Bible
Study: Ezekiel 36, 23 to 28 and Matthew 22, 1 to 14.
“Come and
Eat” is a universal language. In any culture, the best way through which one is
welcomed and honoured is an invitation to a meal. To eat with someone is to
bring that person into your world and get to know each other better. Abraham
was rewarded with the promise of a child when he played hosts to strangers by
preparing a meal for them. Jacob received blessing from Isaac which was
intended for Esau because he prepared a delicious meal. To this day, lives have
been changed and destinies have been altered over a dish of food.
To be
invited to a meal is a sign of honour on the part of the person being invited.
To turn down an invitation on a flimsy excuse is a sign of mistrust and the end
of a friendship. Again to go as far as beating up and even killing the person
who brought the invitation is a call for war. No one takes such and insult
likely.
If you
have ever spent time and money organizing and event only to be given various
sorts of excuses at the eve of the event, and then on that day itself, none of
your significant guests are present, you would definitely feel depressed, angry
and confused to say the least.
What kind
of guests would hear “Come and eat” and refuse to show up? This is strange! But
this is our story.
Some of us
have been Christians right from our mothers’ womb. We grew up in the faith and
we never had any supernatural experience that made us really converted. As a
result, there is this tendency to underestimate what we have and begin to take
for granted the values we ought to cherish.
We can
become so used to the Church that we lose the sense of the sacred. We become so
full of ourselves that there is no longer space for God in our time table
anymore. We no longer go for confession because we start seeing the priest as
too ordinary a man to stand in the place of Christ to absolve sins. Our hearts
become workshops for the devil because we consume whatever comes our way such
as immoral thoughts, idolatry, love for money, evil desires, etc. This is the
point we literally turn down God’s invitation to his divine banquet.
Dear
friends in Christ, the point behind this parable of Jesus is this: THAT
SOMETHING IS FREE DOES NOT MEAN IT IS CHEAP. The fact that we have been invited
to heaven does not mean we have a right to take it for granted. If we, who feel
we deserve heaven by virtue of being called ‘Christians’ or by virtue of our
regular church attendance play with this invitation, it would be given to
‘outsiders’. Matthew 21 verse 31. “In truth I tell you, tax collectors and
prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.” Even the
prophet Ezekiel in our first reading today testifies that God will gather
people from all nations.
Again, we
see that even from among those who were brought in freely from the streets
almost forcefully just to fill up the space, one of them was thrown out. Why?
He was not properly dressed. Once more dear friends, the point is: That
something is free does not mean it is cheap. That the guests were invited on a
platter of gold did not give any of them the right to come in without a wedding
garment.
Never take
the things of God for granted. I recall mentioning this particular parable of
Jesus recently when I was commenting on how people dress to Church. These days
we see all kinds of fashion that are more suited for night clubs and beach
party than for the house of God. Inability to dress yourself properly is a sign
of disrespect for God. There are some dresses you cannot even wear to work
where you are being paid but you want to wear them to Church. Why do you want
to become the centre of attraction in the house of God? Are people going to
Church to worship you or to worship God? Why be a distraction and a corruption
on the minds of people in the house of God? A lady who dresses poorly in the
name of looking for a husband will only end up attracting a hosts of boyfriends
like sugar attracts ants, they only come in to eat the sugar and walk away. A
man who dresses poorly is even worse. He is no better than the man who was
thrown out in today’s Gospel passage.
Let us
never take the things of God for granted.
Let us
pray:
Create in
me a pure heart, Oh God and renew your spirit within me. Cast me not away from
your presence O Lord and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
To the
glory of God, on this very day I was ordained a priest 4 years ago. Happy
anniversary to me and all who are celebrating same this week. Mary, mother of
priests, pray for us.
Fr. Abu
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