(With thanks to Andrew Prior, Robert F. Capon, Frederick Buechner and Philip Yancey. )
A little piece of hell.
What does that phrase make you think of? Gone to hell in a hand basket. Bloody ‘ell. A living hell perhaps. I’ve never preached a sermon on hellfire and brimstone. Or on the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. It’s never too late I suppose. Some of you may already be thinking, -what the hell? This sermon is a rerun. Oh well.
That’s a pretty brutal ending to today’s gospel reading. Our world is facing so many instances of a living hell. I think of Ukraine being pummelled by the Russian army, the killing, the destruction, the inhumanity – and then there is the war between Israel and Hamas. I think of those poor souls being held hostage in Gaza, the Palestinians who live there and can’t leave or find food or water or medical care. And the families in Israel just trying to live their lives but surrounded by Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran. The crimes against humanity seem to be endless everywhere. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so just hold on to those thoughts.
The gospel reading is certainly not some cozy bedtime story to make us feel good. Jesus told stories that provoked and disturbed sometimes. And this is one of them. In the Gospel of Luke there is another version of a great banquet but Jesus tells that story around the table – at a meal in the home of a Chief Pharisee. It has a touch of judgement in it, but it is mostly filled with grace.
The gospel reading is certainly not some cozy bedtime story to make us feel good. Jesus told stories that provoked and disturbed sometimes. And this is one of them. In the Gospel of Luke there is another version of a great banquet but Jesus tells that story around the table – at a meal in the home of a Chief Pharisee. It has a touch of judgement in it, but it is mostly filled with grace.
The Matthew version we just heard read is told in a very different context. It is the week before Jesus is crucified, and the Priests and Pharisees are trying to have Jesus arrested and killed. This is a more severe version shall we say. Both of Jesus’ stories; parables are referring to a wedding banquet and that is important to remember. Think of all the dinner parties, wedding receptions, banquets and feasts in the gospels. There is the Last Supper of course, the wedding in Cana (that’s in John) there’s the supper at Emmaus after Jesus’ resurrection, and the BBQ’d fish on the beach. There’s the banquet of celebration for the prodigal son’s return. And you must remember that the son isn’t judged but he is welcomed with open arms and a feast. But the main lens to look at today’s banquet story is through the lens of the Marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. This is the great light that we are to see this story through. It’s the big finale.It’s the heavenly feast of joy and celebration.
And here’s the invitation: (holding an invitation) You are lovingly and warmly invited by the Lord, the Holy One, the creator of the stars – the universe and all living things – to come to a banquet. Come to the party! It says. Will you accept? Decline? The invitation in Jesus’ story is sent to every important person around, but they act with great disdain and ignore it. So in the story, the King sends out his servants to remind them – you are invited! Come to the banquet!
Meh, is the response. Just go away. Sorry, we’re busy that day. (Toss the invite.) They even start killing the servants who brought the invitations. They reject the ones delivering the invitations as well as the gracious invitation itself, and the one sending the invitation. And so the king responds in kind, and sends his own troops to kill the killers. He is angry to be so shamefully rejected and to see his servants slaughtered. So the the nobility, the upper crust who were invited, the TV stars, jet setters, the ones with the Dior gowns and the Mercedes Benzes parked out front, the so called winners, become the ones who lose. They are saying we don’t care or want to go to your party. And they are the ones judging – it’s not the King judging here.
The King has no limits to his grace though and sends out more servants telling them to invite everyone! I don’t care if they are bad or good. I don’t care if they are a mess, or if they haven’t had a bath in weeks, or if they don’t even know what an hors d’oeurve is. Bring everyone you find. The street person, the person living in a tent, the CEO, the Dr., the lawyer, the thief, the nurse, the musician, the accountant, the farmer, the cook – even the clergy – bring them all! There is no need for anyone to get their act together. They have nothing to lose by saying yes. Those who say no? Well, they are in their own living hell by their own choice. But! The invitation still stands if they change their mind. It is by Jesus’ grace that we are invited to the party, the heavenly feast of the Lamb. This isn’t about judgement but rather about welcome.
It’s been suggested by many who have written about this story, that the king offers fancy clothes to these new guests when they arrive. He knows they don’t have the kind of duds for a party of this ilk. So he tells his servants to go to the wardrobe and wheel down the greatest party clothes he has to give to each one. Your choice! Pick what you love. Everyone is dressed to the nines. The party is going full tilt but then the King notices someone isn’t wearing any party clothes – or ‘gown’, as it has been translated. They’ve been invited, but won’t even accept the gift they have been offered of party clothes. How’d you get in here like that? What the hell? This is a party! The one who rejects the gift of the gown is living in their own little piece of hell, even though the party is in full swing.
We aren’t invited because of anything we have done. Often we seem to think that God is keeping score, holding some clip board in one arm. We can be like the Pharisees reading off our lists of good deeds: the church offerings made! CHECK. The time given! CHECK. The food donated, CHECK the list can go on. But salvation is not by works and the heavenly banquet is not an option that is ours to have by even accepting the invitation. That party is already in progress . The King – the One giving the party – has paid for the party with his own death and resurrection. It is by Jesus’ grace – not by any track record that you or I have that we are invited. And we are welcomed into the party with open arms and offered the garment of salvation.
In the book of Philippians Paul writes about Gods grace. He lists off all of the things he has done trying to display his righteous track record as a servant of the Lord, but then he says that he considers that all rubbish (well in Greek it’s actually along the line of compost, and I’m trying to be polite) compared to the grace of Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation. Nothing in this world – especially not any long ago cancelled sins – can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Robert Capon – a fine theologian says this: Hell is simply the nowhere that is the only thing left for those who will not accept their acceptance by grace. And another of my favourite theologians Fredrick Buechner wrote this: and I’m paraphrasing: “We all want to be rewarded for our merits and not given some free gift. We want to be able to hold that trophy up and say – Look what I accomplished! (and I would add we may think or want that too, – both as individuals or even as congregations) We are like bargain hunters at a second hand car lot trying to talk the salesman down in price. He whispers in your ear – come around back. And so you go, and there’s a brand new Porsche. He hands you the keys. And he looks you in the eye and says: It’s free. The owner really likes you.” Do you take it? Do you say thank you! Do you get suspicious? Or do you start asking about the insurance, the warranty or any added terms or fees. The world is full of people who can’t believe a good thing when it is staring them in the face.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. Jesus stands at the door of your heart knocking. (Note picture of Jesus at the door- there is no door knob. YOU have to let him in. )He has gone to prepare a place for you. He will even wash your feet, and offer you party clothes. Faith and grace are the only things that count. And outside of the party there is nothing at all. And what about hell you ask? For those who refuse the invitation you might think that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that they might get to go to the banquet.
Buechner says this: “If there is suffering life in Hell, there must also be hope in hell because where there is life, and where there is suffering, he (Jesus) is there too, because the suffering of the ones he loves is also His suffering. The Creed says – He descended to Hell. Psalm 139:8 says – If I make my bed in Sheol (place of death and darkness) you are there. It seems there is no depth to which he will not sink. Jesus is with us when we suffer, when we feel we are already in some living hell. He is with those who are in the midst of some living hell seen in the wars and persecutions around us. But there is hope, and grace for all. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female (or Trinity or Knox or St. Andrew’s) For you are all One in Christ! You are all invited to the party! To the great dinner of reconciliation. You are invited to participate in God’s – in Jesus’ unfolding and ever-changing work of resurrection hope and new life. And that my friends is one helluva gift.