has some motive. Rarely, there are random murders – just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But this goes beyond that – it makes no sense.

Destruction of Jerusalem by Ercole de' Roberti

Word of the murderous mob gets back to the king, and he is angry. (Ya think?) Yes, he’s angry – righteously so. The king is done sending his servants. Now, he sends in the troops. Justice falls swiftly. His army invades the city, destroys the murderers, and burns everything to the ground.

A day that began with the anticipation of the king for his party has turned into a day of blood, ruin, smoke, and ashes. You would think the king would be sitting in a tower of his castle looking over the smoldering ruins and just give up on his party. But the surprises keep coming because this king’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Is. 55:8-9).

The king turns around, almost as though nothing has happened, and says to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.” (Notice that. Those who were invited were not worthy.) “Go to the main roads and invite to the feast as many as you can find.”

This is the fourth invitation from the king and the third time the king sends out his servants to bring people into the wedding feast. And I bet those servants go out a little timidly, but they don’t dare refuse to go. They find people here and there. And you can almost imagine the first time the servants start to tell random people about the feast they are hesitant. “Excuse me. Yeah, um, hi. The king is throwing a wedding feast. What’s that? Yeah, ignore the smoke. The king would like you to come to his banquet. Um, there’s like a lot of good food. And, um, yeah. You should come.”

And they do. People start to come. In fact, now everyone these servants meet is eager to go to the feast. Good people, respectable people, and average Joes come. And bad people, ugly and smelly people, loosers, and even shady characters come. Everyone this third group of servants meet is invited to the banquet hall, and every seat is taken.

Finally, the king has what he wanted – a party, a hall full of guests celebrating the wedding of his son.

Now, the parable isn’t done, but we have to pause briefly here. The guests who were invited first, the guests who didn’t come and now lie on the ground dead, the king has called ‘unworthy.’ And the guests who finally fill the king’s hall are ‘both good and bad.’ This is an important detail, so don’t miss it.

This parable is about being worthy to be at the feast. But that worthiness has nothing to do with being good or bad. Nothing whatsoever.

The rest of the parable drives this home. The king’s hall is filled. The music is playing. The food is being distributed. The guests are having a good time. And, now, the king comes into the banquet room. He looks over the crowd smiling at the guests who have come to his feast. The Marriage Feast published 1864 by Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896But there over at table 72 is a man who has no wedding garment. He is there in his smelly, sweat-stained cloths with dusty, dirty feet.

The king makes his way through the crowd, dodges waiters with trays, and bumps the backs of a few chairs. He stands before the man with no wedding garment and says, “Hey pal, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?”

Remember, all these guests had been pulled off the street, so none of them would have had the proper attire to be at such a fancy feast. The wedding garments the king expected everyone to have would have been paid for by the king and given out by his servants at the door.

So, when the king addresses this rascal, “Hey buster, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” the man is speechless. The man had no excuse because he knows that he has been caught refusing and rejecting the king’s gift.

So, the king says to his servants, “Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Fellow sinners, the Jesus who tells this parable is not soft. He isn’t a Precious Moments Jesus. Jesus tells this parable today to shake us up and remind us who He is – He is the Lord, the King of all Creation, the Holy Ruler of all things. And Jesus tells this parable to remind you who you are – unworthy beggars brought in from the street. Yet, He has graciously, lovingly, carefully made you worthy to be at His feast by His grace and His provision.

Bride of Christ Full of EyesYour God is into feasts and parties and merry-making. His feast goes on, and He wants you there. He wants you to celebrate with Him, so He has provided you with everything you need to be at the feast. Don’t reject His invitation. Don’t reject His robe of righteousness.

On the cross, Jesus provided everything for you. He gave everything so you could have it all. His poured out His own blood for you. He gives His perfect righteousness to you. In Christ, you are washed. In Christ, you are clothed. In Christ, you have no spot or wrinkle. In Christ, you are holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:26-27).

So repent. Be dressed in the holiness and perfection of Jesus. Come to the wedding feast. Hear His invitation that your soul may live. And don’t be afraid to invite others to this feast no matter who they are.Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.