Today’s scripture: Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Penny Dean):
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy and his companions, lost in the jungle in India, stumble upon a small, impoverished village. Food is scarce yet the villagers serve the strangers the best of what they have. When Indy’s female companion refuses to eat the food she is given, Indy tells her, “This is more food than these people have seen in a week. If you don’t eat it, they’ll be insulted.” Grudgingly, she chokes it down.
The king in the passage for today is repeatedly insulted. First his guests refuse to come to the banquet. Then, at the second invitation, they ignore the messengers or kill them — now that’s insulting! Then, when the king sent his servants to round up some strangers, they let in a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. By this point, the king was enraged and had the man bound and thrown out.
Two thousand years later, Jesus’ parable seems harsh. After all, the king did tell his servants to “invite anyone they could find” (NIV, v. 9) so what they wore shouldn’t have been a big deal. But it was.
In a culture where there were no motels, bed-and-breakfasts, or even campgrounds, hospitality was essential for travelers and guests. A person could not survive easily or for long in a desert climate (or a jungle) without the kindness of strangers. Sharing food with someone was akin to signing a contract with them saying, in effect, that you were united. To refuse hospitality was to make an enemy.
Furthermore, when one was invited to a wedding, he would be given garments to wear to the banquet. No grateful guest would refuse to do so. That would be unthinkable and the host might assume the guest was arrogant or didn’t want to join in the festivities. In short, refusing hospitality could lead to being thrown out into the darkness where one would be vulnerable to wild animals, bandits, and the cold.
Clearly the king in this parable is God who never stops inviting us to come closer and engage with God. We may ignore God or say we’re too busy or become hostile. Or we may pretend to be a guest when we are actually a wedding crasher — there for the food or the benefits but not really because we want to be. God will not drag us to the banquet; God would rather that we accept the gift of hospitality.
So the next time the king offers you crushed up caterpillars for dinner, think twice before you refuse.
Thought for the day: Are you open to what God is offering you? Are you genuinely celebrating at God’s banquet?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.