One of the things we often miss, in reading through Sunday gospel lessons bit by bit, week by week, rather than reading through Matthew as a whole, from start to finish, is the flow. The Gospels were never written to be read section by section--but from beginning to end. Which, when you read them from beginning to end, present truths and messages and details that can be missed week by week.

     Our lesson for today, for example, follows immediately after our gospel reading from last week, and unless you read them together, or show up attentively both Sundays, there is something you might miss. Both readings recount Jesus telling parables about a man and his son. Last Sunday, we heard about the vineyard owner who sent his son to receive fruit from his tenants, and the evil tenants who beat the son and killed him to receive his inheritance. Today, we hear about a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. But in both instances, Jesus is presenting the father, as God the Father. Yes, in the first, God the Father is a vineyard owner, and in the second, God, the Father is a king--but the point remains--God the Father has a son. But what happens to the Son? In the parable last week, the Father sent the Son to the tenants, and the tenants killed the Son. This week, the Father throws a wedding banquet for the Son. So, what is Jesus saying to us in the flow, from the telling of one parable to the next? Jesus is foretelling, his own death and his own resurrection! In the parable last week, Jesus has been sent by the Father to evil, rebellious humanity--and what happens? Jesus is put to death. What happens after Jesus' death? He is resurrected, to be at the head table of a banquet--a banquet in His honor--a banquet that has several dimensions. Jesus is resurrected to preside over a banquet here, which we know as the Lord's supper; and Jesus is resurrected to preside over a heavenly banquet--both of which are the wedding feast of God the Father's Son! So that in the reading of the two parables, from Matthew 21 last Sunday, and Matthew 22 today, we hear Jesus proclaiming, for us, the good news--that though He would be beaten, cast out of the vineyard and put to death, still, God would bring life from death, resurrecting His own Son to be the bridegroom of the Church. And for this bridegroom, for His Son, God the Father throws a wonderful wedding feast, to celebrate, not His Son's death, but His Son's life--and then, the parable we hear today, challenges us to consider what this banquet means to us--and who is invited and who isn't--and who will come and who won't--and finally, the parable teaches us that though the invitation is freely offered, there are certain expectations of those who attend.

     It is patently obvious, as has been the case with the several parables we've heard from Matthew lately, that the first group invited to the banquet, were the Jewish leaders. It was common in ancient mid-eastern weddings for the host to send his servants to the invited guests twice.first to announce the date and time of the event, and then on the day of the wedding, to send his servants again, to remind the guests to come. Jesus tells us that many had been invited to the wedding, but when the servants were sent the second time to call the guests to come, there were all kinds of reasons why they couldn't or wouldn't. The king said, "tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet." But Jesus says, "they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them." Enraged, naturally, the King sent his troops, destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet." And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But remember, Jesus says, once invited, there is such a thing as appropriate attire. To be invited by the King is the first thing--then, one is to put on clothes fitting for a wedding.

     And what is this garment? What is the wedding robe? St. Gregory the Great asks, "what do we think is meant by the wedding garment? For if we say it is baptism, or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast without them? What then must we understand by the wedding garment, but love?" And surely St. Gregory is right. As St. Paul writes in Colossians 3:14: "above all, clothe yourselves with love." Because just as those who were first invited to the wedding feast and would not come, were not worthy because they rejected the one true God and His only begotten Son, so also are those not worthy who would accept the invitation, but not come with love in their hearts--for God, and His Son, and the other guests at the banquet. To be sure, St. Gregory is giving an allegorical interpretation to this parable, as was the custom in his time--but the interpretation fits. It is one thing to be invited, by God's grace, to the wedding banquet of His Son--it is quite another to presume to come to the feast, without love--without clothing oneself in the garment of the Kingdom--love of God and neighbor.

     Which brings me to us, and our church today. The last few weeks as I've been preaching the "inspirational" sermons leading up to our capital appeal Commitment Sunday next week, I've said repeatedly, "Remember, it's all about God's grace." And so it is. But it's also all about the banquet of the King's Son. Granted, in many churches today, and even in many Lutheran churches today, the wedding banquet, the heavenly feast, the Lord's Supper, have little or no place in mission or ministry. Many would suggest that the feast of the Lamb who was slain, is irrelevant to modern folks today--not helpful for outreach and inviting others into the Church. And yet, what do we hear today, in the parable Jesus tells? We hear that it is God's banquet, given in honor of His Son. We hear that God the Father wants all to be invited, all whom the servants could find--both good and bad! We hear that God the Father wants the wedding hall to be filled with guests--and the guests are to be gathered around the banquet table. We certainly do not want to prescribe or judge the practices of other congregations and faith communities--but for us Lutherans--for those of us who are sacramental Christians--how can we not hear in this parable, a wonderful invitation for us, to invite others, to come, share in the banquet of the Lord's Table? Is this not a biblical mandate, for evangelism, based on inviting others to come share in the Lord's Supper? And similarly, are not our plans for expanding our church building, to be about, not adding fun, convenient, comfortable spaces for us--but about adding space for new members yet to be invited to the Lord's feast? As you know, we will not be adding additional seating in our sanctuary for worship--thankfully, we added that in our last building program. But now, think about when we gather, as guests at the Lord's banquet, for fellowship. We have only space for 100 in our cramped Atrium--and I'm sure some of our members don't come to fellowship activities, because it's always cramped. At our Commitment Sunday Special Evening next Sunday (5:30 p.m.), some will have to sit downstairs to fit in the almost 200 we're expecting to come. But maybe that'll be the last time we'll have to be divided into two banquet halls. Our goal is to have seating for more than 300 in the new fellowship hall, so that all who are invited, can be seated, together, at the table of the Lord--whether in worship, or in fellowship! And not only members--either! Our desire is to be able to invite others to the banquet of the Lord, as we share the good news of Jesus with children and their families through our Children's Center--and our new building addition will allow us to serve, not 59 kids and their families--but 100--starting, we hope next fall, with the itty-bitty babies! The Father-God says, "go invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet"--he doesn't exclude children, and through our Children's Center, we're inviting children and families into a relationship with Jesus--and we're happy if they come to church here at Saint Luke's, or if they join a church down the street or across town.our goal is not first, to get them to come to this banquet hall--but first, to invite them to come into a relationship with Jesus. And that's why we're raising funds, to expand our church building--not to serve our own needs--but to serve the needs of those yet to be invited into the kingdom.to keep us going out into the community to invite all whom we can find--to have space where all who come, can find a place.and to make it possible for all to get to their place in our church building, even if they have to take the elevator to get there!

     We are expanding our church building, because we have been invited to the banquet of the Lord, and because we're being sent out to invite others to the banquet. But let's be sure, we put on, always--our wedding clothes. Whether in the capital appeal, or in the building program; whether at church on Sunday mornings, or at fellowship Sunday night; whether at work, or at play--let us have our wedding clothes on--which is, love. The love of God in Jesus Christ, for us, and the love we are to have for one another. Love for the neighbor. Love for the stranger. Love for those who are not yet believers. Love for our brothers and sisters at the church down the street. Love for those in wheelchairs and with walkers. Love for the babies, and the toddlers, and the children and yes, even love for the teenagers and youth. You can't enter the banquet hall, to sit at the table of the Lord, without your wedding clothes--so, clothe yourself, in love, and then, come--come to the wedding banquet--come because everything is prepared and ready!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.