In the first reading Sunday, Isaiah shares a vision of the great feast to come, when God will wipe away death forever. In his parable about a great banquet, Jesus draws on this well-known imagery. Yet, surprisingly, those invited do not come, so the invitation is extended to others. But unlike Luke’s version of this same parable, Matthew’s version gets a little pointed as one guest is found without a wedding robe and gets kicked out of the party. An average wedding in North America can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars—or more! After such lavish expense, the host is rightly upset by the guest’s behavior. Hosting a wedding banquet is not cheap—but according to Jesus’ parable, neither is grace. Receiving God’s grace changes people. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer taught, God’s grace is not cheap; it comes at a great cost upon the cross. Once we come to the banquet (communion) and receive this costly grace, our lives – and clothing – are never the same. To continue to live in the same way after receiving this gracious invitation is not an option. So what are we to do? We simply find a changing room—so that we are dressed for success.
