St. John The Baptist

Browsing A message from Father Mark

October 11, 2020

28 TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR A
Have you ever received an invitation to a party you really didn’t want to go to? And, if
you didn’t want to attend, I bet you didn’t mistreat, abuse, or kill the postal worker.
Probably not, but that is exactly what happens in today’ gospel. This is a parable about
God’s judgment, and whenever we have to think about God’s judgment, we get kind of nervous.
In this case it leaves us wondering whether we’re in the first group or the second group; are we
worthy or unworthy.
I suspect that our nervousness and fear about God’s judgments arise in part because we
assume that God judges us in the same way we so often judge others – which are usually far
more harsh than the way God would judge us. But what if it’s just the opposite with God?
What if Jesus is trying to shock us into seeing that the kingdom of heaven is not business as
usual?
If that’s the case, then what’s the difference between the first-invited guests and the
second? The difference isn’t that one was more deserving than the other or that the king likes
one group more than the other or even that some guests are good and the others are bad.
Those are the kinds of things we often base our judgments on. So what is the difference
between those who were not worthy and those who were? The only difference between the two
groups seems to be their presence at the banquet. The second group of guests showed up and
the first group did not. That’s the only difference between the two groups.

So it seems that our life in God is to just show up. But that’s a lot easier said than done,
because to be present is sometimes difficult work.
Instead of being present at the feast, we too often go our separate ways – to our homes
and businesses. We’re too busy, too tired, too distracted. There’s work to be done and money
to be made. We assume that just being present doesn’t hold any value. We’re convinced we
have better things to do and better places to be.
That’s what the first group that had been invited did. But what they did not realize is that
there is no life outside the banquet, of the kingdom of God. To show up and be present – it’s
that simple. We don’t have to earn or prove our worthiness.
And what about the guy who showed up without the proper clothes? This is about more
than just a dress code violation. Something else was wrong – he was speechless. He had
nothing to say for himself. He wasn’t truly present.
Here’s what I wonder. What if this man had said something? What if he had said; I was
hungry and I trusted you to feed me, I was lonely and I trusted you to take me in, I was thirsty
and I trusted you to give me drink, I was naked and I trusted you to clothe me, I was dying and I
trusted you to give me life.
What if he had said any one of those or a thousand other things like them? I think it
would have been enough. He would have shown up with all that he was and all that he had.
Then the king would have said to him, come, you have have my blessing. And if that is true for
him, then it is true for us too.

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