“AT THE FEAST”
Saint Luke 14. 16-24
The Second Sunday after Trinity: 5 June Anno Domini 2005
Fr Watson
Pity the man that delights in "fast food" over a good home cooked meal. Feel sorry for the soul that would rather eat and drink alone than to be an honored guest at a banquet of family and friends. By nature, by our sinful "old Adams" we would just as soon eat in the dark, by ourselves, grinding and crunching away like the wild animals, sinners truly are; slobbering and gorging ourselves on all the bad things that come from ourselves; self- cannibalism if you will.
Yes, the Lord's parable is about the un-regenerate; the non-believing pagan who rejects Grace, who rejects Jesus. Until the Lord Himself comes into a man's heart, and turns it, converts it, makes it God's, the owner can do nothing but reject supper invitations. The heathen heart can only lie and make excuses. But also, the Lord's parable is about all of you, that is, how all of you were before your Holy Baptisms. Before you were "compelled" to come to the feast of his Love and Grace, you too were conniving duplicitous enemies. The Lord's parable is about your sinful natures, even now, about your old inclinations to still sin against His gracious invitations every day, in every way. If the Lord's parable were only apropos for heathen listeners, it would not be the appointed text for the First Sunday after Trinity.
He has a great supper. You're invited. You were clothed in your banquet "duds" on the day He + washed you. Your Mom wouldn't let you come to the table without washing your hands. The Lord has washed you clean and put on you your white robes. Everything is ready. The feast overflows for you everyday in the powerful and dangerous pages of Holy Scripture. Be in that thrilling and bracing adventure story; that reality is yours. The feast is present here every Lord's Day; the feast of absolution, of the Word which saves, of the Supper of Immortality. Be in this exciting banquet, weekly.
But all of our "old Adams" with one accord make excuses. You say you've "purchased land?" Indeed, your daily life is filled with mammon, with creature comforts of all shapes, sizes, uses and descriptions. There are, and always will be, more entertaining, more fun, more worldly sensible, things to do on Sunday morning. But when you're not here, you're a.w.o.l. (absent without leave) from the Battle you've been born into. Not from the carnage of the battlefront, but from the bivouacking of your brothers, your Company. You need rest, patching up, stirring life-giving Words from the General Jesus, and nourishment. Be here!
You've "bought five yoke of oxen" and you would rather "test them?" The sinner in all of us would much rather rely on the five books of Moses as law and regulation. The Pharisee in all of us would rather see life as merely a list of things to do and refrain from doing; for then we could be about the "doing," then we could work our way into future reward by our own faultless merit; then we could take the bows, receive the battle commendations, sit at the head table in the mess hall. But the only ground that the five pair of oxen plow up is the grave. The Law only digs pits to contain dead bodies on their way to hell.
You are also daily tempted to choose your "wife" over your Lord and God. Your wife may in fact be your wife, or, your wife may be other people important in your earthly life: your kids, your co-workers, your buddies, the people you're trying to impress, or, your wife. The First Commandment will always remain the First: "Fear, love and trust in God above all things." Jesus' words will always remain hard words: "he who loves father or mother, son or daughter, more than Me, is not fit for the kingdom." Don't let your emotional attachment for earthly kin, separate both you and them from your heavenly Brother. The water they give you runs out; you're thirsty again. The water He gives you at His Supper slacks thirst for eternity.
None of you were the "first" invited to His feast. No, you in fact, are the poor, maimed, lame and blind. Or, I should say, you were poor, now you are royal brothers and sisters, warrior priests in Clan Jesus. You were maimed, now you have a New Body, His Body, and His Church. You were blind, but now you see with the spiritual eyes of Faith.
Time for talking, that is, for listening and hearing Jesus, now comes to a temporary pause; it's time for that Supper of Love, Life, Adventure, Confession and Warfare against the enemy. The Lord is your Stay. Come and taste His supper.
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost