“BROUGHT UNTO THE MARRIAGE BY YOUR GROOM”
Saint Matthew 22: 1-14
20th Sunday After Trinity: 9 October Anno Domini 2016
Father Jay Watson SSP
Your Lord spoke many times in parables. Each time He illustrated a truth about His Kingdom—which means He spoke truth about Himself—The Truth. He spoke, and still speaks in todays appointed Gospel, truth about you as well.
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” [Ps. 24. 7-8]
There is only one King both in reality (Holy Scripture and this Heaven and Earth) and in Christ’s parables—Christ Jesus! “And the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings.” [Rev. 17.14]
Jesus’ marriage is with you. The consummation is both with you as an individual—the one lost sheep—but also with you (plural) the Church of the living God—the “bride of The Lamb.” It is not a union formed by emotion and “romantic” love, (aka: goofy ‘feelings’) but by the will and desire of The Groom—The King. This is an arranged marriage. You are loved because The Lord chooses to love you!
King Jesus sends forth His servants to “call them that are bidden:” “…our Savior, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge, of the truth.” [1 Ti. 2. 3-5] The invitation is His good news of His person and work. It is the Gospel of What the King has done. The servants are angels—not so much spirit-beings with four wings or six, but angels in collars wearing their Master’s yoke of service—preaching His words of peace and loosing!
The Word of The Lord must be broadcast far and wide, to every living creature [Mk. 16.15] and on all soil (but that is another parable). “Many are called” means all are called, for “God so loved the world” [Jn. 3.16]. “Few are chosen” means not all will be at the wedding. The wise virgins will be inside the nuptial hall but the foolish virgins will be in the outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” [Mk. 16.16]
The ones, most, who make “light” of the Gospel message—they go “their” ways…the way of “old Adam” of Satan, “one to his farm, another to his merchandise,” the ones who in their pagan hard-heartedness “took His servants…entreated them spitefully, and slew them,” are the ones who are murderers of the King in their hearts. For their rejection of Love and Mercy they receive the just reward of their works: “…burned up their city,” i.e. they are cast into the lake of fire with all their worthless and profane mammon.
The only way to be at the high wedding table as bride, royal priest, lost lamb found and restored, SAVED, is to be a “guest” …to be invited yes, but to be “gathered…. both bad and good” called, bid, yea, carried on angels’ wings like Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom, or, like all of you by the Word of your Pastor to the Font of forgiveness and Communion rail of Righteousness. Wearing the “wedding garment” is to be wearing “as a little child” the baptismal christening garment—THE CHRIST robe—of grace through faith in Christ the King alone. For your King is a humble and lowly suffering servant King; The Agnus Dei.
The imposter, the gate-crasher, the Narcissus chameleon, who looks only at himself will be naked in front of His Judge because He wears not His Judge’s Body and Blood. The self-righteous will be truly “speechless” for only The King Who eats and drinks with repentant sinners opens lips and unplugs ears.
You’re not here dear Saints because you were saints, special, or worth being here. You are here because the King brought you here and made you Holy—made you Saints by anointing your heads with Water and Blood from His pierced Body and punctured Heart. You were gathered by Apostolic Angels on wooden pallets and beds of the very Crucifix itself. The King’s very own oxen and fatlings are killed, for we preach Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins—for the forgiveness of you!
“All things are ready; come unto the marriage.”
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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