Category: homilies

The reading today on this Feast of Christ the King evokes three images of Christ as King. All of them are to some extent paradoxical for they emphasize things about a King we don’t usually think of in relation to a king. They also tell us that we have already met King Jesus, even if we didn’t know it. Lets look at these three images of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of all Creation.

I. Caring King – The first reading from Ezekiel 34 speak of the Lord in terms of a Shepherd who cares for his flock. Some of the lines that summarize his care are: I myself will look after and tend my sheep…I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark…I myself will give them rest…The lost I will seek out….The strayed I will bring back…. The injured I will bind up. The sick I will heal…..

It is not usual for us in the modern world to think of Kings and heads of state in such a caring role. Most world leaders today are wholly inaccessible to us, behind many layers of security and staff. Even many bishops of larger dioceses are hard to personally reach.

But Jesus is a King who is more present to us than we are to ourselves. An old revival hymn says, Jesus is on the Main Line….call him up and tell him what you want. Another song says, God is just one prayer away.

It was more common and less paradoxical in the ancient world to speak of a caring king. Most Kings had more immediate contact with their subjects. Many kings had certain days when their subject could line up to talk to them. It is said that St. Athanasius one day ran up to the emperor on his horse, grabbed the reigns and proceeded to debate a theological point with him. Even until recently U.S. Presidents had office hours. It is said that on Tuesdays Abraham Lincoln received visitors from among the citizenry who sought to speak to them of their concerns, they would line up at the door without formal appointments and he’d listen to them one by one. As our culture has become more violent and public figures more widely recognized and vulnerable, they now live in sealed, bullet-proof and virtually sound proofed worlds, hearing little from ordinary people and mainly from their staff.

So the idea of a King who personally cares for his people is paradoxical to us. But Jesus does.

I want to testify that I do indeed have a caring King, Jesus. He’s been good to me. He has led me, rescued me, purified me, fed me, instructed me, graced me and died for me.

And I want to testify that he was being good to me even when I didn’t think he was being good to me. Scripture says, All things work together for good to them who love and trust the Lord (Rom 8:28 ). Notice, not just the good things work for my good, but even the bad things. God sometimes permits some “stuff” to happen because it will bless us in the end. If you’re suffering, don’t give up on God. Some of his gifts come in strange packages. St Paul says, For this affliction is producing for us a weight of glory beyond compare (2 Cor 4:17).

And, did you notice the last line in the passage from Ezekiel: But the sleek and the strong I will destroy shepherding them rightly? Yes, even at those times when I needed to be humbled (my pride destroyed) the Lord was shepherding me rightly. There was a time in my life when I was more sleek and strong. And the Lord let me experience some humiliation, destroying me as it were, and giving me humility. I even see this humiliation physically, for I was once sleek, and now I am fat. And it is humbling to be fat, especially when people scold me. They think it is easy to lose weight. But God will humble them too, perhaps in other ways. God hates pride, he just can’t stand it. This is because he knows how deadly it is to us.

Yes God is a caring King. Some of his ways are paradoxical. But he never ceases to care for us. I’m a witness. He’s been good to me, even when I didn’t think he was being good, he was being good.

II. Conquering King – The second reading speaks of the victory of Jesus over all things saying he has: been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. That he has reversed what Adam did. That he is the first fruits, then each one in proper order will also rise. It says he will hand the kingdom over to God his Father when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power and that he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet, the last enemy to be destroyed being death.

Here too there is great paradox. For as Hebrews says, In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, (Heb 2:8-10).

So, while it is true, at times it seems that evil triumphs, God is working and, one by one, putting all his enemies under his feet. One day, even death itself will be destroyed. The paradox of the cross shouts to us that God conquers not by brutality and cruel strength, but by love, and things the world dismisses as weak, such as forgiveness and mercy.

Here too I want to say, God is a conquering King in my life. He has destroyed the power of many sins and diminished others, on their way to destruction. I have seen sins put down and under his feet, as he cleanses the temple of my soul. He has conquered so much of my pride. I am seeing lust, greed, anger, sloth, envy and fear on the ropes. One by one, he is diminishing their power and replacing them with grater love, compassion, kindness, purity, love for the truth, prayerfulness courage, trust and eagerness to do good and win souls.

Thank you Lord for being a conquering King in my life.

And this conquering King, unlike worldly Kings does not ultimately force us to be his subjects and live in his kingdom. Earthly Kings conquer localities and force peoples under his rule by might. But Jesus is a King who respects our freedom to decide to have him as our king, and to accept his kingdom virtues, or not. Hence Hell is not so much a place of punishment as it is a place to which those who refuse, who say no to Christ and his kingdom, depart. This King, though he is all powerful does not force his kingship and laws. He offers them to all and we must decide.

III. Coming King – The Gospel teaches us that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. And in this coming we will discover that we have known him all along, but in a paradoxical way. As Christ comes and takes his seat and all are summoned to him, we are going to have a strange sense we’ve met him before. And he will confirm that.

For indeed we have met His Majesty and he is the strangest king of all. He is a King who is hungry, thirsty, sick, lonely, a foreigner, in prison and a stranger. And the list he gives should not be seen as exhaustive, for he is in the needy, whether rich or poor. He is in the discouraged family member who just lost a job, or a loved one; he is in our children who need to be taught and encouraged; he is the co-worker who just lost his wife, or the customer who just got a diagnosis of cancer. He is in the lost youth or family member who needs instruction and to be drawn back to the sacraments. He’s even in you, in your struggles and needs.

Yes, we have met this King every day. And he is not just saying these people have some moral union with him, he is saying, mystically, he IS them. And when we have cared for them we were not simply doing something ethical, we were serving and caring for Him: You did it for me.

What a strange King! We think of Kings in palaces, far removed from trouble. But this King is naked, poor, hungry and thirsty. We walk past him every day.

And to those who have cared for him in his poor, he says, “I will never forget what you have done.” The poor may not be able to repay us, But King Jesus will repay us a million-fold. And on the day of our judgment we will look at Jesus and say, I know you! I recognize you! And he will say, I know you too….come inherit the kingdom prepared for yo form the foundation of the world.

Yes, Jesus our King, the strangest King you ever meet: a caring and close King, a conquering King who never forces, a King who who is hungry and thirsty; a King who reigns from the cross; A King who dies so we don’t have to; a King who washes our feet and comes to serve, not be served. A King alright, one who rules with love, not by force. The Strangest king you’ve ever met, and you meet him every day: in the Eucharist, in the poor, in his Word, in your heart, in the events of your day, in your very self.

The Scriptures of the last weeks have been a rich sampling of the Wisdom Tradition in the Bible. In this tradition is distinguished among other things, the wise from the foolish. The wise are those have set their hearts on God and the lasting things of eternity. They prepare for what is certain (death and judgement) and have their treasure with God and in heaven, God is the joy of their heart. The foolish set their hearts on the passing and uncertain things of this world. They focus on, prefer and find their joy in things that are uncertain and passing, like wealth, good looks, and popularity. And they neglect death and judgment or the things of God.

In today’s reading we are focused on another wisdom concept: the Fear of the Lord. In the First reading we hear, Charm is deceitful, beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.(Prov 23) The Psalm says, Blessed are you who fear the Lord (Psalm 128:1)

Now this phrase “the fear of the Lord” needs to be rescued from common misunderstandings. To fear the Lord does not mean to cringe with servile fear, with the fear of being crushed or destroyed. Such a fear as this is not what the beatitude is getting at. Rather to fear the the Lord is to hold him in awe, to reverence him with a deep and abiding love and appreciation as the source of all that I am and all that I have. It is a “fear” a reverence and awe rooted in love and appreciation. Since I love God and He is Abba to me, I fear offending him by sin, or severing my relationship to him by refusing his grace. Out of love, reverence and a sense of awe, I fear giving any offense to Him who is Holy, God, and deserving of all my love.

The Gospel today develops a kind of portrait of the Holy Fear of the Lord which is taught, and of the resentful servile fear which is not taught. Let’s look at it with this perspective in mind and discover the differences of each kind of fear.

A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability.  Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.  But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

Three men are given resources to use. Two succeed, one fails. Why the difference?  Ultimately it is the difference between holy fear, love and confidence on the one hand, and unholy fear and resentment on the other.

Consider the plan of the first two men who succeed.

1. Receive Riches – One gets 5 Talents, the other 2 Talents, each according to his ability. While the “inequity” may offend modern notions, we can simply note the commentary in the scripture itself. Each had different abilities. And while some in our modern world may sniff at the the different amounts, it is rather to be doubted that any of these “enlightened” people, if they ran a business, would not give more resources to an industrious employee over an average employee. The fact is, God blesses some more abundantly than others due to their good use of gifts. As the Lord teaches  later and gives a fundamental rule: We must prove faithful in a few things to be ruler over many (Matt 25:23).
2. Risk Reinvestment -Something in these two men makes them free to risk reinvesting the money. It is likely their relationship with the Master. Implicitly they see him as a reasonable man, someone who would applaud their industriousness. Though there is a risk in reinvesting the money, they would seem to see the Master as reasonable and patient enough that even if there are losses, they will not be destroyed or dealt with unmercifully. Thus they seem to experience the freedom and courage to step out and make use of the Talents entrusted to them.  Notice the text says they “immediately” went out and traded. Thus they are eager to work for their master and take the risks on his behalf in order to please him.
3. Render a Report – Upon the Master’s return they are called to render an an account. The text depict a kind of joy on their part as they report: He said, ‘Master, you gave me five (two) talents.  See, I have made five (two) more.’ There is sensible a kind of enthusiasm for the opportunity and a joy for the harvest.
4. Rise in the Ranks. And note that their presumptions of the master as a fair and reasonable man are affirmed in his response. Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.  Come, share your master’s joy. Hence we see that the Master is joyful and wants to share his joy with the servants. Further, he is willing to give them greater access to share in his blessings and joy based on their openness to trust him and prove trustworthy themselves.

Thus at some level the two successful servants see the owner of the riches as a man they can deal with. They have a healthy respect for him but not an unhealthy fear. The receive the funds gladly, and with that with gratitude go to work, motivated and enthusiastic. Together they say, “We choose the Fear of the Lord!”

Allow them to be portrait of Holy Fear of The Lord. With this sort of Holy Fear we love God, and are enthusiastic to work for him, realizing that he shares his blessings and is both reasonable and generous. Confident of His mercy, (though not presumptive of it) we go to work in his vineyard. It is true there are risks and temptation in the vineyard. But if we fail or fall, we do not make light of our sin, we repent of it and are confident of God’s mercy. Holy Fear of the Lord does not box us in or paralyze us. It does remind of our boundaries and keep us away from truly dangerous things that erode our talents. But, because we love God, respecting his boundaries is a joyful thing for us and protects us from “unsafe investments.”  But within the designated boundaries there is both room to maneuver and safety from the thickets of sin. The Fear of the Lord is joyful and encouraging, not something to cause a cringing or hiding from God. Choose the Fear of the Lord

But the man who fails follows a different plan, a plan by which he is

1. Fruitless – for he buries the treasure
2. Furious – for he says, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter, so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground he considers the owner a hard man. He also sees him as unjust by having others do his planting etc. He sees his work as slavery, unlike the other men who see it as an opportunity.  Notice too this subtlety. He the talent as “your talent” whereas the other men say, “You gave me five (two) talents.” These men see themselves as stewards whereas the third man sees himself as a slave.
3. Fearful – For he says he buried it out of fear. In this case we see a cringing and servile fear, as distinct from the Holy Fear of the Lord, counseled by Scripture. Note too that it is his image of the Master that drives his fear.
4. Forfeits – It is clear he wants nothing to do with the Master. The owner therefore says, in effect, Fine, if you don’t want to deal with me you don’t have to. I will take your talent and given it to the one with 10. And as for you, if you do not wish to be in my presence or deal with me, then consider yourself dismissed.

So we see how the failed servant gives way to anger, resentment and indulges his unholy fears that the owner is out to get him and the deck is stacked against him. He is not grateful for the opportunity afforded him by the owner. But notice these are thoughts he has that generate his feelings and actions. But are his thoughts true and unassailable? It is clear that the other two men do not see the Master in this way. And we see, by their example that the thoughts of the failed servant are not true, and that the Master is decent, just and joyful. The failed servant should believe everything he thinks, but should test it against reality.

It is a true and sad fact that many consider God in this way. They consider God trouble-maker and do not trust him. They are resentful of God and religion in general, due to what they perceive as rules and requirements, judgements and restrictions.

An old Irish saw says, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was “No!” Do you think of  God this way? Many do, and on account of their thoughts a thousand negative feelings are generated. But the challenge for them must be the same as for the failed servant: Are your thoughts and ideas about God true? Why do you insist on thinking of God this way? Is there no other way to see and understand God?

For many believers know and experience God’s love for them. Many of us have learned to trust him and rejoice in his gifts. And as for rules and restrictions, these are accepted in the love with which they were given. Within the protective walls that Holy Fear of the Lord accepts there is great freedom and joy. God’s laws are not prison walls, they are defending walls. We choose the Fear of the Lord, a fear rooted in love and trust.

The third man failed because he believed everything he thought and did not check out the reality of the Master as He really was. Many today also give way to negative thoughts about God and never stop to consider that not everything they think is true.

The common stereotype of faith today is that religion is an unhappy life, stifling one’s humanity and freedom, binding people with moral rules and dogmas that restrict human fulfillment.

But just because people think this, doesn’t mean it is true. And to such as these the challenge must go forth: “Don’t believe everything you think. Test the reality, talk to believers and open your heart to the possibility that God and religious faith are none of the things you think.

A challenge for us who believe is: what if a person of this sort came to you? Would they find in you someone who is joyful, fulfilled and being transformed? Would their stereotypical thoughts not stand up against the stereotype as they observed you? Or would you tend more to confirm the stereotype, exhibiting a cringing fear and a grouchy, joyless, faith? What would they see? Would they see a man or a woman who is “sharing their master’s joy” and choosing the Fear of the Lord? For the fact is, there are some grouchy Christians, some sour-faced saints, bored believers and dour disciples, the frozen chosen; those who seem never to have heard the Lord say, “Come, share your Master’s joy.” They do not choose the Fear of the Lord, but seem rather to endure Faith as something to do or else.

Make sure it isn’t you, for Christians are the “scriptures” people most often read.

To fear the Lord is to hold him awe, rejoicing in his power and wisdom, accepting his authority as saving and helpful. And thus we yield an abundant harvest with his gifts. But resentment, anger, and a servile, cringing fear only make us averse to being in God’s presence. In the end, God will respect our aversion and not force us to remain, we can consider ourselves dismissed, if that be the case.

What will it be for you and me? Pray it will be: We Choose the Fear of the Lord

I will write more tomorrow on the Fear of the Lord.

The Gospel today presents a number of Practical Principles of Preparation. As always the Lord has a way of teaching us such practical things in a very memorable way. Most of us remember well the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. Now it pertains to us to look with some care of some the principles it teaches us. Lets look at four of them. In the end we will find that the Lord turns the tables on us.

I. Procure your Provisions – The text says, The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

In looking at this text we see that humanity is divided between the wise the foolish. We generally live in times that like to de-emphasize distinctions. It is a true fact that at times we have emphasized things that did not matter, or were unfair to focus on. But there are distinctions that DO matter and this is one of them. To be wise is to be richly rooted in God and in what God offers: His love, his wisdom, his grace and mercy, his truth, His vision and priorities, His very life.

To lack these things is not merely a matter of unfortunate poverty or bad luck, for these things are offered richly and freely by God and are widely known and available to all.

Thus to lack these things renders one a fool. Many proceed through this life and consider themselves very smart. And they may be smart in science, or finances, or business, or sports. But being smart is not the same as being wise. One can be very smart, and still be a fool. One can climb the ladder of success. But if it is leaning up against the wrong wall, they climb only to ruin. The wise, whether smart or simple, know God and are recipients of his gifts. The foolish deny him or his gifts, whether explicitly through conscious resistance, or implicitly through lukewarmness and lip service.

In the this parable, the wise virgins bring extra oil. They have procured their provsions.

But what is this oil? The Fathers of the Church had many answers. Some said it was love, others wisdom, or holy deeds. But we need not limit it to any one thing. The oil is the the love of God, the Wisdom of God. It is God Himself. It is all God’s treasures of Scripture, the Sacraments, prayer, the Church, the liturgy; it is joy, mercy, forgiveness, peace and the gift of holiness. The wise virgins have stocked up on God’s abundant and free gifts. They have richly availed themselves of God’s goodness a plentiful graces.

The foolish virgins are not wholly lacking in God’s gifts, for no human being made in the likeness of God is. But they have not sought to endow themselves sufficiently to see the night of this life through. They are careless and lazy. Perhaps carrying extra oil is too much trouble, just as going to Mass, praying, or reading Scripture is too much trouble for “the foolish” today.

What of you? Are you wise or foolish? Put another way, are you procuring your provisions? Are you availing yourself of the oil of God’s good gifts? Or, do you have other “more important” things to attend to?

The First Principle of Proper Preparation is: Procure your Provisions.

II. Personally Prepare – The text says, The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.‘

At first glance the answer of the wise virgins surprises us. Shouldn’t they share? Isn’t this what we would expect Jesus to say?

But, the fact is, there are some things you can’t loan and there are some things you can’t borrow. You can’t borrow someone else’s relationship with God, you can’t borrow holiness, or mercy, or love, or wisdom. You can’t borrow someone else’s prayer life. You just have to have your own.

As a priest I get lots of requests, sometimes for money, perhaps to use the Church for a funeral etc. I often inquire, “Was the deceased a member here?” So often the answer is, “Well no, but his Grandmother was.” Or “His second cousin used to go here.” Now as for me, I’ll celebrate the funeral, no matter, but the frankly the answer is “No, he did not go here” and the fact that his Grandmother did or his second cousin has nothing to do with it. None of that will profit him before God and none of that adds even a drop of oil to his lamp. You can’t borrow you grandmother’s holiness. You have to have your own.

Hence we must personally prepare to meet God. We must come to know him and love him. We must personally be open to receiving the gifts he offers, be it prayer, scripture, the liturgy, sacraments, the moral life, a new mind and heart, and so forth.

What about us? Do we have our own oil, or are we just talking about what a great person granny was? An old gospel hymn says, Yes I know Jesus for myself. Do we? Another old Gospel hymn says, My mother taught me how to pray. So if I die and my soul be lost, it’s nobody’s fault but mine.

The Second Principle of of Proper Preparation is to Personally Prepare.

III. Persevere in Preparations – The Text says, At midnight, there was a cry, Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!…and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.

Here too is an important reminder we must persevere in our walk to the end. The groom did not come till midnight and the foolish ones, though they had procured oil early on, could not hold out to the end.

I cannot tell you, how often people tell me, a priest,  things like, “I used to be an altar boy…..I used to go to “your” Church…..I went to St Cyprian’s School….I’m old St Cyprian’s….our family goes all the way back….My Grandfather helped build the place!” Of course I am supposed to be impressed. But instead I ask, “And where are you today?” Usually they aren’t anywhere, and so I say something like,  “You’re telling me you used to have your lamp trimmed and burning, but it sounds like you ran out of oil. Watch out, the Day is drawing nigh!”

But of course the point here is that only those who were ready with their lamps trimmed and burning WHEN THE GROOM ARRIVED, entered the wedding with him. Then the door was barred.  We must be faithful unto the end. Jesus says, He who perseveres to the end will be saved (Matt 24:13). Scripture also says, Call no man blessed till he die. For it is by his end that a man is known. (Sirach 11:28)

Persevere. I may be wonder that you read the whole Bible when you where in High School. But where are you today. And where will you be at midnight?

The Third Principle of Proper Preparation is to Persevere in Preparations.

IV. Procrastination is Perilous – The text says, While [the five foolish virgins] went off to buy [the oil], the bridegroom came…those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

In the end, our Wisdom goes with us or our foolishness catches us. The foolish virgins scrambled at the end to get what they needed. But it was too late. The door was barred.

One physical explanation for this detail may be found in the fact that houses of the ancient world were often rather small, but backed out onto a closed courtyard. Hence, when all the guests had arrived, the doors of these small houses were close and the furniture moved up against the walls and the door to make room as the celebration began. To move everything to open the door was problematic, and it was rude to ask for this.

It was just too late for them. Procrastination is perilous.

And two things beckon for our special attention.

First there are the words of the Lord, “I do not know you.” The Greek word here is οἶδα (oida) which bespeaks a kind of intellectual knowing. And so it may surprise us to hear the omniscient Lord say he does not know someone. Perhaps here we can understand the word as meaning he does not “recognize” them as one of the guests. They are not of the wedding party, not on the guest list. Or, to use another metaphor, they are not among the sheep of his flock. Later, in this same chapter of  Matthew, Jesus will speak of dividing sheep from goats. Hence there is a judgment issued here: I do not recognize you as one of my flock, the door cannot be opened, it is too late.

But how did it get to be so late and what does it mean that the door is barred?

This leads us to the second point that demands our attention. It is said that the foolish virgins are knocking on the door, or at least calling out, asking entrance.

But this precisely backward. It is not we who knock, but the Lord who knocks. It is he who bids us open, and we who must answer. Jesus says, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). It is the Lord who calls, It was I who chose you, he says (Jn 15:16).

Hence the way to heaven is not through some door “up there,” it is through the door down here, that we must open, the door of our heart. And the Lord is knocking now. Procrastination is peril, it is foolishness. It is now, and every day, that we must answer the knock. The choice is ours. Yes, the door to heaven is opened from the inside of our hearts. It is we who ultimately determine our destiny. The Lord merely ratifies it at the judgment.

The Lord wants to know us, want to recognize us as his own, that much is clear. That is why he knocks, and knocks. Will you answer?

Be careful, the fourth principle of proper preparation to realize that procrastination is perilous. There comes a day when the door is forever closed. But the door is your heart. Answer! Open!

This song says, Somebody’s knocking at your door. Oh Sinner, why don’t you answer? Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door.

There was an expression common among the Rabbis of Jesus’ time, and perhaps even now, wherein one Rabbi would ask another a question, but request the answer be given, “Standing on one foot.” Which is a Jewish way of saying, “Be brief in your answer.”

And that sort of expression may be behind the question that is raised today by the scholar of law who asks, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

Just as an aside, it is likely, that the scholar of the law is not only asking for brevity since he is in a hostile stance with Jesus. (The text says he speaks to Jesus in order to “test” him). In effect he says to Jesus, “Alright, let’s get right to the point. You’re talking a lot of new things, but what is the greatest commandment?”

But for this reflection let’s just set aside the background hostilities and allow Jesus to recite the Law standing on one foot. And in so doing, Jesus recites the traditional Jewish Shema:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד.
Šĕmaʿ Yisĕrāʾel Ădōnāy Ĕlōhênû Ădōnāy eḥād.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

The fuller text recited by Jesus is from Deuteronomy 6:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. (Deut 6:4-6)

And Jesus adds, also in common Rabbinic tradition: And the second is like it, You  neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

That’s it, the whole Law, standing on one foot. The first table of the Law, (the first three Commandants): Love the Lord your God. The Second table of the Law, (Commandments 4-10), Love your neighbor.

It is said that the ancient Rabbi Hillel, being even briefer, said of the second table of the Law, Do not do unto others that which you would hate done unto yourself, and all the rest is commentary.

We like to make it more complicated, but it really isn’t.

1. No other gods– If I really love God I should need separate laws that tell me I ought not put other gods, whether things or people ahead of him? No!, I want to be faithful and would never dream of being unfaithful by “sleeping with other gods” of any sort.
2. I Love His Name – Neither do I need rules that tell me not to use God’s name hatefully, or in vain and empty ways. I love his Name, and just to hear it lights up my heart with love.
3. I love to Praise Him – And if I love God, I do not need to be compelled by law or fear to come to Church on Sunday and worship him. I want to worship him and praise his name.
4. I love my family, Church and Country – And if I love my family my Church and my country , I do not need to be told to reverence those who have lawful authority in those places. I love my parents and my family, and am willing honor, reverence and pray for them for all set in authority and honor there. I love too my Church and willingly love our leaders and pray for them. And I follow the teaching of the Church with joy, trusting that I am hearing the voice of the Lord who teaches me through the Church. And I love my country and pray for our leaders that God may uphold them and guide them. I  willingly follow all just laws and work for unity based in truth and for the common good.
5. And I love my neighbors, So why would I want to kill them, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually. If I love others I reverence their life and act in ways that build them up and encourage them and help them to have a richer and more abundant life rooted in the truth. I would never act recklessly  to endanger any of them. Of course not, I love them.
6. I Love human life – And if I love my neighbor, why would I tempt them, or exploit them sexually? If I love the human family, why would I endanger it by treating as light the great sacredness of human sexuality by which God calls us into existence? Why would I want to look at pornography or laugh at crude jokes that demean something so sacred? If I love others why would I merely want to gratify myself at the expense of others?  If I love, I grow away from these unloving things.
7. I love others by respecting what is rightfully theirs – And if I love others why would I wish to steal from them, harm or endanger what belongs to them or unjustly deprive them of what is rightfully theirs? Why would I want to act unjustly toward others by refusing them just wages or by giving just work for just wages? Why would I be unjust to the poor by refusing to help them when it is in my ability to help them. For if I have two coats one of them justly belongs to the poor. If I love others why would I steal or act unjustly? No, I want to help them and am glad when they are blessed. I respect what they rightfully have have and share in their joy.
8. I speak the truth in love – And why would I lie to those I love? Or why would I seek to harm their reputation or gossip about them? Why would I pass on hurtful things that I don’t even know are true? And why would I fail to share the truth in love? Love rejoices in the truth, so why would I lie or suppress the truth?
9. I rejoice in the good fortune of others – And if I love others why would I seek to unjustly possess what they have or resent them for what they do have? No, I love them and am happy for them. Perhaps their blessings mean that I too will be blessed.
10. I reverence the families of others – And why would I ever seek to harm the marriage or family of another or resent them for the gift they have in their spouse and family? No I am happy for their blessings. I am happy that my friend has a beautiful wife and well-behaved children. Out of love I seek to encourage him to rejoice in his gifts!

So there’s a little commentary if you need it. But it all comes down to love. Love rejoices in God and wants whatever God wants. Love rejoices in the other and wants what is best for them.

Now of course love is the key. And many of us struggle to love. But God can give us a new heart, a heart that actually starts loving God, fully and freely; a heart that has a deep love, even affection, for everyone. God can do that for us. Yes, if we want it, God can do it:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ez 36:26-27)

A thousand questions and doubts may come to mind, when we are called to love. It is true even when we love, we cannot always say yes. Love sometimes must say no, and love cannot approve everything. Love must sometimes correct and reprove. But, in the end, people know if you love them or not, and they know if you love God. And if people know of your love and experience it, it is possible to say even difficult and challenging things. Yes, in the end, our thousand questions are still answered by love.

And now we ought to stop. For, since Jesus is giving the law standing on one foot, then the preacher must also brief. You and I like to complicate things and ask lots of question. But in the end, it is simple enough:  Love! And all the rest is commentary.

This song reminds us that to love God, is first to experience powerfully his love for us. One day it will finally dawn on each of us that the Lord died for us.

In this Sunday’s Gospel the Lord Jesus issues another urgent summons to the Kingdom. Using a theme similar to last Sunday’s Gospel the Lord teaches that our response to the invitation to come into the Kingdom is both urgent and determinative of our final destiny. As with last Sunday, there is the warning of hellish destruction in the refusal of the Kingdom. But this view must be balanced with the vision of a seeking Lord who wants to fill his banquet and will not stop urging until the end. You might say the theme of this Gospel is “Party or Perish!

Lets look at the gospel in five stages.

I. REPAST. The text says, The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast. Of course the King is God the Father, and the wedding feast is the wedding feast of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. At one level the wedding feast is the invitation to faith in general. But more Biblically, the wedding feast is the wedding feast of the Lamb, described in the Book of Revelation (19:7-9). Hence it is also the Liturgy of Heaven, we share in through the Mass.

What a wonderful image of the Kingdom, a wedding feast. Most Jewish people of that time looked forward to weddings all year long. Weddings were usually timed (in an agricultural setting) between planting and harvest when things were slower. Weddings often lasted for days, and were among the most enjoyable things a Jewish person could imagine. There was feasting, family, and great joy in what God was doing. And consider the unimaginable joy and honor of being invited to a wedding hosted by a King!

Yes, these were powerful images for the ancient Jews of the Kingdom. A wedding! And the wedding for a King’s son at that! The joy, the celebration, the feasting, the magnificence, the splendor, the beautiful bride, the handsome groom, the love, the unity; yes, the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

Who would not want to come!? And we today may well ask, if this is heaven, who does not want to go?! And yet, as we shall see, the invitation is rejected by many!

II. REJECTION! The text says, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, “Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”‘ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

Why !? Here is a real twist to the story, an unexpected development. Why the rejection of the King’s offer? And in our time, why the rejection of what God offers? Are these people crazy? In effect, Jesus explains their rejection in a two-fold way: worldliness and wickedness.

One group of those rejecting the invitation to the Kingdom of heaven do so for worldly reasons. Jesus describes them as going “one to his farm, another to his business.” In other words, the things of the world, though not evil in themselves, have them preoccupied. They are too busy to accept the invitation, their priorities and passions are elsewhere.

They think, “Weddings are nice, but money is nicer. Yes, you see, God and religion have their place, but they don’t pay the bills.” The goal of the worldly, is this world, and what it offers, not God, or the things waiting for them in heaven. Things like prayer, and holiness, Scripture and sacraments, don’t provide obvious material blessings to the worldly minded. Hence, such things are low on the priority list. St Paul speaks of people whose god is their belly and who have their mind set on worldly things (cf Phil 3:19).

So off they go, one to his farm, another to his business; one to watch football, another to detail his car; one to sleep in, another to golf; one to make money, another to the mall to spend it lavishly.

A second group of those rejecting the kingdom do so out of some degree of wickedness. Jesus speaks of how they abuse those who invite them, and that some of the servants, (prophets, apostles, evangelizers), are even killed. Why this anger?

For many, the kingdom of God is rejected because it is not convenient to their moral life. Many of them rightly understand that, to enter the wedding feast of the Kingdom, will require them to be “properly dressed,” and this will be seen below. But of course “proper dress” here refers, not to clothes but, to holiness and righteousness, to living the moral vision of the Kingdom.

Hence the invitation wedding feast of the Kingdom causes anger, for it casts a judgment on some of their behaviors and tweaks their conscience. A great deal of the hostility directed to the God, Scripture, Jesus, the Church and her servants who speak God’s truth, is explained by the fact that, deep down, the hostile know what is proclaimed, is true.

Or, if their minds have become very darkened or their hearts hardened by sin, they simply hate being told what to do, or any suggestion that what they are doing is wrong. Being told to live chastely, or to forgive, or to be more generous to the poor, or to welcome new life (even when there are deformities), or that there are priorities higher than money, sex, career, and worldly access; all of this is obnoxious to some, who have become hardened in sinful choices or sinful patterns of one sort or another. Hence the world often treats God and those who speak of Him with contempt. Some are even martyred in certain places and times.

Of course for many who reject the Kingdom, there are multiple reasons. But Jesus focuses on these two broad categories, under which a lot of those reasons fall.

III. RUIN. The text says, The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. As with last week’s gospel we have here a stunning and shocking detail to the story which is, to some extent mysterious to us. How can such a violent punishment be squared with a vision of God who loves us?

It is not an easy thing to answer. But to respond by pretending it is not taught, or that this will never happen, is to reject the loving urgency with which Jesus speaks. He is not simply using scare tactics or hyperbole, he is teaching us what it true for our salvation.

Historically this destruction happened to ancient Israel in 70AD, forty years after Jesus’ resurrection. After having extended the invitation for a long forty years, the “No” of the invited guests (in this case, the Ancient Jews, corporately speaking) became definitive and led to their national ruin and the end of the temple.

It is the same for us. The Lord invites us all to accept his kingdom as long as we live. And if we are slow to respond, he repeats his offer again and a again. But in the end, if we don’t want to have the Kingdom of God, we don’t have to have it. And, at death, our choice is fixed. And if it is “No,” our ruin is sure, for outside the kingdom, now rejected, there is nothing but ruins. You and I will either accept the invitation to live in the Kingdom of God and by its values, or we will reject it and make “other arrangements.” And those other arrangements are ruinous.

But be sure of this, God wants to save everyone (cf Ez 18:23, 32, 33:1; 1 Tim 2:4 among others). If Hell exists, it is only because of God’s reverence for our freedom to chose. And mind you there are not a few who reject the Kingdom for they live showing that they do not want a thing to do with many of the values of the Kingdom of heaven such as chastity, forgiveness, love of enemies, generosity to the poor, detachment  from the world and so forth. And God will not force them to accept these things or be surrounded by those who live them perfectly in heaven. They are free to make other arrangements and to build their eternal home elsewhere. And compared to heaven, everything else is a smouldering ruin.

IV. RESOLVE. The text says, Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ When some reject the invitation, God merely widens the invitation. He wants his Son’s wedding feast full. Hence, God is resolved to keep inviting and widening the invitation. Here is an extravagant God who does not give up. And when rejected, he just keeps calling.

V. REQUIREMENT. The text says, The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.“

And here then is a warning even for those of us who do accept the invitation and enter the kingdom: We must wear the proper wedding garment.

As we have already remarked, the garment here is not about cloth, but about righteousness. And this righteousness in which we are to be clothed can come only from God. God supplies the garment. The book of Revelation says that the saints were each given a white robe to wear (Rev 6:10). The text also speaks of the Church in a corporate sense as being clothed in righteousness: Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure” — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev 19:7-8). Hence righteousness is imaged by clothing, and that clothing is given by God. At our baptism the priest makes mention of our white robe as an outward sign of our dignity that we are to bring unstained to the judgment seat of Christ. At our funeral too, the white pall placed upon the casket recalls the white robe of righteousness given us by God.

Scripture speaks elsewhere about our righteousness as a kind of provided clothing we “put on”:

1. Rom 13:12 Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light
2. Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
3. Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
4. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
5. Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness
6. Col 3:10 You have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
7. Col 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
8. 1 Thess 5:8 But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Hence, when the king comes upon a man “not properly dressed” he is confronted. And, saying not one word in reply, he is cast out. But recall two things. First, this is not about a dress code, it is about a holiness code. The clothes are symbolic of righteousness. Secondly, remember, the garment is provided. We have no righteousness of our own, but only what God gives us. Hence, the refusal to wear the clothes is not about poverty or ignorance of the rules. It is an outright refusal to accept the values of the Kingdom of God, and to “wear” them as a gift from God.

Scripture says of heaven Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful (Rev 21:27). Scripture also warns us, without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14b) And old Spiritual says, None can walk up there, but the pure in heart. Consider that heaven would not BE heaven if sin and unrighteousness were allowed to commingle there.

Now only God can make us pure enough to enter there and he offers this gift of purity to everyone. Yet not everyone chooses to accept the garment of righteousness he offers, and will not agree to undergo the purification necessary to enter heaven.

The Lord concludes by saying that many are called, but few are chosen. Indeed the Lord calls many, (likely, all). But far fewer are chosen for they themselves choose against the offer of the Kingdom and the garment of righteousness. God thus ratifies their choice by choosing them not.

Some final notes:

Understand the urgency with which Jesus speaks and teaches. Our choices have consequences and, at some point our choices become fixed. Further, at that point, God will ratify what we have chosen. Notions of judgment, fixed choices and Hell may be obnoxious to some on the modern world, and surely these teachings are sobering and even scary to all. We may have legitimate questions of how to square hell with God’s mercy. But nonetheless Judgement, the final fixity of our choices and the reality of Hell are all still taught despite our objections or questions.  And they are taught by the Lord Jesus who loves us. No one love you more than Jesus Christ, and yet, no one spoke of hell more than Jesus Christ.

It is as if the Lord is solemnly urging us to be sober and serious about our spiritual destiny. And likewise to be sober and serious about the spiritual condition of those we love. If nothing else, hear the Lord’s urgency in this vivid parable, told in shocking detail. Realize it is told in love and heed its message.

A final picture. In Luke 15, the Lord told the parable of the Prodigal Son. And the sinful son returned to his father, who, being joyful and moved, threw a great feast. But the other son sulked and refused to enter the feast. Incredibly, his father came out and pleaded with him to enter the feast. “We must rejoice!”  he said. And, strangely, the parable ends. We are not told if the sulking son enters. The story does not end because you must finish it. You are the son. So is your spouse, so are your children and friends. And what is your answer? Will you learn to forgive and accept all the kingdom values and enter….or will you stand outside? What is your answer? And what are you doing to help ensure the proper answer from you spouse, children, brothers, sisters, and friends? What is you answer? What is theirs? The Father is pleading for us to enter the feast. What is your answer?

Photo Source: The New Open Bible.com

This Song says, I got a robe, you got a robe, all God’s children got a robe. When I get to heaven gonna put my robe and go wear it all over God’s Heaven. Heaven, (Everybody talking ’bout Heaven ain’t a goin’ there), Heaven, gonna walk all over God’s heaven.